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Bye Bye Sugar High

Posted on May 7, 2013April 8, 2014 by Deepa

I’ve been promising details of a change for a while now and I am nothing if not a keeper of promises. So here goes…..

Exactly four weeks ago I made the decision to quit a certain white substance.

Ummmm…..I’m talking about sugar, fructose to be exact.

Wait, what white substance were you thinking of?

And pray, what is the reason for this self-inflicted torture you ask? Well, the decision was driven by a few things. Firstly, I have always struggled with my weight and have had various levels of success in the past with different methods of weight loss. In my early twenties, I found that if I buckled down and ate well as well as engaged in a decent amount of exercise, the kilos would obediently melt away.

But sadly like many things such as skin collagen regeneration and the ability to do stupid things and not care, age puts a damper on the metabolism and a moderate level of discipline was simply not good enough in my late twenties and now, in my early thirties. The kilos that sneaked up on me over the last few years have obstinately clung on, refusing to listen to reason or be moved by weekly cycle classes.

I have long known that my main vice is sugar, my favourite food being a thing that starts with ‘ch-‘ and ends with ‘ocolate’. A previous flatmate had a fridge magnet that said ‘A balanced diet is a chocolate in each hand‘ and I thought that was perfectly reasonable.

Lollies, Indian sweets, desserts and supposedly healthy sweet snacks such as museli bars have also co-starred in my diet. Couple this with my work environment, a place where bags of lollies are always sunning themselves on benches and boxes of chocolates, cakes or pastries gifted by grateful clients make frequent appearances. Place a pile of sweets in front of me, especially on a stressful day, and I turn into a weapon of mass consumption. A weakness which I’m sure some of you can relate to (if not, please at least pretend to).

So I have been toying with the idea of cutting down on sugar for a while now. After about a year of trying to cut down, I came to the conclusion that ‘sugar’ and ‘moderation’ for me, do not seem to belong in the same sentence or even the same postcode.

As if by fate, just when I finally understood that weakness in myself (it only took about 30 years), I bumped into a friend who invited me along to a book signing by a lady called Sarah Wilson. Sarah is one of the pioneers in the sugar (fructose) free diet, and her research and work on the subject has allowed her to create a wealth of knowledge to help others who want to go down the same path. Sarah is an inspirational talker, yet I walked away after the talk clutching her book but still fairly sure that this way of eating would never be for me.

To cut a long (and probably boring) story short, it took a couple more months before I finally decided to give it a shot. It was a daunting decision, and anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that sugar was previously a huge part of my life. Currently, I am exactly at the halfway point of Sarah’s 8-step program to being fructose-free. Much of the research supporting a low fructose diet is on Sarah’s blog and she explains it much more comprehensively than I could.

It has been a tough road but nowhere near as painful as I expected. I have had some intense cravings which I have fought off with a cup of tea, a sugar-free snack or a distraction (online shopping, anyone?). I have been lucky not to experience the physical withdrawal symptoms that some people describe. I had visions of being curled up in a corner in the foetal position rocking back and forth in my first 2 weeks but instead I have experienced better energy levels and mental clarity than I remember having for many years. I have lost a little weight, which supposedly should not be the main motivation…..but who are we kidding, right?

In a couple of weeks time, I will start to re-introduce small amounts of fructose into my diet. My ultimate goal is to be able to enjoy a little piece of chocolate or a divine dessert on occasion minus the guilt trip and the self-bargaining that goes on internally.

So how will this affect this here little blogarooni of mine? Well, it probably won’t, much. There will be less sweets and the ones I do post will likely be low fructose. Otherwise, when it comes to savoury dishes, I don’t anticipate much change at all.

And the inane, mostly irrelevant babble? I vow to you that that’ll continue as pointlessly as always.

I would love to hear from any of you, but especially others who have been or are on the same journey in the comments box below. What led you to ultimately make the decision? What did you find most difficult? What are your tips and tricks for doing this successfully?

On a roll

Posted on May 3, 2013August 27, 2013 by Deepa

I am a bit of a novice on the bread side of things. I mean, I love the stuff, it is possibly even my favourite carb. I would indulge in crusty, soft centred white bread all day if both my gastrointestinal tract and my waistline were more accommodating. But when it comes to actually baking it? Well, let’s just say my bread resumé is a short one.

So knowing this, you would assume that I would keep it very simple, right? Like, find a good recipe, read and understand it and follow it to the last gram? Like, bake a few text-book loaves before I got too adventurous?

Well if you think I’m that sensible, you clearly don’t know me too well. We have to work on that. Coffee next week?

