Me and the old FTSE development gang at Adele’s leaving do.
Archive for the 'photos' Category
A few weeks ago I had a sensational meal at our favorite gastropub, The Northgate. The Northgate’s menu is constantly changing, and they usually only have one vegetarian main on offer, a veggie soup, and one or two veggie starters. The options are few, but I don’t mind - the food is almost always delicious and I kind of like having my mind made up for me. I generally go for the soup+salad+bread option as their bread is excellent and the veggie main dish is almost always risotto which Tim makes way better at home.
On this recent trip to the Northgate, the main sounded unusually intriguing… “baked courgette filled with red pepper, sweetcorn, feta + “diu” (whatever that is) on tomato ragu and rocket salad.
I like the dish’s use of so many seasonal veggies: zucchini, pepper, tomato, corn, eggplant. As I already said, it rocked my world. The chef in me couldn’t keep from trying to reproduce it on my own. I think I did a pretty smashing job (see comparison photos above), and I’ve made it twice since. It’s a bit of work, but if you get the ragu cooking and then do the zucchini, the dish comes together in about an hour. I also do a vegan version, subbing tofu mashed with pesto for the feta. A nice crusty loaf of bread is nice accompaniment - perfect for sopping up the ragu.
Feta-Stuffed Zucchini with Eggplant Ragu
I recommend getting the ragu started first (see recipe below) then preparing the zucchini while the ragu simmers.
Serves 2
2 zucchini
50g feta, crumbled
1/2 cup corn
1 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
2 sweet red peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped
olive oil
Eggplant ragu (see recipe below)
Arugula/rocket for garnish
- Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C.
- Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the inside leaving the zucchinis about 1/4 thick (I use a vegetable corer but a spoon works, as well). Rub the halved zucchini with olive oil and place in a baking tray.
- Finely dice the scooped zucchini and put it in a large bowl.
- Mix the feta, corn, pine nuts and red pepper with the diced zucchini.
- Stuff the zucchini halves with the feta mix. (Any leftover mix can be stuffed into another zucchini, or inside of a bell pepper or two for an extra bonus!)
- Bake the zucchini in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until zucchini are cooked through and the filling has browned.
- To serve, put two zucchini halves on a plate, top with a couple spoonfuls of eggplant ragu and a handful of fresh arugula.
Eggplant Ragu
Adapted from Love and Olive Oil’s Quinoa Cakes with Eggplant-Tomato Ragu and Goat Cheese. It’s very much like a very thick marina sauce. I can see it going well with pasta, or any other recipe that calls for tomato sauce.
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
1 eggplant, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tin chopped tomatos
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
pinch of sugar
salt
- Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in a colander and drain 30 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of eggplant to extract liquid, then pat dry.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan.
- Add the onion and cook on a medium heat until translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
- Add the eggplant, and mix well with the onion. Turn the heat down low and cover with a lid. Cook until eggplant have softened, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano sugar and salt. Cook, with the lid off, until the liquid has reduced a bit and you’re left with a thick, delicious sauce.
Crossposted to SmarterFitter.com
I’ve been taking photos of food for a while now, not so much to lose weight, but simply because I like taking pictures and I love food and it’s a great way to remember what I eat. Now, a new study suggests that this habit may actually be more effective than a written food diary for weight loss.
From the New Scientist:
[Researchers] at the University of Wisconsin-Madison told 43 people to record what they ate for one week in words and as pictures.
When they quizzed the volunteers, photo diaries seemed to be the most effective. Not only did they provide powerful visual documentation of snack binges, they also triggered critical evaluation at just the right time - before the food was eaten. “I had to think more carefully about what I was going to eat because I had to take a picture of it,” was a typical response.
In contrast, written diaries are often completed long after the meal and do not create as powerful a reminder of the quantity and quality of the food that was eaten.
At the moment, I only take pictures of my food if it’s really yummy or pretty and I can be bothered. But I love the idea of doing this all the time, for every meal, so I can have a historical account of my eating habits over time. I think it’d be interesting to correlate what I’m eating with my mood, and to see how the types of food I eat changes with the seasons and my ever-changing tastes.
Does anyone else do this? I think I’m going to start!
Snap-happy dieters reap benefits [New Scientist]
Photos:
1. Solution-driven, 2. Cross section of a TVP Meatball, 3. Salad Saturday: Rocket Tabouleh, 4. Bircher Muesli, 5. My magnificent lunch, 6. Corn tortilla porn, 7. Pizza at Story Deli, 8. Dinner is served, 9. Quinoa-amaranth timbales with puy lentils, roasted root vegetables, and sauteed kale, 10. Southern style, 11. Aloo Gobi, Dhal, Roast Cauliflower, & Basmati Rice, 12. 6-Grain Porridge with Soymilk & Nanner, 13. Enchiladas, 14. Besan Cheela “Omelet”, 15. Vegan Cabbage Rolls, 16. Back on the Bircher Muesli wagon, 17. Spaghetti, Tomato-Basil-Garlic Sauce, Tofu Neatballs and Roasted Brussel Sprouts, 18. Salad with french beans and goat’s cheese parcels, 19. Vegetarian food at Cafe Lipp, 20. Puy Lentils, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and Pumpkin, 21. Tofurkey Dinner
1. Solution-driven, 2. Cross section of a TVP Meatball, 3. Salad Saturday: Rocket Tabouleh, 4. Bircher Muesli, 5. My magnificent lunch, 6. Corn tortilla porn, 7. Pizza at Story Deli, 8. Dinner is served, 9. Quinoa-amaranth timbales with puy lentils, roasted root vegetables, and sauteed kale, 10. Southern style, 11. Aloo Gobi, Dhal, Roast Cauliflower, & Basmati Rice, 12. 6-Grain Porridge with Soymilk & Nanner, 13. Enchiladas, 14. Besan Cheela “Omelet”, 15. Vegan Cabbage Rolls, 16. Back on the Bircher Muesli wagon, 17. Spaghetti, Tomato-Basil-Garlic Sauce, Tofu Neatballs and Roasted Brussel Sprouts, 18. Salad with french beans and goat’s cheese parcels, 19. Vegetarian food at Cafe Lipp, 20. Puy Lentils, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and Pumpkin, 21. Tofurkey Dinner
Crossposted to SmarterFitter.com
We all know that protein is important, especially for active folks trying to put on a little muscle. For vegetarians like me, this is a little tricky - many of the foods we eat don’t contain complete proteins. That is, beans and whole grains may contain lots of amino acids, but on their own, they don’t contain enough of the right amino acids to form a complete protein (you can read more about this in Nutrition by The American Dietetic Association). As a result, I usually try to balance my meals with grains and beans so I’m sure to maximize the protein punch!
