Cottage Pie with Caulicannon Topping

As it's very close to Halloween now, and I had a dental implant inserted today, which means I need mushy food, I have made cottage pie but with a caulicannon topping.

You'll find my caulicannon recipe here:
http://fibrofood.blogspot.ie/2015/09/colcannon.html

and my cottage pie recipe here:
http://fibrofood.blogspot.ie/2015/06/cottage-pie.html

Caulicannon

Hallowe'en is coming and there is nothing more traditional in Ireland at this time of year than Colcannon. Usually made with potatoes, I have of course used cauliflower instead! Here's my recipe:

Ingredients

1 large head of cauliflower
4 large handfuls of curly kale
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
Butter
salt and pepper

Method

1. Chop and boil the cauliflower for approximately 5 minutes
2. Purée
3. Steam curly kale until tender
4. Add to cauliflower along with the scallions, butter and salt and pepper to taste

We tried this for the first time last night and it was delicious! I served it with another traditional Irish food, corned beef (not to be confused with the mushy tinned or deli sliced variety!) which I cooked in the slow cooker for 5 hours.

Spiralized Courgette with Pancetta and Cream Cheese Sauce

Spiralzing is the new big craze in low carb eating. My spiralizer

arrived last week and I absolutely love it! You can get the same one here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spiralite-Vegetable-Spiralizer-by-Spiralz/dp/B003NXR086 although I got one slightly cheaper on eBay. 

We all buy kitchen gadgets, use them a few times and then leave them to rot in their boxes but I really think this one will continue to get used as myself and Ronan love spaghetti dishes but had cut them from our menu completely until now! Also, very importantly, this machine is easy to clean which means I won't dread the wash-up!

Ingredients:

3 courgettes

1 onion, finely sliced

1 clove garlic, finely sliced

1 tsp coconut or rapeseed oil

200g cream cheese

150g pancetta cubes

black pepper

Method:

1. Spiralize all 3 courgettes and set aside
2. Sauté onion and garlic in the coconut/rapeseed oil until soft
3. Add pancetta and fry until cooked thoroughly
4. Add cream cheese and plenty of ground black pepper. Stir until melted
5. Add courgettes and stir continuously until heated through
6. Serve

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space

I've been quiet for awhile because we were on holidays in gorgeous Tuscany. We're back now and settling into normality again. Ronan proposed to me on a surprise trip to Venice so yippeeeeeee! We're getting married!

I've been spending today getting Eliza's nursery bag packed because I go back to work next Thursday and she is starting nursery bit by bit over next few days. I am obviously absolutely dreading it. I feel so sad when I look at Eliza and think she doesn't realise that next week, her comfy, familiar routine is going to change and she will be left with strangers for four days a week. And I don't know how I am going to cope without her by my side all day.

And then there's the issue of my fibromyalgia. It has been behaving itself beautifully for the last few weeks. Even though I was eating bread and pasta in Italy, and it was almost unbearably hot at 38°C, I had no flare-ups. I am concerned about how I am going to manage sitting in an office chair all day and then there's the actual work of course!

We've no date set for the wedding but I am starting my preparation now with trying to lose weight. I am introducing a lot more raw veg into my diet and reducing my portion sizes. I will share my raw veg ideas/recipes as soon as I create them. For now, when Ronan has broccoli with cheese sauce, I have grated carrot and shredded white and red cabbage or grated cauliflower mixed with kalamata olives with mine. I've made my own dressing consisting of: olive oil, organic apple cider vinegar, garlic, wholegrain mustard and a tiny bit of honey. I use a little of this on the raw veg and it is honestly delicious! Plus, it takes much longer to eat the veg so you end up eating less.

And, the icing on the cake is that I have found several studies that link following a raw vegan diet with improving fibromalgia. I'm not ready to give up my meat but am hoping that increasing my intake of raw vegetables can only be a good thing!

Barbeque Season

It's finally barbeque season in Ireland! I adore this time of year, when it's warm enough to eat outside. I love the smell and I love the food. And, it's one of the easiest ways to eat low carb.

Here are some of my favourites:

• Chicken skewers - chicken pieces marinated in Frank's sauce
• Chorizo skewers - chorizo, mushrooms and peppers
• Stuffed mushrooms - Portobello mushrooms stuffed with stilton or pâté
• Chicken wings/thighs/drumsticks

Make sure you've loads of homemade coleslaw (shredded white cabbage, grated carrot, onion and mayonnaise) and salads to serve with all that meat!

