Asian-Style Rissoles

I have had trouble finding a protein friendly afternoon snack with a nice savoury flavour. Lately when hunting through the depths of my freezer I came across a container of rissoles, cooked them up, and haven't stopped smiling since!

Rissoles are so versatile, as you may have read I tend to crave certain flavours rather than certain foods. Rissoles allow me to unleash that genie, these ones have a wonderful crunch from the water chestnuts and of course there is a lovely coriander taste. If you don't like coriander you can substitute thai basil.

INGREDIENTS
2 tsp minced garlic
3 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp minced red chillies
4 spring onions, roughly chopped
1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped
500g organic heartsmart beef mince
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 x small tin of water chestnuts, roughly chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons organic milled flaxseed
coconut flour, for rolling
olive oil cooking spray

METHOD
1. Place all ingredients except for coconut flour and olive oil spray in a dish (I use an old saucepan).
2. Use your hands to combine mince mixture well.
3. Roll into balls and coat in coconut flour, place in fridge for 20-30min to settle.
4. Heat frypan to medium and spray with olive oil spray, cook rissoles for approximately 4 minutes each side, or until cooked.

NUMBERS (per 30g serve, approximately 1 rissole)
Protein: 20g
Carbohydrate: 10.3g
Fat: 4g

Coconut Flour

Today I decided to make some rissoles, I was daydreaming and worked out that a rissole would be a perfect afternoon protein snack for me, if I'm feeling like something savoury! (more on my rissole recipe later...)

I started thinking about flour. I like my rissoles rolled in flour before cooking, and I do need to use flour from time to time when cooking other other dishes, even though I attempt to eat low carb at all times these days. Low carb also means I will not be adding breadcrumbs to my rissoles either.

So I did a little research and I found Coconut Flour, it looks like the best choice for me. I discovered some great facts including:
- Coconut Flour is a low carb flour. It has fewer digestible carbs than any other flour, including soy! It even has fewer digestible carbs than most vegetables.

- Coconut Flour is a good source of protein. It has as much protein as wheat flour but it has no gluten.

- Coconut Flour is high in fibre. It contains 38.5% fibre which is the highest percentage of dietary fibre found in any flour (wheat bran is 27% fibre).

- The Australian Heart Foundation recommends that adults should consume approximately 30g of fibre daily. (1 Tablespoon of coconut flour equals approx 5 grams of fibre.)

You can find out more about Organic Coconut Flour at:
http://www.nuicoconut.com/australia/nui_products_AUS/nui_food_range.htm

NUMBERS (per 100g, this is slightly less than a metric cup)
Protein: 19.3g
Carbohydrate: 64.5g
Fat: 8.6g
Fibre: 38.5g

Hey Joe...

This is me (Laura) with my trainer Joe Wauters.
Joe has helped me to lose almost 10kg and most of all, he keeps me engaged and interested in exercise, fitness and eating right. You can tell that Joe believes in what he does and this is what I respect most of all!
Right now Joe is helping me to perfect my squat and get closer to my goal of doing an unassisted pull-up (a long way off!) and a man-style push up (closer).
Joe is also patiently assisting me to learn a handstand (problem more in my head) and has got me started on run club where I run 7-10km every Tuesday morning with my 'running teacher' James. I love run club!
These Vision people sure keep me busy, but being busy keeps me interested!

You have visit Vision's website by clicking the link:
http://www.visionpt.com.au/
Tell them I sent you ;)

Spring Vegetable Soup

An oldie but a goodie! Especially good for when you have been sick, or naughty with the food like I have this weekend (ok, it was my sister's 30th!) I usually poach some chicken and add for some protein. You can also add some milled flaxseed just before serving (I usually add about a tablespoon) for some much-needed fibre!

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil (I use garlic oil)
1/2 cup sliced leeks (white part only)
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced sweet potato
1/3 cup diced turnip
4 cups vegetable stock
salt, pepper
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1/3 cup diced zucchini
1/3 cup chopped green beans
1 peeled and chopped tomato
1/3 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup parsley, chopped

METHOD
Heat oil, add leek, celery, potato and turnip, cook stirring for 5 min.
Add vegetable stock, salt and pepper, bring to boil.
Lower heat and add remaining ingredients, simmer for 5 min.
Top with chopped parsley.

From: Bill Granger: bills SYDNEY FOOD, Murdoch Books 2004.

Grass-Fed Beef

Today I read a terrific article on why grass-fed beef is better to eat.