Find a good recipe I did……Joy of Joy the Baker, one of my favourite blogs, posted a recipe for Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls which I had mentally bookmarked some time ago. I finally had a chance to try it. But follow it to a tee?? I don’t think I’m actually capable of that.

I had to spice it up, make it savoury and of all things, healthy. Wholemeal flour……whaaaaat??

I had to fill it with a tangy coriander and dill pesto conjured up entirely in my own brain.

Then on a whim, I threw in some feta I found hiding unassumingly in the fridge.

Did I get away with it? You bet your savoury scrolls I did!

And the best thing is, you can too. The possibilities for variations are drool-worthy. Olive bread with an olive tapenade and rosemary filling? I am all over that like a rash! Pepita bread with spiced pumpkin puree filling? Why not!

Like all bread, this one takes a little time and elbow grease. It is left to rise while you vacuum the floors or go out for lunch or write your next blog post or whatever it is you do when you have to wait two hours for something. Then after you cut the scrolls, you ignore it again for two hours while it rises again.

But all the effort is well worth it. At the end of it all you will have eight perfect, filling scrolls for a picnic, breakfast or to pack for lunch. And you will be glad you kneaded, waited, kneaded again and waited again.

Wholemeal Coriander and Dill Scrolls

Dough recipe adapted from Saveur October 2008 via Joy the Baker

For the Filling:

Pesto:

1 cup (packed) fresh coriander, leaves and stalks
1 cup (packed) fresh dill, leaves and stalks
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
3cm piece fresh ginger
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
10 raw cashews
1 tbsp cumin seeds

Other ingredients:

Zest of 1 lemon
40g feta
1 tbsp cumin, toasted

For the Bread:

1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 (7g) package active dry yeast
pinch sugar
1/2 cup milk at room temperature
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 3/4 cups plain wholemeal flour, sifted, plus more for kneading
3/4 teaspoon salt
100g butter, melted, plus more for the pan

Make:

Toast all the cumin (2 tbsp) in a small pan over medium heat until slightly browned and fragrant.

In a large bowl combine yeast, pinch sugar and 1/4 cup water heated to 45 degrees C (a bit warmer than body temp if you do not have a thermometer). Stir to combine and let sit until frothy and foamy, about 10 minutes.

Add egg, egg yolk and milk. Whisk until well combined. Add the flour, 1 tbsp toasted cumin and salt and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough just begins to come together. Knead the dough for 3-5 mins.

Add the melted butter and continue to knead for about 5-6 minutes. The dough will be a little wet and sticky. Remove the dough from the bowl and grease the bowl. Place the dough back into the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Leave in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

While the dough rises, make the pesto. Combine the pesto ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and whizz until it reaches coarse paste consistency.

When the dough has doubled in size, place it onto a heavily floured work surface. Gently knead the dough until it is no longer sticky, adding more flour as needed. Knead for a few minutes.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into an oval of about 7 millimetre thickness, about 20cm x 30cm.

Spread the pesto evenly over the dough. Grate the lemon zest finely over the top of the pesto. Sprinkle 1 tbsp cumin seeds and crumbled feta evenly over the top.

Grasp hold of one long edge and roll as tightly as possible until it is one long roll

Place dough roll seam side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp, thin knife, trim off the uneven edges.

Cut the roll into 8 equal slices. Place the slices, cut side up and evenly spaced in a greased high-edged metal baking pan. Cover pan with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Heat the oven to 190 degrees C. Uncover the rolls and bake for 30-35 mins, or until a clean knife inserted into the bread comes out clean.

Notes:

For the second rise, Joy suggests that you could also leave the scrolls in the baking tray in the fridge to rise overnight. The scrolls should be taken out of the fridge 15 min before baking.

Click the Month: April 2013

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Deepa

There weren’t many opportunities for clickage this month…..until the trip to the zoo.

Just in case it’s not enough that I annoy small animals during the week, I thought I should annoy larger, wilder and far less compliant animals with my lens on the weekend as well.

Tomorrow is the first of May…..May, can you believe it?! How on Earth did that happen??

Enjoy and see you in May!

Well helloooo there.....do you come here often? — Well helloooo there…..do you come here often?

Funny looking tree but it sure does taste good!!

They call this the ‘Zebra Enclosure’ but we all know who the real star is.

Between

Posted on April 28, 2013April 28, 2013 by Deepa

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about transitions. The road to change from one way of doing things to another……from one stage of life to another……or from one way of thinking to another.

I have long known something about myself, which is that I am not comfortable with comfortable. It seems that as soon as things start ‘chugging along’, a strange restlessness stirs inside me and I feel the need to stir things up. It may just be in the smallest possible way…….a new hobby……a stimulating challenge at work……new friends. Just something to feel like I’m evolving, changing or somehow transitioning.

