7 Days to Renew your Enthusiam for BSD 11th July 2017

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  • posted by Esnecca
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    I made flaxseed crackers for the first time yesterday. Verano, if you’re looking for crunch, flaxseed crackers can fill that need better than any digestive biscuit ever could. I made two batches with different combinations of herbs and spices and they both came out great. Very chip-like as well as cracker-like. Tasty enough to eat on their own but crisp and firm enough to top with cheese slices or dip into a thick, hearty dip like warm spinach and cheese.

    To enjoy the full benefit of flaxseed’s nutrional value, I soaked them overnight and made the crackers in my dehydrator. The soaking makes them more digestible and bowel-friendly; the dehydrating dries them out instead of cooking them so they remain a raw food. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use your oven on the lowest heat setting with the door cracked open. I don’t know how long it would take, so just check for doneness. Keep in mind the edges will get crisp faster than the center, so you want the middle crackers to be crisp before you take them out.

    Combine a half cup of whole flaxseeds with a half cup of filtered water and let sit, covered, for 8 hours or overnight. The next morning, add 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and stir. Add spices and herbs to the mixture. For one of the batches, I used 1 teaspoon of sea salt, 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of onion powder, 1 tblsp of chopped fresh dill, 1 tblsp chopped fresh chives and a tblsp of greek yogurt. For the other batch I used 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast flakes (ground up in my spice grinder), 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp paprika, 2 tsp chili powder.

    Scrape the mixture out on parchment paper, dehydrator tray or a silicone mat. Cover with waxed paper and use a rolling pin to roll it out as thin as possible. I aimed for it to be no more than 2 seeds thick. I achieved that with one batch but the ones in the middle of the second batch were a little thicker than I wanted. Score the crackers to your preferred size. I like them small, so I scored it in 8ths vertically and horizontally for about 64 crackers (the ones on the edges weren’t even squares). Put the tray in the dehydrator at 110F for 24 hours or so. Mine were done after about 20 hours. Otherwise, put the parchment/mat on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at the lowest possible temp for as long as it takes for the center to be nice and hard when you tap it. When they cool, snap the sheets along the score lines into crackers and keep in an airtight container.

    With the first batch I was going for a ranch dressing sort of flavor (that’s what the greek yogurt was in there for) but the fresh dill dominates so it’s not very ranchy but it is very delicious. With the second my aim was a nacho cheese vibe (vegans use nutrional yeast as a sub for cheese and dehydrating actual cheese is an enormously messy pain in the ass so I gave the nooch a try instead). It’s not very cheesy. It tastes more like taco flavored chips. Thankfully taco flavoring is awesome too, so both batches were wins in the end even though they went their own way.

    A quarter of a batch (about 1 oz) is 122 calories, 3 grams net carbs, 6 grams fiber, 8 grams fat, 6 grams protein.

  • posted by Verano
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    WOW Esnecca that’s some recipe. I do like ‘crunch’ but I’m not sure I like it that much!!! I admire your cooking skills.

    Further to SunnyB’s cheese recipe Yotam Ottolenghi has a wonderful topping for his Labneh which I will definitely try.
    His cheese recipe uses 450g goats yogurt and 450g of natural yogurt but I’m sure just using Fage or another Greek yogurt will be lovely. So for the topping

    “20 black olives, pitted
    1½ tbsp roughly chopped fresh oregano
    1 tbsp chopped parsley
    Grated zest of 2 lemons
    1 small garlic clove, crushed
    100ml olive oil
    20g pistachios, lightly toasted
    20g pine nuts, lightly toasted
    ½ tsp flaked chilli
    3 ripe tomatoes
    ½ a small red onion, thinly sliced
    Coarse sea salt

    Remove the labneh from the cloth and onto a serving dish or platter. Use the back of a spoon to spread it over the plate creating a loose wavy pattern, about 2 centimetres thick.

    Next, dice the olives or chop roughly. Place them in a bowl and add the oregano, parsley, lemon zest, garlic and olive oil, reserving 2 tablespoons of oil for the tomatoes. Use a pestle and mortar to crush the nuts unevenly, leaving some just broken and others finely crushed; add to the olive mix and stir.

    Spoon the olive mix over the labneh clearing about 2 centimetres away from the edge (you don’t need to use the whole quantity if you want your labneh a bit milder). Sprinkle with chilli. Finally, cut the tomatoes into thick wedges and mix with the onion. Arrange on a side plate next to the labneh, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with the reserved olive oil. Serve the labneh and tomatoes with torn out chunks of bread.”