- Lower levels of unhealthy fats
- Higher levels of Omega 3 fatty acids

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/switching-to-grass-fed-beef/

Now to stop buying my meat from Woolworths and find a butcher who can help me out with this!

Fava Nuts - Roasted Broadbeans!

One of my lovely students Darcy offered me a snack a few months back. I thought it a little strange that she would be eating roasted beans of all things, but these taste fantastic! I later found out she is on a gluten free diet, and these are a helpful choice for her eating.

This morning I arrived at school and there was an entire box of Fava Nuts Roasted Broadbeans sitting on my desk, I was so happy munching away in my car on the way home after work.

As their website says:

"Broad beans are packed with protein with about half the fat of popular corn and potato snacks. Ideal for school lunch boxes or a hunger fix on the run. Fava Nuts – made from the crops that restore Australian soils."

Nice! You can learn more at:
http://www.chicnuts.com/fava-nuts/

NUMBERS (per 25g serve)
Protein: 6.1g
Carbohydrate: 11.5g
Fat: 6.1g

Rosemary-roasted Chicken with Beetroot and Feta

I cooked this for the first time tonight and it's a real winner! Wish I had a photo of it, it is the perfect Autumn salad, all warm and roasty. The chicken also did not dry out like I thought it might, this recipe is definitely worth a go!

INGREDIENTS
2 x 200g chicken breast fillets (organic or free range)
1 x 450g can baby beetroots, drained
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
500g pumpkin, thinly sliced
Olive oil spray
200g feta, crumbled
Rocket leaves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Serves 4

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees celcius
2. Place beetroot and pumpkin in baking dish, spray lightly with oil, toss to combine, bake for 20minutes
3. Add chicken and rosemary, bake for a further 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through
4. Slice chicken and beetroot and place in bowl with pumpkin, a little oil, rocket, feta and vinegar, toss to combine.

NUMBERS (per serve, approx)
Protein: 34.4g
Carbohydrate: 16.1g
Fat: 16.6g (to reduce fat, switch to low fat feta, but I enjoy the real stuff too much)

Why I love tacos!

I used to eat tacos all the time with my Mum and Dad, usually on weekends. They were OK, I was never crazy about tacos! But these days I'm loving Tacos again because they fit into my numbers well, and it also gives me a chance to eat some lean meat and fresh salad.

Some tips:
- Use organic Heartsmart mince
- Low fat cheddar cheese
- Watch how many you eat! I can only really eat two most days, but then I can eat some mince on its own with some salad. (The carbs are in the taco shells)
- Watch out for the burritos, enchiladas etc. The numbers on these can be huge!
- There always seems to be leftover mince for lunch the next day

One of my main nutrition goals is to step away from processed food and I must admit tacos are my weakness. Next step is working out my own seasoning so I don't have to worry about any unnecessary nasties such as 'anti-caking agents' in the kit.

You can learn more info, including nutritional info here:
http://oldelpaso.com.au/products/dinner-kits/taco-kit-295g/5.aspx

NUMBERS (per taco, complete)
Protein: 12.6g
Carbohydrate: 6.7g
Fat: 7.9g

Chilli Beef

This recipe has become a staple of our little household, enough to eat once a week and freeze the rest for the next, I have been cooking this for a few years... it's my go-to recipe to get me back on track when my nutrition has slipped!

INGREDIENTS
Olive oil spray
1 onion, chopped
1 chilli, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
500g mince (I choose Heartsmart Organic mince, I also hear Woolworths preium mince is lower in fat, according to CHOICE magazine)
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
400g red kidney beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and pepper
Bocconcini cheese (I eat with 5 x bambini sized)
Baby spinach leaves or steamed vegetables to serve

METHOD
1. Cook onion, chilli, garlic in oil for 2 min
2. Add mince, cook for 5 min, drain off excess oil
3. Add tins of chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, ground coriander
4. Simmer as long as you like (5 minutes minimum)
5. Serve n steamed vegetables or bed of spinach leaves, garnish with bocconcini

NUMBERS (Approx per serve, without bocconcini or vegetables)
Carbs: 20.5
Protein: 44.2
Fat: 9.4

From Donna Hay Issue 26 March/April 2006

Mark's favourite!!! xxx

Barambah Organics

Up until recently I was a huge fan of Jalna Yoghurt, but then I discovered Barambah Organics. This is the creamiest-tasting yoghurt and very low in carbs. When I first ate it tasted so good I did not realise I had picked up the low fat version by mistake!