It may be that I’m just one of those beings who is never quite satisfied with things the way they are. Or perhaps I am happiest in a state of flux. Whatever it is, when I recognised and embraced this aspect of myself a few years ago, I found my life became just that little bit easier.

My current transition is health based, a change in the interest of wellness. A change I should have made a long time ago and yet, never thought I could until now. More on that soon but I will say that I really am quite chuffed with myself so far.

And this salad? Well, I like to think of it as a transition between summer and winter. An autumn salad, if you will. Light enough for summer but served warm as a side dish to winter comfort food, it ticks many a box and is healthful to boot. A little smokey, a tad sweet and with the kick of citrus, yet subtle enough to play co-star to a main meal. It is inspired by a recipe in that gorgeous book Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi, which I have finally managed to get my eager little paws on.

Zucchini, Carrot and Fennel salad

Inspired by a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe.

Get:

4 Zucchinis, sliced diagonally into 5mm slices
Olive Oil
1 large carrot, shaved using a peeler
1/2 bulb fennel, shaved or thinly sliced
40g feta
2 tbsp pine nuts
Small handful flat-leaf parsely, leaves torn
A few fennel fronds

For the Dressing:

1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp walnut oil or olive oil

Make:

Heat a frypan (preferably a griddle pan) and drizzle a little oil onto it. When the oil is hot, fry the zucchini slices on a medium heat until par-cooked and slightly caramelised. You may have to fry the zucchini in 2 batches. Place all the salad ingredients except for the pine nuts, fennel fronds and feta in a bowl.

In the same frypan, toast the pine nuts until they are nicely browned- careful as they burn quickly!

Ina small bowl, mix together the orange juice, lemon juice and salt until the salt is dissolved as much as possible. Add the walnut oil and stir. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently.

Top with pine nuts, crumbled feta and fennel fronds just before serving.

Notes:

Toasted hazelnuts would also work beautifully in this instead of pine nuts.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture

Posted on April 27, 2013April 27, 2013 by Deepa

The lighting of lamps, diyas or deepas (yup, that’s right!) is an important and beautiful part of Hindu culture. It is done in prayer and out of respect to God. The practice is steeped in religion and believed to dispel the darkness of ignorance, taking us closer to truth and enlightenment.

This is my interpretation of The Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture.

Controlling my Temper……Tempering in Indian Cooking

Posted on April 24, 2013April 24, 2013 by Deepa

Ok, I think it’s time you and I had a little chat. Yes it is absolutely as serious as it sounds and no, you haven’t done anything wrong (or have you??). What I want to talk to you about is tempering. I mention this technique in many of my Indian recipes and you may be wondering……What is this tempering she speaks of? Well, wonder no more my munchkins!

Tempering is not a synonym for ‘flying into a rage’, not that I ever claimed to be above that. Nor does it have anything to do with chocolate, at least in this instance (although I agree that would be infinitely more fun). What I am referring to is the snap! crackle! pop! of Indian cooking, the tempering of spices.

There is something about hot oil or ghee that makes spices more fragrant, flavoursome and generally sexier. And it really doesn’t take a lot of oil. I normally use a couple of teaspoons when I’m cooking for two, but feel free to use more, especially if unlike me you are blessed with a tiny waist and a lightning metabolism. Any cooking fat can be used but IMHO canola, sunflower or vegetable oil, or ghee tend to complement Indian flavours.

The general rule, as I understand it, is to temper in the beginning for curries, and at the end for soup-like dishes such as dhal, rasam and sambar. So for curries, I temper in the main pan, then begin adding the rest of the ingredients. For dhal and such, I temper the spices in a separate little pan to add to the dish at the end.

I commonly temper things like mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dry red chillies, finely grated ginger and garlic, cloves, bay leaves and powdered spices. I heat the oil first, then add the seeds, followed by other dry ingredients and finally, fresh curry leaves. I don’t tend to temper fresh herbs (apart from curry leaves), and prefer to add them to the dish towards the end of the cooking process instead.

When it comes to mustard and cumin seeds, it’s important to make sure they all pop in the oil and I’ll tell you a little secret- this bit terrifies me! I have been known to take a deep breath, unceremoniously dump the seeds into the steaming oil, then scrunch my eyes closed and jump back to the other side of the kitchen to avoid being burnt by the mini fireworks display on the stove. Then someone pointed out that holding a lid over the pan is a much more elegant way to avoid injury. Smarty-pants.

