Chicken, Cauliflower and Pesto Bake

Ingredients

8 oyster (chicken) thighs
250 ml double cream
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp fresh pesto
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large cauliflower*, divided into small florets
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
10 cherry tomatoes
200g grated cheddar
Salt & pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C
2. Mix double cream, pesto and lemon juice together. Add salt & pepper
3. Season the chicken thighs and fry in olive oil for approximately 15 minutes
4. Place thighs in a large baking dish
5. Pour in cream mixture
6. Add scallions, cherry tomatoes and cauliflower (as picture above)
7. Sprinkle the cheese over the top
8. Bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes

*I have also used baby spinach in this dish instead of cauliflower.

Flaxseed Crackers

One of the things I miss most when following a low carb diet is the crunch. These crackers are an absolutely perfect way to feed this craving. And they are delicious.

Ingredients

140g milled flaxseed/linseed

50g finely grated parmesan

2 eggs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
3. Leave to rest for 5 minutes (this is essential)
4. Oil a clean counter or board and cover a rolling pin in clingfilm
5. Form mixture into a ball and place on oiled board/counter
6. Roll out gently as thinly as possible
7. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out as many crackers as possible
8. Gently lift (I use a knife) and place crackers on a greased baking sheet
9. Sprinkle with rock salt
10. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes
11. Turn crackers over and bake for another 3-5 minutes
12. Remove from oven and allow to cool

Chicken Kozani

Ingredients

10 chicken oyster thighs
1 litre of water
1/2 tsp saffron
large glug of olive oil
4 red onions
2 tbsp smoked paprika
20 prunes, stones removed
salt & pepper

Method

1. Place oyster thighs and saffron in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes
2. Remove thighs from pan and put aside. Do not throw away the water
3. Heat olive oil in a large pan and gently cook the onions until soft
4. Add the paprika to the pan, mix well
5. Add thighs, prunes and 500ml of the cooking water to the pan
6. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until sauce reduces and thickens
7. Serve with cauli rice

Note: 

It is important to use thighs and not breast with this recipe because a lot of the flavour comes from the stock created from poaching the meat and bones in the water. If you really want to use breast, I would suggest that you poach the breasts in stock instead of plain water

Pan-fried Hake with Leeks, Broad Beans & Pancetta

Ingredients

2 fillets of hake, skin on
2 large leeks, washed, trimmed and sliced
2 handfuls of broad beans (I use the frozen ones from M & S)
50g butter

1 tbsp cooking oil
100g pancetta, cubed
1 tbsp lemon juice


Method

1. Place frozen broad beans in a saucepan with water and boil for 4 minutes
2. Place cooking oil in a large frying pan and sauté pancetta until crispy
3. Add leeks and cook for about 5 minutes until softened
4. Add broad beans and heat thoroughly
5. In another large pan, melt the butter
6. Place the hake fillets skin side down in the hot butter and fry for about 4 minutes
7. Turn the fish and cook for another 4 minutes
8. Serve the hake on a pile of the vegetable and pancetta mix
9. Place the lemon juice and another knob of butter into the hot pain and stir
10. Drizzle over the hake and vegetables

Pepper sauce

This recipe makes the most delicious pepper sauce I have ever tasted. Serve with steak or whatever you fancy!

Ingredients

100ml beef stock
60ml double cream
3 tbsp peppercorns
100ml brandy
50g butter

Method

1. Melt butter in pan and sauté peppercorns for about 3 minutes
2. Add brandy and flambé (set alight!) to remove the alcohol, keep stirring to keep flames under control
3. Add beef stock and cream and keep stirring until thickened. This will take a few minutes so don't give up!

Low Carb Egg & Ham Muffins

It's January so time to get sensible with our eating again! I made these for Ronan to take to work for his breakfasts this week. I even used left over Christmas ham!