    Obviously we’d omit the bread! But this is just my sort of dish. Ottolenghi’s website is http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk and there are some other nice recipes such as Turkish vegetables with yogurt and chilli oil. I’m not sure how calorific some of the dishes are but I’m sure they could be adapted.

  • posted by Esnecca
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    The flaxseed crackers are very little hands-on work, really. Just a lot of waiting. I admit I do tend to complicate recipes. I like to aim for the best possible outcome, and in my experience, the ultimate success of the dish is all in the details. This tendency has only gotten worse with the BSD because my palate has become much more sensitive. Also we only have 800 calories to play with and I want to pack as much flavor in those 800 calories as possible. You don’t want to know about my new method of seasoning Brazil nuts. I cannot tell a lie. It’s insane. 😀

  • posted by Verano
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    LOL! Go on Esnecca,, if you have the time let us know what we should do with Brazil nuts. I was just having a conversation with somebody yesterday who was saying that, here in the UK, they have become very scarce because of a drought in South America so we may have to wait to try the recipe out.

    Last night, as a change from mashed cauliflower, I made butterbean mash. I softened half a red onion and two cloves of garlic in a tbsp. of olive oil. Added 100ml of milk, juice of a lemon and the butterbeans with a tsp of mixed Italian herbs, but any herbs would be fine. Cooked for 10 minutes then smashed with a hand blender. I didn’t work out the calories or carbs but it made a nice change and I only had a couple of tablespoons full.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Well, my kefir grains arrived yesterday and I set them up immediately. Took my first ‘harvest’ this morning and have to say it was very palatable, even straight up. Found it a little gloopy, so watered it down just a little and added a twist of salt really enjoyed it. Think I have decided of the sauerkraut and kimchi from The Sauerkraut Co., I prefer the former – I think because it is ‘straight’ so almost a blank canvas, to which you can add your own additional flavourings. Have decided my next order will just be the sauerkraut anyway.

  • posted by KrysiaD
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    SunnyB – I tried another brand of Sauerkraut but it wasn’t anything like as nice as The Sauerkraut Company’s sauerkraut is. It was so bland and tasteless I think I will have to bin it – which is such a waste. I have ordered more from The Sauerkraut Company and some kimchi which I have never tried before.

    I make my own Kefir also. With all this stuff our guts will be so healthy.

  • posted by Verano
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    I think I need to try the same sauerkraut or kimchi, SunnyB & Krysia, before I make up my mind about it finally. I will look online.

    My cheesecloth arrived yesterday so that’s my job for this morning sorted. I’m really looking forward to trying the cheese especially with the olive mixture. I’ll let you know how I get on.

    So far this week I’m on plan without too much difficulty and today I might have a kipper for lunch. I love kippers but used to have them with brown bread, usually proper Hovis, and butter but not something I eat now. I may treat myself and go to M&S and get some as that’s the only shop that I know of that sells the original bread. Will see maybe not!

    Have a good day.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Before binning that bland sauerkraut KrysiaD, why not try it with some caraway seeds, or some chopped herbs and a little lemon juice? I have to say The Sauerkraut Co. one has plenty of zing to it on it’s own, whilst still lending itself to additions, which is why I’ll be purchasing more. Sauerkraut in not something I have tried to make myself, so I might give it a go and see how I get on.

  • posted by KrysiaD
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    SunnyB – what a good idea. I have just got my order of Sauerkraut and kimchi from the sauerkraut company. The kimchi is a bit fiery for me but is perfect when added to the very bland sauerkraut from the other company. It really gives the sauerkraut some zing and I think I will continue mixing the two together.

  • posted by Esnecca
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    Verano, my nut seasoning process takes two days. First I dry roast them in a pan, then I soak them in a salt brine overnight. After they’ve drained for a while so there’s no more dripping water, I mix them with seasonings. My standard combination is garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and smoked paprika, the first three of which I actually make myself in the dehydrator from the fresh veg. The last step is dehydrating the seasoned nuts at 145F for 24 hours. Sucking all the water out of them makes them very crunchy and allows them to keep indefinitely. Not that they last long. My OH eats them like candy.

    Before I came up with this system, I put them in the oven at 200F for an hour and a half after seasoning. They were scrumptious made that way too, but I was concerned that the spices might burn a little being so exposed on the surface of the nut, so I switched to the dehydrator. Also it’s summer in the deep South. One doesn’t keep one’s oven on for hours in this heat. It’s an insult to the air conditioning you depend on to live. 😉

  • posted by Verano
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    Thanks Esnecca. They sound really nice. Do you use a mixture of nuts? Are there some that work better than others? My oven goes down to 40c which is just over 100f but there’s also a dough proving setting but I’m not sure about the temperature of that. I guess it will be a bit of trial and error. Must admit I’ll be using commercial seasonings though!

