Day 110: Chicken Thighs with Olives and Tomato Sauce

Today’s Exercise: 25 minutes on the treadmill, 13,000 steps

The reason that I invested in a slow cooker was so that I could make meals before I set off for college and then there would be no work for me to do when I got home. The fact that I am now doing my daily exercise as soon as I woke up really scuppered those good intentions. However, every so often I can actually miss out a scheduled morning class due to them being optional shorthand workshops that never come to fruition. Thus, I decided to finally make use of the slow cooker.

I had a lot of fun with this recipe since I opted to have a bit of a play-around with it. I added capers and some shots of Tabasco to give the flavours a bit of extra depth, I exchanged the red pepper flakes for chilli flakes and I doubled the amount of wine. Having the chance to customise a recipe in such a way is really good fun for me since when it pays off I know it is because of me using my newly developing cooking smarts. When it goes wrong… well it isn’t nearly as much fun… for anyone concerned.

Ingredients (serves 3):

• 3 chicken thighs, skinned
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4  teaspoon black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tbsps tomato puree
• 2 pinches chilli flakes
• 2 dashes of Tabasco sauce
• 1  (400g) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/8 cup green olives, pitted and sliced
• 1/8 cup capers (or caperberries, sliced)
• 1 tsp dried parsley

If needed, pre-heat your slow cooker. Rub the chicken thighs with the salt and pepper. In a large saucepan/wok heat a few sprays of low-calorie oil and add the chicken thighs. Cook them for 2-3 minutes per side so that they are nicely browned. Add these to the slow cooker.

In the same pan add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the wine and use this to make sure none of the garlic burns/sticks. Add this to the slow cooker followed by the chilli, Tabasco sauce, tomato puree and tinned tomatoes. Put the lid of the slow-cooker and cook for 4 hours on the high setting or for 8-10 on the low setting.

After the alloted time take the lid off and stir in the olives, parslet and capers. Serve with salad or over some spaghetti.

Adapted from here

Verdict: When I served this I left the chicken thighs whole (or as whole as possible since the meat was so tender it was slipping off the bone) but I think next time I would strip the thighs, add it to the spaghetti with the sauce and then mix before serving.

If you like chicken you should love this. It was a very easy dish that was absolutely bursting with flavour.

Calorie Count: 270 per serving

Day 109: Thai-Style Asparagus

Today’s Exercise: 25 minutes on the treadmill, 9000 steps

Today’s recipe was due to a bit of boredom on my part. I was food shopping, the old routine, and just wanted to cook with something that I had never cooked with before. The first thing that I clapped my eyes on was a bunch of asparagus and as such today’s post was born. I’ve never actually had asparagus when it hasn’t been cooked in a creamy sauce with some pasta. It is also reported to be the favourite foods of diverse individuals such as the Roman emperor Augustus and Count Duckula… so you know it must be good.

This has had to be toned down in terms of spices because, whilst I have a decent spice tolerance, not everyone does. The preperation of the asparagus is also an interesting thing. The recipe calls for snapping the asparagus and then partially steaming it (which I did for 13 minutes in the end). The snapping  is actually an interesting property of this vegetable as it appears to naturally snap at where it becomes woody as long as you bend it by holding the tip and end… miraculous.

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 1/2 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
• 1/2 tbsp red chilli, minced
• 3/4lb (340g) asparagus, snapped, steamed, but slightly undercooked
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped
• a pinch of chilli flakes

Heat a wok over a high heat and add a few sprays of low-calorie oil. To this add the garlic and the red chilli and mix for 15-20 seconds. Then add the asparagus and stir-fry for a further 15-20 seconds so it is well coated. Then add the fish sauce, soy sauce, basil and the water and stir-fry until the basil leaves begin to wilt. Then transfer immediately to a serving plate and serve with a pinch of chilli flakes.

Verdict: As someone who hasn’t had asparagus before I thought it was gorgeous. Never expected basil and asparagus to make such a good pairing in terms of flavours, then again I do love to be proved wrong as long as it tastes good. This also tasted good when dipped in some of the leftover Chimichurri Sauce that I had made to accompany the steak. Yes, this recipe is THAT old.