My friend Emily introduced me to Fire Wires (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stainless-Steel-Flexible-Grilling-Skewer/dp/B00OVLZUAY/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1436190952&sr=1-3&keywords=fire+wire+skewers) a few years ago. They're brilliant as they fit so much and the ends don't get hot so they're easy to handle.

Chorizo, mushrooms and pepper on Fire Wire

Get outside, enjoy that sunshine and stuff your face!

Ms. E's Not So Beautiful Blues

I'm in the dumps a bit today. I made the mistake of trying on last year's summer dresses and they're just a bit too clingy to be worn on my holiday to Italy later this month.

One of the reasons that I have always hated clothes shopping is that I always feel down afterwards. I'm telling myself how ridiculous I am being, even as I type this. I am so lucky. I have a wonderful partner in Ronan. I have a beautiful 8 month old baby girl. I am from a close and fantastic family. I have incredible friends. I am not poor. We own our home. I may have fibromyalgia but barring flare-ups and the challenge of staircases, I am generally fine and well. I have nice hair and good skin. And I'm feeling low because I'm not slim.

This is not a new phenomenon. You'd think after 38 years I'd have accepted the shape I am. And generally I do. Well sort of. I don't think about it anyway which is as close as I am ever going to get to not minding. I just get so frustrated. I have always eaten well. I have never overeaten. I regularly cut a chunk off the meat on my plate and transfer it to Ronan's. I dread to think what state I would be in if I ate takeaways and biscuits, even occasionally, or a bag of chips. A bag of chips! Imagine! I see my extremely slim neighbour having her takeaways delivered three or four times a week and inside I'm screaming, "HOW ARE YOU SO SKINNY??!". A long time ago I mentioned to my GP that I was tired of not being able to lose more weight. His response was to tell me to say no to the doughnuts. Doughnuts?? Hahahahaha!

I know that my fibromyalgia has a part to play because I obviously can't be as active as I'd like to be but at the same time, there are plenty of people who sit on their arses all day playing video games and are still not as cuddly as me. I exercise at home every week day and walk when my legs are working properly. Plus I am lifting Eliza all day.

But enough self pity. I really do know better and most of the time manage to accept that everyone is different. Everyone's body works differently and there are a hell of a lot of worse things in life than thinking you're too fat!

Beef Stroganoff

I made this for dinner yesterday evening using left over roast beef from Sunday. However, the following recipe is assuming you are cooking the beef from scratch.

Ingredients:

500g beef, cut into strips
2 tbsps paprika
200g mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup of brandy
1 beef stock cube
200g crème fraîche

salt and pepper
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 cup of water
coconut oil
cauliflower rice (see https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7361794025237498990#editor/target=post;postID=9157502184713393239;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=14;src=postname)

1. Fry onion in a little coconut oil until soft
2. Add beef and cook on a medium heat until browned
3. Add mushrooms, brandy, paprika, stock cube, salt and pepper, tomato purée and water
4. Simmer gently for 5 minutes
5. Lower the heat and add the crème fraîche
6. Serve with cauli rice

Snacking

What can you eat as a snack on a low carb diet? As long as you're prepared it's quite simple to organise a wide variety of tasty snack foods. Here are some of my favourites:

• Nuts - almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts. These can be home roasted and a little salt added. Do not include peanuts as they are actually part of the legume (peas, beans) family so are not low carb

• Dark chocolate - a little good quality dark chocolate with at least 80% cocoa. The high cocoa content means there is less sugar. Aldi do a lovely 85% one. It's called MoserRoth and looks like a large bar of chocolate but is actually 5 individually wrapped bars. I find these very handy as they stop me eating too much of it!

• Fresh strawberries and cream - I do say not to eat too much fruit but strawberries have one of the lowest amounts of sugar

• Fresh figs and parma ham - figs are very high in fibre and contain as little sugar as strawberries 

• Parmesan crisps - bake finely grated piles of parmesan on a greasproof paper lined tray in the oven (at 180°C) for 5 or 6 minutes

• Carrot sticks and cream cheese

• Carrot sticks and almond butter

• Olives

• Cheese and gherkins

• Mixed seeds - dry fry a mixture of pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a little soy sauce with chilli flakes

Sometimes if we're peckish in the evening, Ronan creates a platter of goodies!

Easy egg muffins

Looking for something to have as a savoury snack or a breakfast that you can have on the go? These simple egg muffins are just the thing.

Ingredients:

6 eggs
cheese
meats
onions or other veg of choice
salt and pepper
chilli flakes

1. Grease a 12 piece muffin or mince pie tin
2. Add a little onion or whatever veg/meat you are using and cheese
3. Beat eggs and season with salt and pepper and chilli flakes if you wish
4. Pour egg mixture over the top of the veg and cheese
5. Bake at the centre of a preheated oven at 200 °C for 20-25 minutes until muffins are golden, puffy and the eggs have set
6. Let the muffins cool slightly before removing from the tin

These muffins can be eaten immediately or placed in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge or freezer.