    Krysia think I may try that kimchi. Do they only have one type? I love fiery.

  • posted by Esnecca
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    Just to prove that it’s not at all days-long processes of fiddly cooking in the Esnecca household, here’s one of the easiest things I make. Take two whole chicken breasts (I use boneless skinless for ease but you could use bone-in and/or dark meat if you preferred), plop them in a slow cooker/crock pot. Add two cups of chicken broth, 3 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 tblsp of ground cumin, 1 tblsp of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of dried oregano, cayenne to taste, 2 teaspoons of salt and however many grindings of black pepper you wish. Stir to mix up the spices and set the slow cooker on high. Cook for 4 hours or until the chicken falls apart when you poke at it. Use two forks to shred it all up, then let it sit in the spiced broth on the keep warm setting for another hour. The shredded chicken will absorb the spicey liquid and become magically delicious.

    Now you have a couple of pounds of shredded taco spiced chicken for use in whatever your heart desires. I make a taco salad with it, minus the shell or chips. I’ve also made quesadillas and actual tacos for the OH. It’s a useful thing for people who have to cook for family members not on the BSD. You make it into a salad for yourself, throw it in some tortillas or hard shells with avocado, cheese and salsa for the rest of the crew.

    I use hearts of romaine for my salad because they hold up well when you’re piling on toppings and because it’s easy to chop across the width of them. Dress the lettuce with a dressing made of 2 tblsp tofu mayo, 1 tblsp garlic chili paste or Sambal Oelek, the juice of half a lime, minced fresh garlic, s&p. Then top the dressed lettuce with a quick guacamole made from half an avocado, the juice of the other half of the lime and hot sauce. You could also skip this step and just use the avocado sliced. I heat up the chicken in a pan for a few minutes then add torn up bits of Monterey Jack cheese with peppers (aka pepperjack). Once it’s all melty and gooey, I transfer the chicken onto the salad and sprinkle chopped green onion over everything.

    It’s so unbelievably good I swear you don’t miss the tortilla element at all.

  • posted by Esnecca
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    Verano, I only use Brazil nuts. I keep them in the house simply because they’re the lowest in carbs but they’re such a bland nut they really scream out for seasoning. That’s why I started doing all of this in the first place, because I found them so flat in the flavor department. If you wanted to try mixing it up with other nuts should the horrifying Brazil nut shortage strike, go for the ones with least pronounced intrinsic flavors, like macadamias, hazlenuts or almonds.

    By the by, your oven is brilliant. I would love it if mine went down so low!

  • posted by Verano
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    Thanks Esnecca. Can I just ask you a few more questions please. Do you use nuts with skin on or off? What sort of ratio of salt to water do you use for the brine? Do you put them on a dry tray in the oven of on baking paper? Would you leave them in for 24hrs on around 145f even though it’s a fan oven? Sorry for all the questions. I do cook but not like this before! Your chicken recipe sounds lovely. I like 🌶 spicy so will definitely try that one. I have a slow cooker which I think I’ve used twice! So new use for it is a bonus.

  • posted by Esnecca
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    Skin on. Some of it flakes off in the soaking process, but I scoop every last crumb I can out of the strainer because the seasoning-heavy dust and fragments at the bottom of the container once the nuts are finished is one of my favorite things. It’s like the crumbs at the bottom of a bag of chips.

    For the saline solution, use 1/2 tblsp of salt per 2 cups of nuts. You want enough water for them to float around comfortably. I go for a ratio of 2:1 water to nuts, so for 2 cups of nuts, I put 1/2 tblsp of salt in 4 cups of filtered water, stir it until it’s dissolved, then dump in the dry-roasted nuts. Note: I use sea salt which is less salty than table salt. If you’re using table salt, use 1 tsp per 2 cups of nuts.

    I used a silicone mat on a baking sheet when I did them in the oven. Parchment paper would work just fine. You don’t want them directly on the tray because the seasoning will stick to it. If you have to pry them off, you’ll leave a lot of yumminess on the tray.

    Fan ovens are actually closer to dehydrators than conventional ovens because dehydrators use a fan to keep the warm air blowing constantly over the food. The big difference is dehydrators pull in air from the outside while ovens are a sealed environment. I’m afraid I don’t know how to convert the times from dehydrator or conventional oven to fan oven. It seems like your oven would have to be faster. You’ll have to go with trial and error on that one to find out for sure. Everything moves so slowly that there’s no real danger of failure. Just taste a nut every once in a while and when it’s got that lovely crunchy texture and the seasoning is a hardened crust of deliciousness, pull them out. Be sure they’re fully cooled before putting them in an air-tight container.