You can visit Barambah Organics as http://www.barambahorganics.com.au/

Seriously recommended, especially with a small handful of chopped fruit or nuts, and it's great to switch between flavours because the numbers are good!

500g is about $7.50 at my local deli, but I've seen it for $6.95 up the street at Harris Farm, this quantity normally lasts me a week.

Barambah Organics Low Fat Natural Yoghurt (50g serving)
Carbs: 2.4
Protein: 2.95g
Fat: 0.1g

Nutritional Calculators

I don't use a nutritional calculator so much anymore as I have all of my regular meals and I know roughly how they affect my body...

Vision have their own calculator but I find it more brand-related and I don't eat so much processed food...

So I found this one called 'Aminoz' and I think it works very well! It even has rough numbers for take away food like thai dishes which I find very helpful.

http://www.aminoz.com.au/food_nutritional_information.php

I will also say it's worthwhile to buy a little scale to weigh your food on from time to time and these are found very cheaply on ebay (accuracy of these cheap scales questionable at times!)

Stewed Rhubarb and Custard

I have never cooked rhubarb until recently, never. I remember my mother cooking it when I was small and I wondered what the fuss was about, I never really bothered with it. This recipe is not fantastic if you are watching your weight, but I figure it sure as hell beats reaching for the chocolate cake or pastry, like I once would have done! Furthermore, I have made this with wild honey, courtesy of my friend Jesse and Amanda's backyard beehive in Islington, Newcastle. It IS delicious!


INGREDIENTS
1 x bunch of rhubarb, sliced into 3-5cm pieces (a bunch is approx 5 sticks)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup wild honey
1 tsp vanilla
3 x cardamom pods
1 x tsp grated lemon rind

METHOD
1. Place rhubarb, water, honey, vanilla and cardamom in saucepan.
2. Mix well and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20min.
3. Take off heat and remove cardamom pods and stir through lemon rind.
4. You can add some extra honey if you like at this point, depending on how sweet or tart you like the rhubarb to taste.
5. Serve with lite custard or low fat organic yoghurt. Yummy!

NUMBERS (Approx)
Stewed Rhubarb with honey (70g Serving)
Carbs: 10.8g
Protein: 0.8g
Fat: 0.1g
Fibre: 1.7g

Dairy Farmers Lite Pouring Custard (100g serving)
Carbs: 13.8
Protein: 3g
Fat: 0.9g

Barambah Organics Low Fat Natural Yoghurt (50g serving)
Carbs: 2.4
Protein: 2.95g
Fat: 0.1g

Obviously, the yoghurt is the go but sometimes you just gotta have custard!

Roasted Sage and Bacon Mushrooms

Since changing my eating I don't tend to crave a certain dish as such, rather I crave flavours. This side dish is a nice meaty, smoky, substantial tasting recipe which is very satisfying in the cooler weather. Serve with grilled meat and steamed green peas.


INGREDIENTS
4 large field mushrooms
4 tsp minced garlic
Olive oil spray
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
200g low fat ricotta
2 rashers of bacon, rind removed, chopped
1/2 bunch sage, leaves torn

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 220c.
2. Place mushrooms on a baking tray, spread 1 tsp of garlic on each mushroom cap.
3. Spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Roast for 10 minutes, top with ricotta, bacon and sage and roast for another 15min or until ricotta and bacon are golden.

NUMBERS (Approx, per mushroom)
Carbs: 1.7g
Protein: 10.9g
Fat: 10.3g
Fibre: 0.8g

Adapted from: Donna Hay Magazine, Issue 44, April/May 2009

Spiced Coconut Pumpkin Soup

This recipe is a lovely surprise, it has a nice nutty taste and taking the time to roast the pumpkin and carrot gives the soup depth and sweetness. It has to be one of my favourites, yet it fits in so well with my nutrition plan.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon korma curry paste
1kg butternut pumpkin, peeled and chopped
2 x carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup lite coconut milk
1 tsp chilli

1 large chicken breast (organic)
lite olive oil spray
Serves 4

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180c. Line a baking tray with paper, place pumpkin and carrot in tray and spray lightly with olive oil spray. Bake for 1-1.5 hours, or until roasted and caramelised.
2. Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add curry paste and chilli and cook for one minute. Add roasted pumpkin, carrot and stock and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 6 minutes.
3. Use a handheld stick blender to mix until smooth.
4. Add coconut milk and heat for 3 minutes or until hot.
5. In a seperate pan spray chicken breast with a little oil and cook on both sides until tender. Slice and place into bowls and ladle with soup.