Suggested flavour combinations:

• Stilton and lightly steamed broccoli
• Feta, pine nuts and  fresh spinach
• Parmesan and fresh basil
• Cheddar and spring onion

Who needs a recipe?

You don't always need a recipe to create delicious healthy low carb lunches and dinners. You can grill any type of meat or fish and serve it with a pile of tasty vegetables or salad. If you miss your potatoes, replace them with cauliflower purée. A fillet steak served with garlic butter (always make your own - just add crushed or sliced garlic to softened butter - to avoid hidden additives) and a salad is gorgeous and perfect for when you need fast food. Or what about salmon darnes, oven baked with lemon in tinfoil parcels.

We eat a lot of salads in our house, particularly during the Summer. Not just as an accompaniment to meat or fish but as a complete dish in their own right. Sometimes we cook a ham and serve it sliced with mixed leaves, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, nuts and seeds. Or for lunch I might have lettuce with pears, stilton and walnuts. If you're particularly hungry, have a Niçoise salad because it contains tuna, egg and olives.

We tend to have a roast dinner on a Sunday. We serve it with roasted vegetables, mashed turnip or carrots. You can't have normal gravy as it is made with flour but you can make an alternative sauce using sour cream and stock, heated gently together. Another favourite of ours is to spatchcock a chicken, marinate it in Frank's sauce and then roast it. We serve it with homemade coleslaw.

Steak and salad

Spatchcock roast chicken with homemade coleslaw

Fish Pie

This is a recipe that I have adapted from one of Jamie Oliver's. We have this for dinner regularly as it's so delicious but also easy to make. I get the fish in Aldi as it comes with the skin removed and the packets are a good size for this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower, puréed (see http://lowcarbhealthily.blogspot.ie/2015/06/cauliflower-saviour-of-low-carb-diet.html)
1 large carrot
100g cheddar cheese
20g parmesan
250g cod, diced
250g smoked coley, diced
200g crème fraîche
handful of fresh spinach
Tbsp lemon juice
Tbsp parsley
Tbsp olive oil

1. Peel and grate carrot directly into the dish you are using to cook the fish pie
2. Grate the parmesan and half the cheddar into the dish
3. Add fish, crème fraîche, spinach, lemon juice, olive oil and parsley
4. Mix well
5. Top with cauliflower purée
6. Sprinkle remaining grated cheddar on top
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30 - 40 minutes
8. Serve

Why does a low carb diet help chronic pain conditions, such as, Fibromyalgia, CFS and Rheumatoid Arthritis?

No food or combination of foods have been proven to relieve chronic pain conditions. However, it has been widely reported by sufferers that a high protein, low carbohydrate diet has helped to alleviate some of the pain. But how could this be?

One common issue with Fibromyalgia, CFS and Rheumatoid Arthritis is weight gain. This can be caused by reduced mobility, medication and decreased metabolism due to hormone deficiencies brought on by the disease. If you eat a low carb diet, you will lose weight so will therefore be putting less pressure on your joints and muscles.

Another issue is the inflammation in the body. Carbohydrates, particularly sugar actually cause inflammation. By avoiding these in your diet you should theoretically reduce inflammation. Isn't it worth a try?

Breakfast

Wondering what you can have for breakfast on a low carb diet? There are plenty of options!

Here are some of my suggestions:

• Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of flaxseed and a teaspoon of sugar free jam. Make sure that it is true greek yogurt. The only ingredient should be milk

• Oat bran made into porridge by adding milk and heating in a pan or the microwave. Oat bran is allowed because it has a very low sugar content

• Avocado, poached egg and bacon bits

• An omelette using any of the following ingredients: cheese, meat, mushrooms, onions, asparagus, olives, tomatoes

• Bacon and egg

• Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, smoked mackerel or cheese

      Avocado, poached egg and bacon bits

Ronan's Chocolate Buns

Ronan has developed this recipe by trial and error. This is his perfected version but he still tinkers with it occasionally! You may wish to add more Stevia if these aren't sweet enough for you.

Ingredients:

100g chopped walnuts

150g grounds almonds

50g milled flaxseed

12g Stevia

50g cocoa powder

pinch of salt

4 medium eggs

1. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl
2. Add eggs and stir well. The mixture should be quite stiff
3. Divide evenly between 12 bun cases
4. Bake for 12-14 minutes in a preheated oven at 200°C

Chicken, Chorizo and Prawn Paella

I created this recipe yesterday and Ronan and I tested it for dinner. It's more 'saucy' than proper paella made with rice but its just as tasty.