Ingredients

6 eggs

1 tbsp milk

1 tbsp cooking oil

50g cheese (I used leftovers: a mix of Parmesan, Gruyère and Cheddar), grated

40g ham, finely chopped

1 onion, finely sliced

salt & pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C 
2. Sauté onion in a pan for 5 minutes
3. Whisk eggs, milk and cheese
4. Add ham and onions and stir well
5. Lightly oil a six hole muffin tray
6. Divide equally between the six holes in the tray
7. Place in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes until lightly golden

These muffins will freeze well. Once defrosted, simply microwave for 20 seconds.

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry

This has become a regular dish in our house. It's so simple; I prepare it the night before and then switch it on in the morning before I leave for work. The house smells divine when I get home! I serve this with either cauli rice or wholegrain basmati rice.

Ingredients

1 large carrot, sliced
1 large onion, diced
1 large red pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
10 white mushrooms, quartered
Generous handful of raisins
2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 chicken thighs (meat only), cut into strips
1 400g coconut milk
2 tbsps tomato purée
1.5 tbsp garam masala
1.5 tbsp curry powder
2 tsps turmeric
salt and pepper


Method

1. Put carrot, onion, garlic and pepper into your slow cooker dish
2. Layer chicken on top
3. Add mushrooms and raisins
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut milk, tomato purée, garam masala, curry powder turmeric and salt and pepper
5. Pour over the ingredients in the slow cooker dish

Interview with The Journal

I was interviewed by TheJournal.ie, a couple of days ago, about my experience with fibromyalgia. You can read the article here:

http://www.thejournal.ie/fibromyalgia-ireland-2-3023056-Oct2016/

Porridge Bread

There has been a lot of research lately regarding fibromyalgia and a gluten-free diet. I am willing to try anything at this stage. So as reluctant as I was to jump on the gluten-free bandwagon, I'm giving it a go!

There are a lot of gluten-free products available in the supermarket but one thing I have found is that all the bread contains sugar and a variety of other unnecessary ingredients. My friend Tony told me about porridge bread ages ago but I have only just started making it. Here's my recipe:


Ingredients

1 x 500ml tub of natural yogurt (I use Aldi's Greek style yogurt)
1 x egg
2 tsp bread soda
2 x yogurt tubs full of gluten-free porridge oats
1/2 x tsp salt
Large handful of mixed seeds/nuts
1 x tbsp milk


Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Grease and line a loaf tin in parchment paper
3. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl
4. Pour mixture into loaf tin, level the top and cut a line down the centre
5. Bake in the oven for 55 minutes
6. Leave to cool fully before slicing

Everything about you is so f.i.n.e. fine

Help! I'm in the middle of a nasty flare. I look fine of course because you usually do with fibromyalgia. But outside of a flare, there is rarely a day when I don't have pain in my body. When I am in a flare, I just hurt more. Every day the ache is somewhere different. Today it is in my lower back, groin, jaw and head. I can't sit comfortably. I can't stand comfortably. And I feel sick, like I am going to throw-up. Thankfully I never do. And don't get me started on the extreme agitation! But I know how lucky I am. Even in the middle of the worst flare, I don't suffer as much as some. I can function. I can have a shower, although it exhausts me. I can cook dinner, do the laundry, play with my little girl but it all exhausts me. And by that I mean, I can barely find the energy to put one foot in front of the other sometimes. But I have to.

I am lucky to be able to work only three days a week but I'm dreading next year when I may have to go back to full-time. And the problem with that is that I know I won't be physically able to. So I may have to resign. But we need the money.

I worry all the time. I worry that I will get worse. I worry that I am turning into an alcoholic because a large G & T or a glass of wine is the only thing that seems to bring me any relief. I worry that I can't do enough with Eliza. I worry that Ronan, who works full time in a pressurized environment, then comes home to me moaning about my pain. I worry that I moan all the time. I worry that all I talk about is fibromyalgia.

