Eat

Cauliflower mash – tasty, leaner swap for mashed potato

Standard

Portion perfection cauliflower mashComfort food for the cold weather, that won’t weigh you down

Love mashed potato but it’s just too ‘morish’?

Why not try cauliflower mash!

Cauliflower mash can be used instead of mashed potato with a winter casserole, or spread it on top of cottage pie mixture instead of potato!

So how do you make cauliflower mash? Simple!

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 1 small head of cauliflower

• Optional: Your choice of added flavours (eg. minced garlic, herbs)

Method:

1. Chop cauliflower head in to florets.

2. Steam or microwave until very soft.

3. Add steamed cauliflower to food processor/blender or use a hand blender, as well as any additional flavours (if desired) and blend until smooth. You may need to add a small amount of hot water to reach your desired consistency.

4. Serve with meal, on top of cottage pie or however you wish to use it!

Source: Portion Perfection facebook site

https://www.facebook.com/portionperfection

Twenty Top Tips to eating well, while staying lean

Standard
  1. Compensate for social eating days by keeping other days ‘lean’
  2. Keep treats, favourite foods and alcohol for social eating
  3. Stick to plenty of salad and coloured veggies, some fruit and low fat protein foods, on lean days with very small amounts of low GI carb foods
  4. Don’t keep foods or drinks you can’t resist at home, just have them when you’re social eating
  5. Know your triggers to overeating, comfort eating, boredom eating and avoid them
  6. Make it easy on yourself; treat yourself like a best friend (or a tantrum throwing toddler)
  7. Make sure everything you eat and drink is ‘calorie worthy’
  8. Eat and drink mindfully – slowly, thoughtfully, savouring each mouthful
  9. Stay aware of mindless eating (nibbling, snacking, binging, ‘just because it’s there eating’
  10. Have a plan – for lean days, social eating and danger situations
  11. Keep a ‘toolbox’ of strategies that work for you
  12. Keep portions small, only as much as you need to enjoy it, share dishes, under order, take some of it with you to enjoy later
  13. Don’t let yourself get over hungry or it’s difficult to eat mindfully
  14. Always stay comfortable, never more than half full
  15. Serve foods and drinks attractively, using garnishes, attractive crockery, glassware and cutlery
  16. Always eat from a plate, at a table, never on the go
  17. Alcohol makes it harder to stay aware of what you’re eating and drinking (and to care) so drink plenty of water as well, sip drinks slowly, pace yourself
  18. Collect ideas and recipes that are delicious, but not your triggers to overeat including interesting salad ideas, fruit based desserts, vegetable based nibble platters
  19. Milky coffees are like a mid meal or small meal so have them carefully

Use a calorie counter book to know your stuff (Alan Borushek’s Calorie Fat and Carbohydrate Counter is inexpensive and easily avail

 

Fast food doesn’t have to be high kilojoule

Standard

Mixed fresh rolls from Hero Sushi

At Grill’d, the Mushroom and Dukkah Salad at 996 kJ compares well to one of the burgers (2020-2960kJ) (+1710 kJ if you add a regular chips).
Grilled field mushrooms,black and white quinoa, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, mesculin, balsamic and dukkah.

20140419-202244.jpg

Mixed fresh rolls from Hero Sushi

20140419-202218.jpg

Mushroom and Dukkah salad from Grill’d

Under order and share

Standard

There’s no reason to order one meal each. By ordering one or two meals less and sharing, everyone gets plenty of variety, they can stay comfortable and even spend less.
Two dishes, with two rice and two breads can be enough for four for lunch.

If you are enjoying your meal, but don’t need to eat it all now….take it with you and enjoy it again later

The first bite is always the best…how nice to enjoy that first bite twice.

20140419-201940.jpg

20140421-120610.jpg

20140421-120626.jpg

Catering?….always include a large, interesting salad

Standard

A salad can be quick, easy and exciting.
Just start with mixed leaves and add layers of colour and texture, ending with the most interesting.

Even just a sprinkle of antipasti mix over leaves looks great.

But use whatever you’ve got:

Frozen – baby peas/baby beans/baby corn (just pour over boiling water and drain)

Leftover roast veg – anything colourful

Canned – baby beets, chickpeas, corn kernels

Fresh – sliced lebanese cucumbers, blanched snow peas or asparagus, cherry or chopped tomato, strings of grated carrot, sliced capsicum, avocado, spanish/ red onion

From the deli – antipasti mix, crumbled feta

Cooked chopped of sliced protein – cooked diced chicken, sliced beef or lamb, canned tuna or salmon, sliced boiled eggs, diced or crumbled cheeses, nuts, seeds

Dressing – mix equal quantities mustard with honey, brown sugar or white sugar and vinegar (plenty). Add a dash or oil if you like. Serve this separately, so leftover salad will last a bit longer.

Mindful eating works – stay aware, stay comfortable

Standard

One of the best strategies for eating well but keeping a healthy weight, is to eat mindfully.

And a key tactic to eating mindfully is to always stay comfortable; stay aware of the appetite and space you have, what you’ve used, and what you what to keep for the next best thing.

Thinking of your capacity to enjoy food as a petrol gauge can help. Try not to go above half way.

And remember, it’s the quality that we enjoy the most, not the quantity. The first taste is always the best. It’s a steep downward satisfaction slope after that.

And savour each bite….slowly…..mindfully….delicously!

 

Poached Pears Dessert Recipe

Standard

This is a delicious easy recipe using the Beurre Bosc pears that are in season and lovely now. It’s ideal to make ahead for friends or a special family meal.

To reduce the kilo joules considerably use no added sugar lemonade instead of the water and skip the sugar. And it’s always amazing how small a serve of cream or ice-cream it needs to finish it perfectly.

Source Canberra Times Food and Wine magazine 9/4/14.

Poaching pears
This is a wonderful way to cook pears on the stove. It is quite a simple dish but the slow cooking in the syrup enhances all the natural flavours of the pear. Select firm but ripe pears.

4-6 beurre bosc pears

1 litre water

1½ cups raw sugar

1 cinnamon stick

6 whole cloves

2 tbsp lemon juice

Pour the water and sugar into a heavy duty saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Then add the cinnamon stick, the cloves and the lemon juice.

Peel the pears and slice in half. Remove the cores. If they are large, quarter them. Carefully place the pears into the saucepan and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pears are well cooked. Remove from heat and allow the pears to cool in the syrup.

The pears can then be served as a dessert with rich ice-cream or King Island cream.

The poached pears in syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days.

20140411-091732.jpg

20140411-091739.jpg