Scary food, thai soup and a frozen chicken.

(Recipes Included! Just bypass the waffle if you like - they're at the end.)

Ok, so this is day two of my 'awakening' and how scared am I about what is actually in food?!!! How thick am I never to have realised what is in stuff?? We went to good old Tesco yesterday (my spiritual home - and Elena's) and got the shopping in (Obviously, although I have been known to go to tesco and just stare at the shiny lights . . . . .ahem.) Anyway, thought I would just get our normal shop and actually record the calorie and fat content.

I just want to point out that although this sounds a little obsessive, it is not strictly a diet. Its all the stuff I would normally use I just wish to make myself aware. So, having banned Steve from putting anything away, I wrote everything down in Nat's Fat Book. Basically this has meant that I can physically see what I am putting into my body. Yes it took ages, yes I was bored, yes I got funny looks from my boyfriend, and yes the chicken nearly defrosted, but from now on I have a list of ingredients I use with their 'healthy' content. I need to register what a portion actually looks like instead of cooking the mountains of food I do as if I have a small country to cater for.

So, the last two days I have cooked meals I like to cook but actually thought about the claories and fat in them. I have actually adapted my recipes to make them 'healthier' but not lose the taste! I feel quite excited that lower fat and lower calorie food, doesn't actually taste like baby sick!!

So here's the last two days calorie count and the food I ate:-

4/1/08

Very bad day - I only ate at tea time (dinner for those people south of brum or just less northern than me).
We had two courses!!

Thai Soup (homemade - recipe at the bottom) aprox 50cals

Red Beef Curry and rice (75g is apparently a portion but it was too much for me) aprox 525 cals

Obviously, the curry is quite high, but I know how to adapt it now. I don't need as much rice, I can quite happily use the low fat coconut milk (it actually makes a better curry) and only rarely use beef - I usually use chicken which is obviously better. But this is a normal tea for me, this is not a diet tea. But it just shows, you can have what you want (within reason) as long as you are willing to adapt slightly.

So with the clementine before bed I consumed around 610 cals (little bit of milk in my tea included!). I also went for 25 minute march up and down the streets on our road - my neighbours might be thinking I'm a little strange now!

5/1/08

A much better day! I have eaten quite well, been quite hungry as I have refused to snack! But it'll get better.

Breakfast

Special K Red Berries with skimmed milk and glass of apple juice - 248 cals

Dinner

Bowl of Thai Soup and a clementine - 76 Cals (and I was stuffed - seriously read the recipe its sooooooooooooooooo lovely)

Tea

Piri-Piri prawns with vegetable cous-cous and a half a clementine (steve is an evil thief!) 290 cals - AMAZING!

So with my ovaltine light (yes I am actually and 80 year old woman) and a couple of other drinks (other than water) I have consumed around 725 cals today, and been for a 20 minute march around the lake (now the ducks think I'm strange too - the swans understood!)

I'm actually really pleased with this, as these meals are fairly typical, its just about portion control which is a 'developing skill' of mine!

OK, the good stuff . . . . .

Thai Soup (Tom Yum I think)

serves 6-8

My uncle lives in Thailand and his lovely fiance taught me a few dishes, this is my favourite. You can pick up all these ingredients from your local Tesco or other generic multi-functionary superstore!

This is quite spicy but really refreshing. I will often eat it with a little rice as a main meal, or on its own for lunch! The first three ingredients are inedible though, I leave them in to keep the taste but you could remove them once the intial stock is made.

Ingredients

Dried lemongrass (two full size sticks)

Galangal (3 or 4 pieces - check the spice aisle)

2-3 kaffir lime leaves (as above)

some stems of corriander - or corriander root if anyone can find any. If you can please let me know where!!

strips of chicken or pork, or prawns (optional - this would obviously increase callories and fat)

2-3 large chillis

3-4 garlic cloves

6 - 8 shallots (depending on size)

2-3 tomatoes (depending on size)

6 tablespoons LIGHT soy sauce

5 table spoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice.

1. Boil the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and corriander stems in two pints of water. Keep covered and prepare other ingredients.

2. Add chicken or pork (not prawns at this point) to the stock when it has a good flavour. I very often don't use any meat and keep it veggy.

3. Blitz together or finly chop the garlic andchilli mix. Add to the soup along with the shallots. Keep pan covered and boiling.

4. Add tomatoes and all other ingredients (including prawns if using) and leave to boil for another few minutes.

5. The soup is ready!!! I also like to chop some spring onions and fresh corriander and add it as almost a 'topping' to the soup - corriander really adds to the fresh taste!

Piri - Piri Prawns and Vegetable Cous-Cous

serves 2

Easy peasy - I usually use chicken but we had the prawns in and they work really well!

Ingredients

25g Tomatoe Puree

20ml Lime Juice

sharwoods piri-piri seasoning

180g King prawns (one box basically)

100g pak choi

100g spinach

1 pepper

50g spring onion

splash white wine vinegar

splash water

salt and pepper

1 packet of Tesco's lemon and corriander cous-cous

1 tomato

fresh corriander

1. Mix together the puree, lime juice, piri-piri seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Mix the prawns or chicken until coated and set aside.

2. chop vegetables and add to pan with the white wine vinegar, water, salt and pepper. Cover and allow to boil, reduce heat and allow veg to cook until soft.

3. Add in cous-cous and another splash of water (don't put in as much as the packet instructions as there is a lot of liquid from the veg, I just added a coupld of sloshes from the kettle!). Stir, cover and leave for five - ten minutes.

4. Heat a wok or other non-stick pan. Put in the prawn/chicken mixture and heat until cooked through.

5. Stir chopped tomatoes and chopped corrianded into cous-cous and serve with prawns!

beautiful!

Let me know if you try these recipes and what you think! If you ever want any more cooking ideas or have some hints for me - shout away!!

Night Night,

Nx