    Slow cookers are great for easy and plentiful food preparation. You can set them in the morning and come home to find dinner already cooked and the house smelling great. I make all kinds of things in mine, like frittatas, chili, soups, masses of collard greens, even a whole chicken or pork shoulder. I think I need to post more of my favorite slow cooker recipes here.

    I love all the questions, Verano. Bring them on! I never expected anyone to try this system because it takes so long, so I couldn’t be more pleased that you’re willing to take a stab at it. 🙂

  • posted by Verano
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    Esnecca I’m so bored with just almonds I’m prepared to take as much time as it takes to get tasty nuts!!!

  • posted by Esnecca
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    I hear you, sister. The longer I go without sugar, the more I crave strong, bright, bold flavors. Blandness is the enemy. Seasoning the nuts yourself is going to help fight that boredom because you make them in small batches and you can use whatever spices and herbs tickle your fancy. No need to commit. Fickle is fun. I made a batch with ground yellow mustard seed, garlic powder, onion powder, a pinch of inulin and some apple cider vinegar. It made the greatest, thickest, crunchiest crust and tasted like a honey mustard preztel or chip only better. Next I’m taking a stab at a garlic bread seasoning — garlic powder, parmesan, dried parsley, nutritional yeast — and I’m currently dehydrating grape tomatoes that will at a later date be ground into powder with garlic, oregano and onion for a pizza seasoning.

    I warned you it was insane! 😀

  • posted by Verano
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    Esnecca you make me smile ….. thank you! Am I right in thinking you’re in the100 club?

  • posted by Esnecca
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    You sure are. I’m in the 150 subset of the 100 club, in fact. I love to cook and eat well and I couldn’t have gotten this far if I weren’t so inspired by the good foods and challenged by the restrictions. For me, eating whatever I wanted when I wanted it was much more stultifying and limiting than figuring out dishes that work well within the constraints of the BSD. It’s like a chess problem that you have to think your way out of, and since I’m terrible at chess, I’m lucky the problem is solved in the kitchen. 🙂

  • posted by KrysiaD
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    Verano – they only do one sort of kimchi. It has cabbage, radishes, carrots, ginger, garlic, peppers, chillies pinch of sugar and sea salt in it. Will look at the label in the morning to see if there is anything else in it. I actually don’t like radishes nor chillies but the fermenting does change them and I really like kimchi.

  • posted by KrysiaD
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    Verano – organic kimchi kraut ingredients are:
    White cabbage, moou radish, carrot, red pepper, onions, garlic, ginger root, pinch of cane sugar and sea salt. It is fermented, unpasteurized and pro-biotic. There isn’t any info on the jar about carbs etc.

  • posted by Marsie
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    Esnecca, thanks for your different/interesting++ food ideas.

  • posted by Verano
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    Thanks Krysia I think I will try that one. I threw out my sauerkraut yesterday because it had a very nasty smell! I really didn’t enjoy it.

    Esnecca WOW! That really is amazing. How long have you been in maintenance? I’ve really been in the doldrums the last 3 months with an overall loss of around 3lbs!!! Boredom has set in but I’m managing to overcome it most of the time. Yesterday was a ‘nut’ fest, loads of nuts and raisins! Anyway, new day today will do better.

    My only tip for today is ‘ to carry on even when times are tough and you’re ready to give up, just keep on keeping on’.

  • posted by Verano
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    I didn’t have the best of days yesterday and today has only been marginally better. So for tomorrow I have a plan…. make labneh and make Esnecca’s Brazil nuts that I should have made today.

    I have my grandsons staying over tomorrow night for the first time, with their mum, maybe she doesn’t trust me!!!! Anyway I thought I might have my homemade cheese with Ottolenghi’s olives for breakfast on Sunday while they have smoked salmon, hummous, rollmops and bagels. Something to look forward to!

    Have a good weekend.

  • posted by Esnecca
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    Verano, I’m not actually in maintenance yet. I have 20 lbs left to lose before I get to my goal weight, which is admittedly an ambitious one. I figured since I had to lose close to 200 lbs anyway, might as well go for broke and get back to my college weight.

    Good luck with the nuts! You can test them out on your grandsons on Sunday. 😀

  • posted by Esnecca
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    Marsie, the pleasure is all mine. 🙂

    Speaking of recipes, time to post another one. This is a modification of one of my mother’s dishes that I dearly love but is made with bread crumbs. I eliminated them and replaced her higher calorie mixture of beef, lamb and pork with plain ground turkey. I added chopped mushrooms and spring onions to moisten it up.