If you are not sure whether the oil is hot enough (look for a slight shimmer), the perfectly acceptable cheat’s way is to drop in a couple of mustard or cumin seeds to see if poppage occurs. Always maintain control of the oil temperature- I often turn the heat down or even off once the seeds have popped to prevent burning things.

Tempering requires your undivided attention, so it is not to be juggled with distractions such as that last season of Gossip Girl. No, not even that gorgeous episode with the masquerade ball.

An annoying but unavoidable truth of tempering is that if you burn the spices, you must get rid of them (safely), wipe the pan clean, breathe deeply and start again because trust me, as tiny as those suckers are, burnt seeds are perfectly capable of ruining the whole dish.

Once you have tempered to your heart’s content and start adding other ingredients such as onions, vegetables, meat etc., remember that the oil and the pan will cool down with every ingredient added so you can then start to increase the heat.

So that’s pretty much it, boys and girls. The art and importance of tempering.

Have I forgotten anything? I welcome your input in the comments box below!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Up

Posted on April 21, 2013April 21, 2013 by Deepa

Spot-billed Pelican, Kokrebellur, Karnataka, India

Kokarebellur, a tiny village in Karnataka, India, is so named because of the Painted Storks (Kokare) that nest and breed here year after year. Spot-Billed Pelicans are another species that join the egg-laying party and together these magnificent birds are considered an auspicious omen by the villagers. We visited during breeding season (Sept-Feb), and spent most of our time there looking up. They aren’t hard to spot; several of these enormous birds can be seen weighing down the boughs of each tree, or flying between trees. The sight is almost a little silly as it is so much easier to picture these handsome birds perched on the mast of a ship or on a jetty.

This is my interpretation of The Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Up.

Palak Paneer on a Precious Day Off

Posted on April 19, 2013April 8, 2014 by Deepa

What I love most about my job, apart from the obvious- saving animals lives, alleviating pain in cute furry creatures and all that other WFF (warm fuzzy feeling) inducing stuff- are my weekdays off. In my line of work, at least on the clinical side of things, there is no Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 schedule.

Instead, we are required to work some weekends, meaning we get weekdays off in lieu. And while it is truly painful to drag yourself out of bed at 6.30 am on a Sunday morning, leaving behind warm sheets to tend to sick animals (who annoyingly don’t always plan their medical needs to occur during the week), having a weekday to myself really does soften the blow.

My day off feels like an indulgence, even though I’ve well and truly worked my backside off for it. It is something that is all mine……a whole day before me which I can fill with whatever my heart desires. Of course, much of it is spent on mundane tasks such as a workout session, housework and paying bills, but strangely just the idea of having the choice makes a day off seem like a guilty pleasure. And even those chores are less painful during the week- lines at post offices and banks are shorter, Sydney’s normally congested roads are a little easier to navigate and appointments with dentists and such are more available.

And on the occasion that the day off coalesces with the weekend- well, what more can you ask for than a long weekend?

This dish is definitely one for a day off. There are a few processes which take a little time when you first give it a go. But it’s so very worth it at the end.

Palak Paneer is an Indian classic. I have been disappointed with some of the versions I’ve had at restaurants; many are bland with a layer of oil floating over the top of barely recognisable spinach puree and lumps of paneer (cottage cheese) that you need to fish for.

My Palak Paneer is a little more robust, well-spiced and the result of several attempts to get the masalas just right.

You can make the paneer yourself using this technique from this lovely blog, or use store-bought paneer. If using store-bought paneer, I prefer the frozen cubes to the blocks you find in the fridge. Also, despite being more fiddly, I highly recommend you use fresh spinach rather than frozen.

Palak Paneer (Spinach and Cottage Cheese Curry)
Get:

Spice Mix
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
1/8 tsp fenugreek
8-10 black peppercorns
Insides of 2 cardamom pods

Tempering
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
3-4 cloves
2 bay leaves
3 hot green chillies split down the middle
1 small clove garlic, grated or minced (you will need 2 in total)
1/2 tbsp ginger, grated (you will need 1 1/2 tbsp in total)
1/2 large onion chopped finely (you will need the other half too, also chopped)

Gravy
1 quantity spice mix
1 small clove garlic
1/2 tbsp ginger, grated
1/2 large onion chopped finely
1/4 cup passata or 1 soft tomato chopped roughly
2 bunches English spinach
3/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
2 tsp salt
3 tsp oil

280-300g paneer in cubes (packaged or fresh)
Handful coriander, chopped roughly

Make:

If using frozen paneer, defrost.