Calorie Count: 99 calories

Day 108: Snickerdoodles

Today’s Exercise: 25 minutes on treadmill, 13,500 steps

I posted on Monday the recipe for some Cornflake Wreaths. These are not the baked treats that I made over the weekend (in fact it was about 2 month ago that I made this) but I posted them since I have decided to create a small buffer between cooking and posting to ensure that a post can always go up every weekday at the same time.

Baking sweet treats for my journalism course has become a matter of routine. This week’s recipe has been chosen because it is both low in calories and has a funny name (the same reason that I used a month and a half ago when I made Loc Lac). It is alleged that the name ‘Snickerdoodle’ derives from a Dutch word meaning snail… but the local Dutch-national desputes this claim fully. I, personally, believe that the etymology of this name is because it’s funny and memorable (similar to a Knickerbocker Glory).

In making these I have had to deviate slightly from the American recipe since corn syrup is not widely available (if at all) in the UK. Due to it’s viscosity and it’s health properties I have used honey as a substitute. Hopefully what I am making is still the real McCoy.

Ingredients (this should make 42 put I managed to make 68):

• 1 3/4 cups plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 large egg
• cinnamon sugar (made of 3 tbsps sugar and 2 tsps ground cinnamon whisked together)

Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees celsius.

Whisk the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar together in a bowl. In a larger bowl beat the butter and sugar (not the homemade cinnamon sugar) together with an electic whisk until well blended. Then add the honey, vanilla and egg to the butter-sugar mix and beat until blended. Finally, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until blended. Cover the bowl and stick in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Take the bowl out of the fridge and make 42 cookies from the dough by rolling it into 1-inch balls, rolling them in the pre-made cinnamon sugar and then placing them on a baking sheet greased using low-calorie spray oil. Use a small glass (like a shot glass) to flatten these balls into cookies. Bake the cookies for 5 minutes in the oven.

Cool them afterwards for 2 minutes in the baking trays and then on a wire rack.

Adapted from here

Verdict: These were yummy. When left to cool they became and crisp because of their thinness and their cinnamon flavouring makes them perfect for Christmas baking.

The main issue with these is how time consuming they are to make. I was in the kitchen for a few hours since I had to hand roll 68 balls, roll these in sugar and then flatten them all out. This would have taken less time if I didn’t go to the shops in the middle of the shop to buy my mum a bottle of Baileys to accompany her Desperate Housewives marathon but that is by the by. I would recommend making these with children since they’ll have fun doing all the rolling in sugar and such things, plus it’s free slave labour. Hurrah!

Calorie Count: 55 per cookie (mine were 34 each)

Day 107: Stir-fried Cucumber

Today’s Exercise: It’s my birthday so none whatsoever.

Stir-fried cucumber is such an odd idea so it had to be tried. There are many clichés that have developed about those who are dieting (such as cabbage soup and low-fat houmous accompanied with either carrot sticks or celery) but the idea of having a meal of stir-fried cucumber just takes the cake.

Instead of inflicting those I live with with a plate of stir-fried cucumber (a result of such an act would surely render me homeless) I decided to use this as a side dish instead. That way I can curry favour with something delicious whilst also getting a verdict for this extremely healthy dish. I just hope the mention of it isn’t enough for my suitcase to find itself miraculously packed.

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

• 1 large cucumber, sliced into batons
• 4-6 spring onions, chopped into 1 cm pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

Add some low-fat spray oil to a wok and heat until it smokes. Add the garlic and spring onions and stir-fry for a minute. Then add the cucumber followed by the soy sauce and stir-fry until the cucumber is hot through. Cook it on a low enough heat for long enough it produces its own sauce due to the high water content.

Adapted from here

Verdict: It was okay. Not all recipes are going to blow your socks off so it isn’t surprising that a recipe like stir-fried cucumber is destined to be among the more subtle end of the flavour spectrum. This makes for an okay accompaniment to a hotter dish like Loc Lac but this not something I would make again for the sake of it.

Also, I know this is a bit of a strange recipe to write up… but it’s my birthday so sod it.