    Turkey Mushroom Kebabs

    1 lb ground turkey
    8 oz fresh mushrooms (I like blends of wild or Asian mushrooms for flavor variety), finely chopped
    1 spring onion (about 70 grams), minced
    1 tblsp garlic powder
    1 tblsp ground cumin
    1/2 tblsp ground turmeric
    1/2 tblsp ginger powder
    1/2 tblsp ground coriander
    1/2 tblsp ground yellow mustard seed or dry mustard
    1 tsp cayenne
    1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, mint and/or oregano (any fresh herbs you happen to have around can work here in any combination)
    1 tsp salt
    freshly ground pepper

    Spritz a non-stick pan with cooking spray or use a teaspoon of olive oil. Heat on medium. Sautee the onion a few minutes until it softens. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper them. Cook until they’ve released their liquid. Take the pan off the heat and let cool to room temperature.

    In a large bowl, add the cooked veg, spices and herbs to the turkey. Mix it all up. Spray the pan you used for the mushrooms and put it back on medium heat. Scoop the turkey mixture up into a heaping tablespoon and drop it in the pan. My mother makes them in the classic football shape, but I prefer to flatten them as soon as they hit the pan just because they cook faster that way. Flip them over when you see the edges go from pink to white. Cook on the second side until there is no more pink to be seen along the sides.

    Put them on a paper towel-lined plate to cool and repeat until you’ve cooked all of the turkey mixture. Eat them warm fresh out of the pan or cold on their own or in a salad. They’ll keep in the fridge for days. The recipe makes exactly 36 kebabs. A serving of 8 of them, which feels tremendously indulgent, is just 147 calories and 2 grams of carbs. You could eat this entire recipe at one time and still have 212 calories left for the day.

    For the ideal accompaniment, hot or cold, you can’t go wrong with tzatziki sauce. Here’s my version derived from a family recipe.

    Tzatziki

    1/4 cup (60 grams) Greek yogurt
    1 small Persian cucumber (80 grams or so), finely grated
    1 clove garlic, minced
    2 tblsp chopped fresh dill
    1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
    s&p to taste

    Do not peel the cucumber! This is where so many tzatziki recipes go wrong. You need the peel for nutrients and for flavor. The trick is to use a cucumber with few seeds, a thick but not bitter skin and a high skin to flesh ratio. That’s why I use the Persians. I haven’t tried them, but I suspect pickling cucumbers would work well, as would those huge English seedless ones, only of course you’d have to cut off a section because the whole thing is the size of a baseball bat.

    Grate it as finely as you can. The holes on my food processor grater blade are too big for this job. I used the second smallest side of my box grater instead. You get a lovely pulp that distributes extremely well throughout the yogurt. The water comes out of it much more easily too. Squeeze out as much of the liquid from the cuke pulp as you can. I use a cheesecloth and just strangle that stuff to death. When it can no longer produce a drip, toss it in the yogurt along with everything else and mix up with a fork or whisk.

    Let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but believe me when I tell you that it is SO much better the next day. These flavors are subtle and need time to develop.

  • posted by Verano
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    Good morning

    Well my labneh is dripping merrily into a bowl over the sink and I’m going to make Ottolenghi’s olive mixture later.

    I have gained nearly 3lb according to my scales since yesterday! I know this isn’t possible. So two lessons learnt really. The first is not to rely so heavily on the numbers and the second Is to take more notice of salty foods. Yesterday I had 2 kippers for brunch with some cherry tomatoes, a few Brazil nuts ( the rest are waiting to be spiced Esnecca!), and then last night a Greek meal that was salad, tzatsiki, chicken and olives, with one glass of red. So no way we’re there over 9000 extra calories which would account for the gain. It must be fluid retention from all the salt …. kippers and olives….! Today I’ll up my water intake to hopefully compensate for yesterday.

    Marsie your burgers sound lovely and I’m really pleased to get the tzatsiki tip. Now when we have an Indian takeaway I have chicken tikka with a homemade salad and a yogurt dressing so your tzatsiki would be a far better accompaniment.

    Hope you are all having a good weekend.

  • posted by Verano
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    Esnecca all I can say is that you’re an absolute inspiration. That’s an amazing amount to lose and to be still going. I have another 50 or so pounds to lose and I will but I have to realise that it will take me more time if I’m to adopt this way of life for ever. My daughter was just asking this morning how I manage without bread. They were all chomping away on bagels whilst I allowed myself two ryvita with cream cheese and smoked salmon and a pickled gherkin. You know I had no answer for her. It’s just my way of eating now and I guess it’s similar to asking a vegetarian how they manage without meat …. it’s just a choice. Our choice!