Ingredients:

1 medium cauliflower, grated (cauli rice)

1 onion, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

2 chicken breasts, diced

150g chorizo, sliced

10 large prawns (raw if possible)

2 tbsp tomato purée

1 chicken stock cube

2 pinches of saffron

fresh chilli or chilli flakes to taste

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 cup of white wine

salt and pepper

1. Fry chicken in the coconut oil at a low heat until cooked
2. Add sliced onion, garlic, pepper and chorizo and sauté for 5 minutes
3. Add grated cauliflower and stir to coat with the chorizo oils
4. Add wine, stock cube, saffron, tomato purée, salt and pepper, chilli and 2 cups of water
5. Add prawns and keep stirring until cooked (they will go pink!), adding more water if required
6. Serve immediately

N.B. If you choose not to eat nightshade foods, exclude the red pepper, chilli and tomato purée

Cottage Pie

This is the easiest thing in the world to cook. Just use your usual cottage/shepherd's pie recipe and top with cauliflower purée instead of mashed potatoes. If you don't have a recipe, here's mine!

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
400g lean minced beef
1 beef stock cube
4 tsps Worcestershire sauce
10 button mushrooms, sliced
1 large cauliflower
20g cheddar, grated

1. Sauté onion in a large frying pan until soft
2. Add beef and cook until thoroughly browned
3. Add mushrooms
4. Crumble in stock cube, Worcestershire sauce and about 4 tablespoons of boiling water
5. Mix well and simmer for 10 minutes
6. Transfer the meat mixture into an ovenproof dish
7. Chop cauliflower into florets and steam or boil for 8 minutes
8. Drain and purée (I use a stick blender)
9. Cover meat mixture with the cauliflower
10. Sprinkle grated cheddar over the top
11. Cook in a preheated oven for 30 minutes at 200°C or until heated through and cheese has melted and browned
12. Serve with steamed green beans and carrots

Fat vs Sugar

Why do we all believe that fat is bad for you? It has recently been revealed that there is no proper scientific evidence to support this. So why is this belief so widespread?

This article from the Guardian newspaper from February of this year explains:

http://lowcarbhealthily.blogspot.ie/2015/06/cauliflower-saviour-of-low-carb-diet.html

It is fast becoming the belief that sugar and not fat is the leading cause of obesity. In fact, it is being likened to a drug. The more you have, the more you want. Next time you go to the supermarket, read the ingredients of every item you put into your trolley. Nine times out of ten you will read the word 'sugar'. Even ready made coleslaw and the majority of breads contain it. And if you don't see 'sugar', you'll see 'sucrose' or 'fructose' or some other name for what is still, essentially, sugar.

And one last bit of interesting information. In 2003, it was discovered that the sugar lobby in the US blackmailed the World Health Organisation into changing their new guidelines on healthy eating. The new guidelines stated that sugar should account for no more than 10% of your diet. Understandably, the sugar industry did not want this information getting out. So they told WHO that they would get Congress to cut their funding if they went ahead and published the report. This fact terrifies me because if we cannot trust the WHO to tell us the truth, who can we trust?

Bolognese stuffed peppers

This recipe uses the same bolognese sauce as my Leeksagne but I've included it below for convenience. Stuffing the peppers with the sauce was Ronan's idea!

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
10 button mushrooms, sliced
400g lean minced beef
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp tomato purée
1 beef stock cube
1 tsp Stevia
3 red or orange peppers or a mix of the two
2 large buffalo mozzarrella balls, sliced
20g grated cheddar

1. Pan fry onion until soft
2. Add mince and cook until browned
3. Add chopped mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato purée, stock cube and Stevia
4. Mix well and simmer for 10 minutes
5. Slice peppers in half, down the centre
6. Place peppers in an ovenproof dish and fill with bolognese mixture
7. Cover each pepper with sliced mozzarella
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30-40 minutes until cheddar is melted and browned
9. Serve on their own or with a green salad

N.B. This recipe is not suitable if you avoid nightshade foods.