The biggest problem I have with fibro is how invisible it is. Kind colleagues and friends see me limping and ask if I have hurt my leg. "No, it's the fibro" is my constant refrain and I'm sure they are as sick of hearing it as I am of saying it. I am regularly teased for being lazy by using the lift, instead of the stairs. I don't blame them. I look fine. How are they to know that my legs are so stiff, it's a monumental effort to get them to walk on the flat most days? I am offered painkillers all the time. Unfortunately not one single painkiller works for me. It is frustrating and I feel so ridiculous, particularly for my physical weakness and lack of energy. I see so many women with three or four children, juggling full time jobs and I am unable to cope with my one child. I feel like a failure. And I feel they think I am a failure.

On better days, I know I'm not a failure. But on better days, I think I am imagining the nightmare of the flare!

Cauli Kedgeree

Ingredients

2 x tbsp coconut oil
1 x large cauliflower, grated
200g smoked mackerel
3 x garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
1 x onion, chopped
1 x thumb sized ginger, grated or finely chopped
1 x tbsp curry powder
2 x tsp chilli flakes
1 x tsp mustard seeds
4 x tomatoes, chopped
4 x hard boiled eggs, quartered
2 x tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper

Method

1. Using a stick blender or food processor, pulse ginger, onion and garlic until paste
2. Heat coconut oil in a large frying pan. Add ginger, garlic and onion. Fry for 2 minutes
3. Add grated cauliflower and cook for 10 minutes
4. Add curry powder, chilli flakes, mustard seeds and tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes have softened and broken up
5. Flake the fish with your fingers, add to the pan and stir
6. Season with salt and pepper and add lemon juice
7. Add eggs and serve

Broccoli and Stilton Quiche

I made this yesterday for Ronan's Aunty Breda. My brother and his wife were convinced that the crust would taste of marzipan but there is absolutely no almond taste at all!

Ingredients

Crust:
4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
180g ground almonds
75g gluten-free oat flour (if you can't find oat flour, grind gluten-free porridge oats in a food processor)
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tbsp cold water

Filling:
7 eggs
150g blue cheese (I used Aldi's Tipperary Blue), cubed
Small head of broccoli

60g grated cheddar cheese, grated
200ml milk
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Lightly grease 27cm quiche dish with some coconut oil
3. Combine dry crust ingredients in a large bowl
4. Add melted coconut oil and mix well
5. Slowly add water until you are able to form a ball out of the mixture with your hands
6. Place the dough ball into your quiche dish and gently press out towards the sides (and up the sides) until evenly covered
7. Bake the crust for 15 minutes
8. Chop the broccoli into small florets and parboil the 5 minutes
9. Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes
10. Beat the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper
11. Distribute the broccoli, blue cheese and half the cheddar evenly around the crust
12. Pour the egg mixture over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheddar
13. Bake for 30 minutes or until top has turned golden and eggs have set
14. Serve with a green salad

Aubergine Lasagne

Ingredients

400g lean minced beef
500g passata
2 aubergines
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped/minced
12 mushrooms, chopped
2 tbsp dried or fresh basil
2 tbsp dried or fresh tarragon
2 tbsp dried or fresh oregano
3 tbsp tomato purée
200g cream cheese
100g parmesan, grated


Method

1. Fry onion until soft
2. Add garlic and fry for another minute
3. Add mince and fry until brown
4. Add passata, mushrooms, herbs and tomato purée
5. Simmer for 20 minutes
6. Thinly slice aubergine length ways and griddle each slice on both sides for approximately 2 minutes until tender
7. Melt cream cheese in a small pan
8. Place 1/3 of the mince sauce into a square oven dish
9. Cover with sliced aubergine
10. Sprinkle 1/3 parmesan over the aubergine
11. Repeat until all sauce and aubergine has been used
12. Cover last layer of aubergine with the melted cream cheese and sprinkle top with last of the parmesan
13. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 200°C

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!

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