  • posted by Esnecca
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    That’s exactly right, Verano. I definitely think of myself as a lowcarbetarian now. I used to be like your daughter. We’re all so used to grain products being the base or accompaniment of every meal that any dish without bread, pasta, rice, etc. seems incomplete. I suspect the carbers see the lowcarbetarians as hobbled, amputees who make do the best they can with this terrible tragic emptiness. That’s the mindset that drives some of us right back into the arms of the white poison as soon as the 8 weeks are up or we’ve lost a lot of weight and feel like we can loosen the chains a little bit.

    I don’t see it that way anymore. I love the food I eat. My OH, who has always been easily fit and can eat truly prodigious amounts of whatever he wants without gaining more than the occasional pound here or there, loves it too. I get him a sweet treat from a local bakery once a week during my walks and have never once been even remotely tempted by them. Same with bread and pasta which I used to eat every other day.

    That way of eating is well and truly over for me. I have worked way too hard and come way too far to be lured onto the shoals by the siren song of carbohydrates. I am insulin resistant and do not process sugars the way normal people do. That is a fact and it’s not going away. I spent 15 years avoiding and denying reality. Now I’ve finally faced it and made the changes I needed to to live an active and healthy life. After that, declining to eat a bagel is no challenge at all.

  • posted by Bissell
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    Really inspiring posts, I hope you don’t mind me dropping by. I so agree about the joys of the challenge of making tasty food from the ingredients we have, Esnecca and thanks for taking the time to post the recipes. I often have tzatziki for breakfast and I made some labneh the other day for the first time and it was delicious.

    When I first embarked on the low carb trail I thought every meal would be ‘too wet’ without carbs. Especially being married to a Sri Lankan for 20 odd years (very odd, most of them) a curry without rice would have been bonkers. But so long as I include one dry ish curry, green beans or roasted cauli say, all is fine. And I can look at bread or cakes with a kind of indifferent detachment now, or even a slight queasiness, which is great.

    Thanks for all the positivity and fresh ideas everyone!

  • posted by Verano
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    You could be right Esnecca. Most people find it really odd not to have a carby carb as the main part of a meal. I think you just become used to it and when you have blood sugar problems you know that carbs really are the enemy so it just becomes second nature if you want to stay healthy.

    Unfortunately just taking the pills doesn’t seem to work with diabetes and most people seem to require more and more medication over time as the disease progresses. Low carbing does seem to work though. I was asking about weight/low carbs and diabetes on another thread. There seem to be quite a few ‘returners’ who have lost weight but regained. I wondered how their blood sugar had been with the weight gain, but it does seem that it’s the carbs that have more of an effect on BS than weight. I think this is borne out by people who have gastric band surgery whose BS drops way before any sizeable weight loss.

    Anyway, I know that for me, low carbing has helped me to reduce my medication by half and hopefully in a few weeks I’ll be medication free, after my next HbA1c. Then I will have no choice but to regulate my BS by diet.

  • posted by Verano
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    Hi Bissell nice to see you. My first labneh is still in the muslin I’m not quite sure if it’s ready after 21 hours so will leave a few more. Could you please share your dryish curry recipes. I love curry but am not a fan of cauliflower rice so tend not to it anymore. I’m just off to chop some olives and bash some nuts for my labneh for lunch!

  • posted by Bissell
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    Hi Verona. Lunch sounds delicious. I found a new (to me) way with seeds the other day. I dry roasted a mix of seeds and added to the pan slices of goats cheese, which became coated with seeds and softened slightly. Excellent with salad.

    I do a leek curry, finely sliced, gently fried in coconut oil (or whatever), then add turmeric, chilli and fish sauce. Cover and cook on low heat for 30 mins. Lush.

    Mallung is a fairly standard Sri Lankan staple, shredded greens of some kind (cabbage, kale, spinach etc.) washed and put in saucepan with finely chopped spring onions, chopped green chillies, turmeric, fish sauce, splash of lemon juice, s and p, cook for 5 mins with just the water from washing the leaves, sprinkle with a tablespoon of desiccated coconut and stir until water absorbed by coconut.

    Shredded cabbage, stir fried with carrots and chilli in mustard seeds, garlic and chilli, then add splash of lemon and chopped coriander.

    Thinly sliced aubergines, rubbed with salt and turmeric, , fried in coconut oil, then mix with chopped chili sliced spring onions, a splash of lemon, and a couple of spoonfuls of coconut milk.