Leeksagne

Ingredients:

2 large leeks
1 onion, chopped
10 button mushrooms, sliced
400g lean minced beef
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp tomato purée
fresh basil
oregano
1 beef stock cube
1 tsp Stevia
1 tub cream cheese
20g grated cheddar

1. Peel and rinse the leeks. Cut each stalk in half and place in a large saucepan. Boil for 8 minutes. Drain and soak in cold water for 10 minutes
2. Pan fry onion until soft
3. Add mince and cook until browned
4. Add chopped mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato purée, stock cube, oregano, basil and Stevia
5. Mix well and simmer for 10 minutes
6. Remove leeks from water and separate into their layers. Pat dry with kitchen towel
7. Place half the mince mixture into an oven proof dish
8. Cover with leek layers, using only as much as you need to cover the sauce
9. Place the other half of the mince over the leek layer
10. Cover the mince with rest of the leeks. Again, only using as much as you need
11. Melt cream cheese in small pan and pour over the leeks, smoothing it to cover them
12. Sprinkle grated cheddar over the top
13. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30-40 minutes until cheddar is melted and browned
14. Serve on its own or with a green salad

 Leek layer

N.B. This recipe is not suitable if you avoid nightshade foods.

Low carb 'pasta' bake

This is such an easy recipe. It's a great use for left over roast chicken and it's my partner's new favourite dinner!

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower
4 chicken breasts or left over roast chicken
4 handfuls of fresh spinach
1 slice Le Roulé or 1 whole Boursin cheese
75g cheddar cheese

1. Chop cauliflower head into small florets and steam for 5 minutes. Drain immediately and place into large mixing bowl
2. Pan fry diced chicken breasts in a dessert spoon of coconut oil until cooked through. Add to mixing bowl
3. Grate cheddar and place 50g into the bowl
4. Add spinach to the bowl
5. Put Roulé or Boursin into a small saucepan and heat, stirring constantly until melted into a smooth sauce
6. Add sauce to the bowl and mix all ingredients well
7. Season with salt and pepper
8. Pour mixture into baking dish, sprinkle remaining cheddar over the top
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30 minutes until cheddar is browned and bubbling
10. Serve with a green salad.

Cauliflower, the saviour of the low carb diet!

Cauliflower is an amazingly versatile vegetable and can be a godsend for the low carber! It can be used as a replacement for potatoes, rice and pasta in many dishes. It can be puréed as a topping for shepherds pie and fish pie. It can be grated as an alternative to rice. And it can be included in a bake instead of pasta.

Cauliflower Purée
Boil or steam until just beginning to get soft (approx. 6 minutes). Drain and purée with a blender.

Cauliflower Rice
Grate the head of cauliflower (don't chop first) and pan fry with a little coconut oil until heated through.

Why low carb?

My name is Eleanor. I am 38 and reasonably healthy but I do have fibromyalgia. I have no medical qualifications but I have been studying Clinical Nutrition for some time now. I have found that the healthiest way to eat, for me anyway, is to maintain a low carb diet. What does that mean? Simply put, I rarely eat the following:

Potatoes
Bread
Pasta
Rice
Sugar

I am not suggesting that you follow Atkins or similar diets. I don't believe that any extreme diet is the way to go. I do however eat a high protein diet but I also eat carbohydrates in the form of vegetables, salad and a little fruit (fruit contains fructose which is essentially sugar). The protein I eat consists mainly of meat, seafood, cheese, dairy products, eggs, nuts (excluding peanuts as these are not actually a nut but a member of the legume family) and seeds.

So many people tell me that they couldn't possibly manage without potatoes or bread. But it really isn't as difficult as it sounds. Lunch doesn't have to be a sandwich. It can be a delicious fresh salad. There are so many fantastic ingredients you can use to make an incredible salad. Or what about a mushroom omelette or scrambled eggs with smoked salmon? Homemade soup is another option.You don't need to start spending longer in the kitchen to create low carb meals, you simply need to learn to think differently about food.

I have two reasons for maintaining this way of eating. Firstly, my weight. You hear all the time that people can't lose weight because they have a slower metabolism or that they don't eat badly but with me it REALLY is true! I have battled with my weight all my life yet I have always been interested in what I put into my body so have consciously never overeaten or indulged in regular takeaways etc. I'm not obese but I've never been skinny or even slim really. Since I started eating low carb I finally feel that I can control my weight. I don't think I will ever be a stick but I am able to stay at a reasonable weight and ensure that it doesn't go up and if I'm particularly strict, it even goes down!

My second and more important reason is that the symptoms of my fibromyalgia are much better when I eat a high protein diet. I discovered this whilst on holiday in Italy. Usually I relax my diet when I go away and Italy is of course the land of pizza and pasta. Very shortly after I started indulging, the pain in my legs became unbearable. I literally could hardly walk. Once I stopped the bread and pasta, the symptoms faded rapidly.

I am hoping, with this blog, to share my knowledge and recipes to help other people in their quest to eat more healthily and reduce their pain.