Calorie Count: 23 per serving

Day 106: Cote D’Ivore Cornmeal Wreaths

Today’s Exercise: 32 minutes on Wii Fit, 9000 steps

One of the major challenges with this low-calorie malarkey is trying to bake something sweet that doesn’t have enough calories to tempt me back to the dark side of cooking. The place where there is enough melted butter to drown an Irishman, all in the name of Snickers pie.

The fact is that in order to make such a move to a low-calorie lifestyle feasible we need those little sweet crutches to hoist ourselves through. For some of us it’s a few Malteasers, maybe a few pieces of Milka or a couple of custard creams. Today’s recipe is in the interest of creating some more leftfield cookies that can satisfy a small post-dinner sugar craving… and this recipe comes all the way from the Ivory Coast.

In the interest of making this as low-calorie and low-fat as possible I have subsituted out regular unsalted butter for Flora light and the caster sugar for Splenda. I’ve baked with many artificial sweeteners in my time, having been on and off diets since the age of 10, and Splenda is definately the best by a country mile. Once tried to make muffins with Canderel… never again.

Ingredients (makes 28-34):

• 315g plain flour
• 160g polenta (not the ready made stuff, the powdered variety)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 180g Flora Light
• 10 tbsp Splenda
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 large eggs, not chilled
• 50g corn flakes
• 1 large egg white

Whisk together the flour, polenta and baking powder. In a seperate bowl add the butter and use an electric handwhisk to beat it so that it appears to be slightly fluffy. To the butter add the Splenda and vanilla essence and then whisk until well combined. The add the 2 eggs one at a time, beating the mixture in between each one, then beat until it is very well mixed in. Then mix in the flour mix with a wooden spoon until it forms one large doughy mass.

Seperate this dough out into 28-34 balls, weighing about 20 grams each, and lay them out on a baking sheet. To each of these make them into a flattened donut shape by poking your finger through the middle and forming the ring around it then flattening it slightly on the baking sheet. Once this has been done to all of them stick them into the freezer for 10 minutes so that they firm up.

After you take them out decorate them with the cornflakes by dipping the pieces of cereal in the egg white and then placing them on top of each cookie. You can be as artistic or as slapdash as you want with this really. Then put them in an oven pre-heated to 180 degrees celcius for 16-18 minutes so that they are golden brown on the outside.

Adapted from here

Verdict: I suffer from back problems so to be honest I wasn’t giving the cornflakes bit of the recipe the care and attention I could have. I also didn’t add the icing sugar over the top as I actually couldn’t see the point of doing so.

The cookies, however, were quite nice. The Splenda and the cornflakes actually means that you don’t miss the sugar. However there is a slightly artificial taste from the Splenda and these REALLY do not last long in the cupboard so make them in small batches.  The texture too is slightly unusual. What these HAVE given me, however, is the perfect base for a Christmas cookie. So soon this recipe will re-appear in the guise of trees or something else (I haven’t quite decided).

Calorie Count: 80 per cookie

Week 15: Weigh In

Current Weight: 212 pounds

Weight change from last week: no change

Weight loss so far: 32 pounds

So this weekend I went clothes shopping (well since it was my birthday clothes were being bought for me) and this trip marked a real weight loss mile stone.

For the first time since I was about 8 I now have a pair of 34 inch waisted jeans! Seriously, the last time I had something with a waist like that were swimming trunks for primary school.

Since it is my birthday tomorrow I do not expect weight loss in the coming week (in fact maybe a pound or two gain is very likely). Happy 21st to me ^^.

p.s. the man in the picture is not me… I wish I looked like that

Day 103: Virgin Mojito

Today’s Exercise: 25 minutes on the treadmill, 13,500 steps

Another mocktail for you guys and, again, this was first made with my friend Emma. Not sure how it came about but in the last months of uni we both ended up making this numerous times based on our own tastes and guessing the amounts used in other Virgin Mojitos that we’d had whilst those around were drinking up. Many would call us boring for not drinking, but in the end I’ve never needed alcohol to make an ass out of myself. My poor sense of equilibrium does that enough for me.

This recipe also has a special meaning for me as it marks the first time that I properly got to use my pestle and mortar. Needless to say that I was excited whilst I grinding together the mint and brown sugar, the latter of which is really important in making this great.