    Fry off sliced Spring onions/leeks, garlic, ginger, chilli. Add tablespoon curry powder, or a mix of your favourites, and some grated tomatoes, fry to a paste. Add cauli flowerets, s and p, extra turmeric and cover and cook until soft. Add splash lemon juice, maybe some green coriander or garaj masala.

    Right, I’m starving now! Definitely curry for tea. Just back from the allotment with green beans and cabbage, so sometihing along those lines, maybe with some chilli prawns.

    Have a good day.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Some really delicious ideas there Bissell, shall definitely be trying out some of those. Having some ways to zing up side dishes, can make all the difference to a meal. The last couple of evenings, I’ve fried off shredded cabbage in a little butter with garlic, but it didn’t occur to me to add anything else. Certainly will be tonight!

    Sorry I have been rather lax about adding to this thread, but it’s been a grandchildren week, so time for my stuff has been in short supply – indeed, as a result of that I’ve been on a maintenance week really. Need to get my head together this week though and push forward, before we do the grandchildren’s camping in two weeks time. Still hovering just off my target weight.

    Anyway, will definitely try to add something interesting on here this week – promise!

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Had family over earlier and we ate at an odd time, as a result, I wanted just a little something half an hour ago. Having browsed the options, I decided to used up the last 100ml or so of todays kefir, to which I added a teaspoon of tahini, less than half teaspoon of maple syrup and a small twist of salt. Was yummy! Having said that, as I make my own kefir, I have no idea how to calculate the cals and carbs- anyone have any ideas?

  • posted by Verano
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    Thank you Bissell some lovely ideas there. I will certainly try some of the recipes.

    SunnyB it’s funny you should ask that question. I can’t help you apart from counting the calories of the individual components and then dividing by the number of portions. I have the same question about labneh which is delicious by the way. I know the calorie count of the yogurt and the starting weight plus the weight of the cheese I end up with but don’t know the count for the whey. When I’ve checked the nutritional facts for labneh it seems to come out much lighter on calories and carbs than the original yogurt. Any help!!

    I’m rather in the doldrums yet again so my only tip for today, and note to self ….. ‘variety is the spice of life’ don’t let your life become bland because that means boring and boredom leads to mindless eating! Have a good day!

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Hi Verano – From the online reading I did last night, there seems to be a consensus that the whey contains quite a high proportion of the carbs (so by extension quite a few of the cals as well?) so my guess is that the labneh comes in quite well under the values of the component parts. With kefir, the grains feed on the sugars, so again the finished product must be below the values of the ‘raw’ products used to produce it. The problem in both cases, is by how much.

    I think the difference between start values and finish values for labneh, would be greater than for kefir, given that the whey remains in the finished kefir product, whereas it is drained away in the production of labneh. I think I will allow a 15% reduction on values for labneh and 10% reduction on values for kefir – does that sound reasonable?

    You are so right about the boredom and becoming jaded. It is important to maintain variety and interest in the meals we are eating. I am planning to use one of Bissell’s vegetable ideas this evening. I’m going to have a little read of my Petal, Leaf, Seed book and see if there is something simple and interesting to pass on later – even if it is something I have yet tried for myself.

  • posted by Verano
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    Hi SunnyB … you know I’m so confused trying to work it out so I think I may just take the carbs and calories as the same as the yogurt per gram. The way I’m shaping up at the moment a few carbs and calories here and there will make no difference overall!

    I think that boredom is my problem at the moment and I will definitely try some of Bissell’s ideas. The shredded cabbage sounds lovely. But I particularly like the sound of the cauliflower with spring onion, ginger, garlic etc. I tried some ‘indian spiced cauliflower’ from a well known frozen food company a few days ago but it was rough, as in uncooked spice rough. I’d rather make my own but I was just being lazy really. I think I’ll make the cauliflower to go with trout tonight. I love fish and trout is one of my favourites. I know lots of people don’t like fish because of the bones but I always think fish on the bone tastes better.

    Well off to use some of my labneh for lunch now. Thanks for the idea SunnyB.

  • posted by Pancita
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    Dear Esnecca,
    please can I come and stay at yours for a few days? I love your attitude, and would love to taste that food!
    Love,
    Pancita

  • posted by Esnecca
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    Sure! Come on over. As long as you don’t mind crashing on the couch and waking up to the blank and pitiless gaze of a cat demanding that one of these lazy bipeds lollygagging around prepare her breakfast. 😀

    I’ve actually thought about throwing a BSD foods only party. Nobody around me is doing it that I know of, but how great would it be if we could have a giant gathering where everything, EVERYTHING on offer was BSD friendly, calorie and carb-counted and with all ingredients listed. So many times when people go off-plan it’s because of social occasions. It would be downright revolutionary to have a social occasion that was fully tailored to the BSD.

