Month: December 2019

Roast aubergines with soured cream & harissa – 141 calories

flidfit Recipes

IMG_3788Roasted aubergines with soured cream & harissa

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 45 mins

Serves: 2

Calories per serving: 141.5

Ingredients

1 x Raw Aubergine -355g

Avocado Oil -15ml

Butter -7g

Harissa Paste -5g

Sesame Seeds -½ Tsp/1g

Soured Cream – 25ml

Method

Heat the oven to 200C/190C fan/gas 6.

Remove the stalk from the aubergine, cut in half lengthwise.

Score the flesh into small diamonds, being careful not to break through the ski.

Place the halves cut side up in a shallow baking dish. Brush with the Avocado oil.

Place dish into oven. Roast for about 40-45 mins, or until the aubergines are completely tender and golden brown.

Soften the butter in a small bowl, add the harissa paste and mash together.

When the aubergines are cooked, put them on a warm platter and season the inside of each one with the harissa/butter.

Spoon soured cream onto each aubergine half, then scatter over the sesame seeds to serve.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 141

Protein (g) 2.0

Carbohydrate (g) 4.5

Fat (g) 13

Fruit & Veg 2.3

Fibre (g)3.5

This was really tasty and filling! I enjoyed it with a portion of stir fried cabbage and leek (74 cals), a half portion of butternut squash roasted in olive oil with paprika (95 cals) and a tuna steak pan fried in 1 tsp of olive oil with a pinch of Greek fish seasoning (143 cals).

Whole meal was therefore 453 calories.

Harissa is a classic North African hot chilli, tomato and garlic based paste to mix-in, spread on or coat and cook. Traditionally used across Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco to add heat and flavour to stews, soups and tagines.

(You can make your own – but I buy mine ready-made and keep it in the fridge.  You don’t need very much for a fiery kick!)

 

 

 

 

Stir-fried cabbage and leek – 74 calories a portion

flidfit Uncategorized
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A good crop of Savoy cabbage

Today I ventured into the garden and decided that it was about time that I started to harvest our crop of Savoy cabbages. 

I realised that although stir fried cabbage and leek features often on my blog, I’ve never provided any information on it.

I use this combination often – at least once a week.  My stir-fried cabbage and leek replaces pasta or rice as an accompaniment to any meal that you’d usually eat with pasta, potato or rice.  Curry, bolognese, chilli-con carne – they all work well.

Much lower in calories and healthier.  Ideal if you are trying to reduce your consumption of processed carbohydrates.

Preparation Time:   20 mins

Cooking Time:  1 hr

Serves:  4 (generous portions)

Calories per serving:  74

Ingredients

Leeks, Raw, Trimmed – 230g

Savoy Cabbage – 400g

Olive Oil –  2 Tsps/10ml

Butter – 1 Thin Spread/7g

Method

Trim, wash and finely slice the leek. I try to keep as much of the green leaf as I can.  I usually cut the leek along it’s length about 4/5 times and then slice along it’s length.  It you leave the root end on when doing this, it keeps everything much easier.

Finely slice the cabbage. Disregard the thick stalk, but any leaf stems provide a nice bit of additional crunch.

Melt the butter and oil in a large wok or frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced vegetables. Stir every few minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Don’t allow to brown.

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Stir-fried cabbage and leek

Lower the heat (very low) and continue to cook for around a total of 40-60 minutes. If you want to, you can cover with a lid which will speed up the cooking process.

Cook slightly less if you prefer a crunchier texture.

You can replace the leek with onion – it works just as well.

This can be served in place of rice, pasta or noodles, as a vegetable side dish. I’ve also enjoyed it for breakfast with grilled bacon!  Lovely with shredded ham hock, loaded onto a warmed folded flatbread.  I’ve also had it with mussels!

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal)  74

Protein (g)  3.0

Carbohydrate (g)  5.5

Fat (g)  4.6

Fruit & Veg  2.1

Fibre (g)  4.2

Holiday exercise – worth the effort!

flidfit Exercise, Travel
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Just one of the magnificent sunsets

I’ve just returned from a very relaxing fortnight in Tenerife – somewhere that enjoys a warm sunny and dry climate virtually the whole year round.  It has a very obvious appeal to us at this time of year when the temperatures drop, the evenings draw in and the heavens open!

It is inevitable that I’ll eat more when I am away and move less.  When I am at home, I an stringent with logging all the food I eat and keeping tabs on my calories.  At home there is housework and daily chores.  I may not move far, but I move little and often.  At this time of year I’ll also spend hours at a time raking leaves in the back garden.  Our mature oak tree keeps me busy with my rake.

On holiday, I use my wheelchair more – the place we stay is at the top of a long hill.  I can be in my wheelchair for 2/3 hours a day, depending on what we are doing.  But I can also spend many hours sitting on a sun lounger and soaking up the rays whilst enjoying a good read.

I can usually expect to return home from this holiday having gained 7 – 10lbs.  This  year, I was determined to  try and minimise any gain, as I am determined to get to 9 stone at some point during the year.  My lowest weight was in 2014 when I saw 9st 3lbs on the scale.  Since then, I have bounced about a but with my weight, but never allowed it to creep above  around 10st 10lbs.

One of the things my sister (who accompanied me on the holiday) encouraged me to do was to take my gym ball, which can easily be inflated and deflated.  Of course, it also meant taking the foot pump.  I packed this non-essential item really not expecting to use it more than once or twice.

However, on the first morning of the holiday, I sat on the ball and carried out my regular routine of warm up stretches and then a 40-45 minute “bouncing” session, when I swing my arms wildly to music.  I can get my heart rate into my “peak” zone (above 140 bpm).  It was so lovely to be outside, watching the sun rise, listening to the birds and enjoying the idyllic surroundings.  I quickly realised that this was something that wasn’t a chore – I was on holiday with plenty of time to fit in my exercise and it really set me up for the day.  My stretches do help to limit my pain and keep everything flexible.  I concentrate on my neck and back.

I’ve just totted up the various numbers which I logged on my Fitbit:

I “bounced” 60,729 steps.  Earned 6,062 calories.  Spent a total of 17.5 hours of my holiday exercising.

What’s even better was that my weight gain for the fortnight was just 3.8lbs!  Incredible!

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View out of the gym “window”
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My “gym” for the week, getting myself warmed up