Ingredients (makes 1 large glass):

• 450ml diet lemonade
• 150ml apple juice
• 1.5 tsp brown sugar
• 8 mint leaves
• 1/2 lime, in two quarters.

Using a pestle and mortar (or the round bottom of a spoon in a cup) grind together half of the mint leaves with the brown sugar. When the mint leaves have completely disintegrated you can stop. Add a bit of the apple juice to dilute the mix and then add as much as possible to a glass (using more apple juice when needed). Then add the rest of the apple juice to the glass. Squeeze one of the lime quarters into the glass and discard, then add the other lime quarter to the glass whole. Follow this with the lemonade and the rest of the mint leaves. Stir and serve chilled.

Verdict: These drinks are deliciously refreshing and the little bit of brown sugar gives it a sweetness that is not at all overpowering. Some people that I have made it for didn’t appreciate the fizziness of the drink when first mixed, but after 10 minutes they drank it and loved it.

Calorie Count: 74 per glass

Day 102: Toad in the Hole 2 – Return of the Toad

Today’s Exercise: 15 minutes on the treadmill (felt ill), 15,000 steps

There are many recipes that I have made which are screaming out for a second attempt at greatness. One day I plan to re-invent the Hollywood Thai Beef Salad, make the Quark Cheesecake edible and find other uses for the green noodles, but I had toad on the brain.

I had widely praised the wonders of Quorn and then it let me down in what was a rather flavourless rendition of toad in the hole which will henceforth be known as ‘frog in the ditch’. The main problem with the newt in the trench was that it was stodgy, bland and it made me feel rather sick afterwards. None of these make for a good meal and to anyone who actually made it… I am VERY sorry.

So in the wake of salamander in the well comes this remake featuring some reduced fat sausages picked up from Sainsbury’s (less than 3%!) and a more generous helping of mustard compared with last time. Hopefully today’s recipe can deserve the honour of being called toad in the hole.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 red onion, cut into wedges and layers separated
• 8 low-fat sausages
• 100g plain flour
• 1 egg
• 300ml skimmed milk
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• a pinch of dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius. Scatter the onions and sausages in a baking dish and give them a good spray with some low-calorie oil. Roast them in the oven for about 20 minutes. While they are roasting make the batter.

Sift the flour into a bowl and create a well in the middle into which you crack the egg. Pour in the milk and then whisk until well blended. Then whisk in the mustard and thyme. When the sausages are done take the tray out of the oven, quickly pour in the batter and then cook for 35-40 minutes.

Adapted from here

Verdict: MUCH better. There was so much more flavour in this compared to the Quorn version which is in no small part due to the reintroduction of pork sausage to the toad in the hole making. Also a great contributor was the extra spoon of mustard which actually gave the onions a better taste.

One thing I will warn about is making the batter. You need to whisk it for at least 4 minutes straight before adding it to the baking tray otherwise there is a slim chance in hell that it will rise. If you want a more assured thing then you CAN try self-raising flour… but plain flour is worth the extra effort in these cases.

Calorie Count: 293 per serving

Day 101: Sticky Chilli Pork Stir-Fry

Today’s Exercise: 32 minutes on Wii Fit, 9500 steps.

Spice tolerance. Some people actually question whether this exists, something you are born with or something that you develop.

Personally, I am a firm believer that it is something that is built up since that is what I’ve done. When at university there are very few of us who are able to afford great food, there are even fewer who cook with these ingredients. I am not saying that I made myself dinner, as the truth is that most nights saw me eating Super Noodles with some Birdseye Chicken Dippers and possibly a Puffin (the ASDA version of a Penguin).

When I actually had the time and inclination to cook I would have to heavily supplement meat and vegetables with strong flavours in order to make it palatable. Black pepper sauce and sweet chilli sauce were the ways that I did this meaning that I am now able to withstand relatively spicy food. In fact I kinda miss having toasties with fake plastic cheese and some hot chilli sauce… became one of my staples. I raise this point as tonight’s recipe is an example of something that a person with a spice tolerance will be able to enjoy more than someone whose tolerance is non-existent.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 tbsp groundnut oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pinches chilli flakes
• 2.5cm piece fresh ginger, grated
• 450g pork (I used pork leg), diced
• 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 2 pak choi, quartered
• 5 spring onions, finely chopped

Add the oil to a wok and stir fry the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes over a medium heat for 1 minute. Add the pork and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes so that it is cooked through. Add the dried thyme and the sweet chilli sauce to the pork and stir-fry for a further 90 seconds. Remove this from the wok and set aside.