Chop bottom part of the spinach stalks off and discard. The more tender part of the stalks can be left on. Chop each bunch of spinach into thirds. Place in a colander and wash thoroughly to get rid of the grittiness (and trust me, I’ve never met a bunch of spinach that wasn’t gritty!). Wash in batches if easier. Place aside.

To make the spice mix, dry roast all the spices in a small pan over low heat until fragrant. Use an electric grinder or mortar and pestle to grind to a powder.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a large saucepan or wok. When oil is hot, add spice mix, 1/2 tbsp ginger, 1 clove garlic and half a chopped onion. Fry on low-medium heat until onion is tender. Add spinach and simmer, covered until spinach is mostly cooked. Add tomato or passata, stir through and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp salt and stir through. Transfer to the bowl of your food processer and leave to cool. Once cooled, blitz to a puree.

In the saucepan or wok, heat 2 tsp oil. When oil is hot, reduce heat to low and add 1 tsp whole cumin seeds. Allow seeds to pop, stirring gently. Add garam masala, turmeric and chilli powder and stir for a minute. Add bay leaves, cloves, chillies, ginger and garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the other half of the chopped onion and stir until coated in oil and tender.

Add spinach puree to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add sugar, amchur and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir through and taste- add more salt in 1/4 tsp increments according to taste. Simmer on a medum heat for 5 minutes.

Add paneer and stir through, covering the cubes with the gravy. If using home-made paneer, be extra gentle! Cover and simmer on low heat for 3-5 minutes. If using frozen paneer, you may need to simmer a little longer.

Sprinkle coriander over the top and serve with rice, naan or chapatis.

Notes:
You can so totally simplify this by:
Using more garam masala instead of the spice mix- about a tsp should do it. However freshly ground spices are something else!
If you can’t find amchur, a good squeeze of lemon or a dollop of sour cream right at the end may provide the sourness required.
For a touch of luxury, feel free to stir through about a 1/4 cup of cream or sour cream.

Warm Lentil salad with Goats Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes and Walnuts

Posted on April 10, 2013August 11, 2013 by Deepa

A change is afoot boys and girls……..

Stay tuned.

Watch this space.

Hold your breath.

And all that.

In the meantime, I give you this scrumptiously satisfying lentil salad.

This salad will not do your taxes.

It’s not going to fill in and mind your kids when that babysitter cancels at the last minute.

But it will make a seriously yummy and healthy meal.

And it will purge you of all your Easter chocolate-related debauchery.

Who says one can’t have looks and brains all at once?

Warm Lentil Salad with Goats Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes and Walnuts

Serves 3-4 for lunch or 4-6 as a side salad.

Get:

1 cup dry brown lentils
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
Olive oil
1 small hot red chilli, finely chopped (de-seed if preferred)
2 small or 1 medium clove garlic, peeled and grated or finely chopped
1/2 red onion finely sliced into half-rings
2 cups vegetables diced (pumpkin, sweet potato, red or yellow capsicum, snow peas, carrots, celery, frozen peas or corn all work well)
3/4 punnet or 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
80g goats cheese
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 tin chick peas, drained and rinsed well
Generous handful fresh dill, roughly chopped

For the Dressing:

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp walnut oil or olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Make:

In a large bowl, soak the lentils in at least twice the amount of water for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse them and place them in a saucepan (hold on to the bowl as you’ll be needing it) with at least twice the amount of water and 1/2 tsp salt. Boil for 15-20 min or until cooked through (but not mushy!).

Preheat the oven to 180C.

If using diced pumpkin or sweet potato, toss these in a drizzle of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, and spread out on a baking tray. Place in the oven until just cooked through (20 mins for sweet potato, 10-15 mins for pumpkin).

At the same time, place walnuts on a baking tray in the oven for 8-10 mins or until slightly browned. Remove and allow to cool.

In a large non-stick frypan, dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant. Powder in a mortar or pestle or a spice grinder. In the same frypan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add powdered cumin and coriander seeds. Allow to sizzle for a minute or so, then add chilli and garlic. When garlic is browned, add onion and other vegetables (apart from pumpkin, sweet potato and tomatoes). Fry over medium heat for 3-5 mins until the vegetables are slightly browned but still crisp.

In a small bowl or clean, empty jar, mix together the dressing ingredients until the salt has dissolved as much as possible.

Now it all comes together! In the same large bowl that you used to soak the lentils, toss together the lentils, cherry tomatoes, saucepan mixture, sweet potato or pumpkin (if using), chick peas, dill and dressing. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Serve warm topped with walnuts and chunks of goats cheese.

Notes:

If you are dill-averse, fresh coriander works quite well.

Use tinned lentils if you must- but know this, when it comes to lentils, freshly cooked ones are waaaayyyy better.