  • posted by Pancita
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    Getting on the plane now…
    Cats! Always demanding something of us, and only cuddles in return.
    I would also love to have that party. Everyone could bring their favourite BSD-friendly food, labelled up for the rest of us, and we could have a lovely feast! We would drink water of every flavour imaginable, and a have a right good blether with all our fellow BSD-ers. That would be an amazing and fascinating evening.

  • posted by Verano
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    Can I come to the party too please!

    I promise not to bring curried vegetables . I made some last night with cauliflower, green, beans, leeks and broccoli. Oh dear not sure where i went wrong but it was little short of a disaster!

    So for me it’s back to cauliflower, roasted or mashed, and good old steamed veggies.

    As for today my tip is to read Esnecca’s anniversary post, and re-read whenever you feel like eating or drinking ‘baddies’ Truly an inspirational journey! Congratulations again Esnecca.

  • posted by Californiagirl
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    I’m up for a party too! Can we have dancing to a lot of old music like Credence Clearwater? I would pick dancing over food any day! Well, that and sleep!! LOL😜

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    Can I join you for the 7 days before my family come out but starting tomorrow. See you all then. V I make a very nice veggie curry which for someone who doesn’t like Indian food is good going.

  • posted by Esnecca
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    Thank you, Verano. I have every confidence that will you kick those last pounds to the curb. You can dance on tables to Proud Mary and do shots of Gerolsteiner with Californiagirl at our epic party to celebrate. 😀

  • posted by Esnecca
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    Recipe time! If you’re getting bored of making the same old salad, here’s one that I make at least once a week. It tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant if restaurants weren’t so persistently BSD-unfriendly. This recipe is for one.

    Arugula and Radicchio Goat Cheese Herb Salad

    3 oz baby arugula
    1 oz radiccio, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces
    1 oz broccoli, kale, clover, mustard or alfalfa sprouts (basically any sprouts that grow from greans, not beans)
    5 grams chives, chopped
    1 tsp (6 ml) olive oil
    1/2 tsp (3 ml) red wine vinegar
    1 small clove garlic, finely minced
    2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
    1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
    1 oz chevre or other soft goat cheese
    3 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped so thoroughly they’re almost a paste
    s&p to taste

    In a large bowl, use a fork to whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, rosemary and chopped olives. Add 1/4 oz of the chevre and mash it and whisk into the dressing. Add s&p and taste. I use 1/4 tsp of salt and maybe 20 grindings of black pepper. Add the chives and stir them in. If the dressing is a little thick, add a splash (like a tsp) of chicken or veg stock or broth. It needs to be loose enough that it will be easily tossable, but still thick enough to coat the fork you’ve used to whisk it.

    Add the arugula, radicchio and sprouts to the bowl. Toss vigorously, ideally with your hands for optimal dressing distribution. Top with the rest of the chevre in dabs.

    The whole salad is 188 calories, 4 grams net carbs, 1 gram fiber.

  • posted by Verano
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    That salad sounds lovely Esnecca,another of your recipes to try!

    Welcome sunshine-girl the more the merrier especially at this party.

    I should have said that some coconut milk would have fixed my vegetable curry last night but OH didn’t fancy it. Why did I listen? Anyway I made a lovely tray bake with sea bass last week which I don’t think I’ve posted. Will do it tomorrow when I have a little more time.

    We’re off to Cote Brasserie tonight wonderful Breton chicken breast. Have a good evening everyone.

  • posted by Verano
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    So last week I made roasted vegetables with sea bass fillets. I took a largish baking tray and sliced up peppers, of various colours, chunks of red onion, small cherry tomatoes, green beans and tenderstem broccoli sliced. Drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper, covered with tinfoil and roasted for about 20 minutes. Then added asparagus spears and cooked for a further 10 minutes uncovered. Then I lay sea bass fillets, skin side up, on the vegetables and cooked for a further 8 minutes or so. I added steamed new potatoes for the non BSDers. It was really lovely and very little washing up!!!

    I’m away for a couple of days now but I know I can stay BSD friendly after this length of time but may have a slightly bigger portions!!!

  • posted by Esnecca
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    I have a gigantic half salmon taunting me in my freezer. You sea bass recipe might well be the solution. How does the skin come out? Does it crisp up at all or is it a throwaway?

  • posted by Verano
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    No sorry it’s definitely throw away. I think the only way to get crispy skin is to fry but for me the sea bass fillets we get here are too thin to fry.

    I posted a hot salmon parcel recipe above on this thread somewhere! That is really nice hot or cold and can be adapted to be more BSD friendly if necessary.

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