Add the pak choi, bell peppers and 1/4 a cup of water to the wok. Stir fry this for 2-3 minutes until the water has evaporated and the pak choi is nice and tender. Re-introduce the pork to the wok with the spring onions. Stir this in and allow to warm up. Serve this with some rice.

Adapted from here

Verdict: This dish caused a small degree of controversy in the house. Spice tolerance, as I said earlier, is a very personal thing and mine is greater than that than the others who sampled this. For one of them it was too spicy, for another it was fine but for me it could have done with some more chilli flakes.

It was a nice meal that reminded me of the crispy chilli beef that I get from my favourite take-out… just not deep-fried in 7 inches in animal fat. Ick. Bad mental image.

I think that some stir-fried carrot batons would have gone really well with this since they are a nice complement to a sweet chilli taste. Also I think maybe half the dried thyme so that the pak choi takes more of a centre stage. This may sound rather analytical to the point of not liking tonight’s recipe but since I spent all day doing subediting in college so that area of my brain has been subsequently switched on.

Calorie Count: 259 per serving

Day 100: Courgette and Toasted Almond Pasta

Today’s Exercise: 25 minutes on the treadmill, 12,000 steps

Even with the best will in the world you have to make short cuts when you cook. Sure freshly grated cheese would be a fantastic addition to food but out of a packet is satisfactory. Same thing with lemon and lime juice. If you got it in your head to drink the blasted things then yes I would suggest you go and suck on a citrus fruit, otherwise Jif lemon and lime (what we buy once a year to put on our pancakes and then forget about) are fine.

I know a few people who are so-called food snobs. I probably could have been classified as such. You know the types; all food needs to be from Waitrose or M&S otherwise it’s just not worth eating. All ingredients need to be fresh, all bread needs to be eaten the day it emerges from its cocoon of paper or plastic. This irritates me!

I like Waitrose food as much as anyone else. In fact, for some ingredients you have to go there to stand a ghosts chance of actually finding it. But in the end when something is heavily seasoned does it REALLY matter if something is from ASDA or not? By all means get the best brands for dried herbs and spices but in terms of everyday essentials like carrots and butter… are you actually serious!?

Maybe I am over-reacting? You can tell me so in the comments below, but today I am using lemon juice of the bottle variety alongside my pre-grated cheese and I am damn proud to do so!

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsps shallots, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsps lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 5 tsps  extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1  (9-ounce) package fresh pasta (such as spaghetti)
• 1 1/2 tsps garlic, minced
• 500g courgette, chopped
• 3/4 cup stock (I used chicken but you can use vegetable stock)
• 3 tbsps fresh mint, chopped
• 1/3  cup Parmesan, grated
• 3 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

Mix the tomatoes, shallots, thyme, lemon juice, salt, pepper and sugar together with 2tbsp of the oil and then set aside. Cook the pasta to the instructions, strain and set aside.

Add the rest of the oil to a large saucepan and (over a medium-high heat) add the garlic and courgettes. Sauté them together for 3-4 minutes so that they get a bit crispy. Add the stock to this along with the pasta and half of the mint. Stir this over the heat until well combined.

Spoon this into bowls and then top with the remaining mint, some of the parmesan and the toasted almonds.

Adapted from here

Verdict: I am not usually one who is a fan of large quantities of mint but in this, I have to admit, a good balance has been struck. The use of stock, cherry tomatoes, toasted almonds and parmesan means that there is a weird assortment of conflicting flavours and textures that work. The occasional crunch of the almonds is neatly juxtaposed with the slightly rubbery texture of the sautéed courgettes.

The best thing about this recipe? It is quick, easy, flavourful and fulling.

Calorie Count: 344 per serving