NUMBERS (Approx per serve, without chicken)
Carbs: 25g
Protein: 7.1g
Fat: 13.8g
Fibre: 4.5g

Adapted from: Donna Hay, 'The Instant Cook,' Harper Collins Publishers, 2004.

Asparagus and Haloumi Salad

This is a terrific recipe with grilled meat. If I am in a rush I eat with BBQ chicken (skinned of course)!


INGREDIENTS(serves 4)
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
2 bunches asparagus, woody ends trimmed
1 x 250g pkt haloumi cheese, drained, cut into 4 lengthways
60g rocket (or green salad leaves)
Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
Heat 2 tsp of the oil (I normally just spray a pan lightly with olive oil spray) in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Reheat pan over high heat. Cook the haloumi for 1 minute each side or until golden.
Divide rocket and asparagus among serving plates.

Top with a slice of haloumi. Drizzle with the remaining oil (I usually leave this out and squeeze with a bit of lemon instead) and season with pepper.

Adapted from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/9828/asparagus+haloumi+salad

Balsamic Chicken and White Bean Salad

www.taste.com.au have a great low-carb recipe section that I access regularly. Some of the recipes now include nutritional information as well, which has been really helpful. This recipe is one of my Summer / Autumn favourites, and is also quick and cheap to make.


INGREDIENTS (serves 4)
600g skinless chicken thigh fillets, trimmed (I use organic or free range)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
olive oil cooking spray
400g can cannellini beans, drained
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup low-fat feta cheese, crumbled
50g rocket leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

METHOD
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Whisk garlic, mustard and vinegar in a ceramic dish. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat a frypan on high heat. Remove chicken from marinade. Lightly spray chicken with oil. Cook for 1 minute each side or until golden. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook chicken for 6 to 8 minutes each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover and stand for 5 minutes.

Slice chicken. Combine beans, tomato, feta, rocket and chicken in a large bowl. Toss gently. Spoon onto plates. Season with pepper. Serve with lemon.

Adapted from:
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/450/balsamic+chicken+and+white+bean+salad

My Breakfast Cereal

Finding a cereal that suits my eating plan has been difficult, my biggest challenge has been reducing carbohydrates and increasing my protein intake.

I found Protein First at Woolworths Supermarket Potts Point, and it probably fits my plan best. There are some days where I just don't have time to cook eggs!

Protein First is made of Barley Flakes, and until I get the time to mix my own cereal flakes, it is the best thing I can find. I usually add a tablespoon of milled flaxseed and serve using shape milk.

There is actually a shortage of this cereal in Supermarkets at the moment due to high temperatures during the growing season, until November 2010 apparently only Coles will stock Protein First! Looks like I will be walking further up the street to Coles then...

You can learn more at:
http://www.goodnesssuperfoods.com.au/products/protein

Greek-style lemon chicken soup

I first tasted this recipe when a Greek woman at work had her mother make it for a 'soup club' I belonged to. I always remembered the unique flavour and it's a perfect high-protein nourishing meal.

This recipe is enough for 2 people, with leftovers for about 3 lunches.

INGREDIENTS
Stock (if you can't be bothered to do this, you can use 4-6 cups of prepared stock)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
6 black peppercorns
strip of lemon zest
1 small bunch of fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley
1.5 litres water

3 small skinless chicken breast fillets (about 350 g in total)
¾ cup quinoa
juice of 1 lemon
2 medium eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon of milled flaxseed
salt and pepper
sprigs of fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley to garnish


METHOD
1. Put the chicken breast fillets, onion, celery, carrot, black peppercorns, lemon zest and bunch of dill in a large saucepan. Add the water. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, skimming off any foam that comes to the surface. Reduce the heat and half cover the pan with a lid, so the water just bubbles gently. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

2.Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Strain the stock through a sieve into a clean pan, discarding the vegetables and flavourings.

3. Reheat the stock until boiling, then stir in the quinoa. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes or until the quinoa is almost tender. Meanwhile, cut or tear the chicken into thin shreds, and mix the lemon juice with the beaten eggs.

4. Add the shredded chicken to the soup. Heat over a medium heat until the soup almost starts to boil again. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the lemon juice mixture, stirring constantly. Serve seasoned with salt and pepper to taste and garnished with sprigs of dill.

Adapted from:
http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/6788/greek-style-lemon-chicken-soup.aspx