Most recently, I’ve been doing this with pasta. There’s no meal like a pasta meal that cries CARB FEST. But you can easily turn pasta into a more well-rounded meal by simply adding a few beans. Pasta is actually high in the amino acids methionine and cysteine, but low in lysine. Legumes such as kidney beans, however, are low in methionine and cysteine, but high in lysine. Put the two together and you get a complete protein. Science!
Adding beans to pasta is as easy as, well, simply adding beans to pasta. Beans compliment most sauces just as well as pasta, but some combinations work better than others. Here are my preferences:
- Chickpeas or kidney beans with tomato sauce
- White beans or chickpeas with pesto sauce
- White beans or broad beans with garlic and olive oil
I’m not even going to touch alfredo (some foods you just shouldn’t mess with).
Here’s the recipe for the meal I had this evening (pictured above - it inspired me to write this post). Pesto linguine with chickpeas and arugula. YUM! I served this with a tomato, cucumber and red onion salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Bliss, I tell you. Pure comfort.
Pesto Linguine With Chickpeas and Arugula
Serves one 5ft tall shortcake
50 grams dry linguine
100 grams cooked chickpeas
2 Tbsp pesto
1 Tbsp parmesan
1 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 large handful arugula (aka rocket)
Cook the pasta and heat up the beans. Toss together with the pesto. Pile on a plate and top with arugula, pine nuts and parmesan. Serve with a nice glass of red wine.
Per serving: 455 Calories; 19g Protein; 12g fat; 67g Carbohydrate
I always thought that the old cemetery across the road was just another neglected London landmark. That it may be, but amongst its overgrown shrubs and creepy crawly vines are blackberry bushes galore. Say what you will about foraging for food in a cemetery, but I feel pretty darn lucky. Their luscious fruits are just beginning to ripen and I suddenly find myself with more blackberries than I know what to do with.
The skinny on blackberries
- The blackberry season is from late July to early October
- Blackberries get kind of gross after a day or two, so eat them straight away or freeze them
- Blackberries are rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C and ellagic acid, and their seeds contain high levels of omega-3 and -6 fats, protein, and dietary fiber
- Superstition in the UK holds that blackberries should not be picked after Michaelmas (29 September) as the devil has claimed them, having left a mark on the leaves by urinating on them
I have a few months before season’s end, and I’m all about a.) hoarding blackberries in my freezer and b.) experimenting with as many blackberry recipes as possible while there are still fresh blackberries to be picked. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so I like the idea of a blackberry vinaigrette for salads. Even so, I really want to try my hand at jam, and I can’t resist a good cobbler. Here are some other recipes I look forward to experimenting with:
Blackberry recipes
- Blackberry Slump - An American version of a fruit cobbler - just dripping in hot fruit sauce
- Apple and Blackberry Pie - a simple pie with simple ingredients from delia
- Spicy Blackberry Chutney - I can see this going well with cheese, or deep-fried Indian samosas!
- Vegan Apple and Blackberry Pie - a pie without butter? The author almost has me convinced: “The apples and pear were all warm and cinnamon-y, while the blackberries just exploded in your mouth with their tart sweetness. mmmm.”
- Quick Bramble Jelly - I somehow doubt this would be quick, but I bet the results would be worth it
- Blackberry-Lime Tartlets - these just look cute
- Blackberry Tart - a decadent tart made with mascarpone, cream, and mint!
- Blackberry Sorbet - It sounds so refreshing!
- Blackberry Vinaigrette - It’s an Emeril recipe. Bam!
Readers, I need your help! Do you have any blackberry recipes you can recommend? Send em’ over! I’m dying to try them!
Crossposted to SmarterFitter.com
Last Monday was our Summer Bank Holiday here in London, so we did what we usually do on long weekends: avoid the major tourist attractions at all cost and eat lots of yummy food with loved ones.
Last Saturday, Tim and I took a tour of the now defunct Battersea Power Station. Here are some interesting facts about the power station (thanks, Wikipedia!):
- It was the first in a series of large coal-fired electrical generating facilities set up in England as part of the introduction of the National Grid power distribution system.
- The first part of the structure was built in 1939, and the station ceased electricity generation in 1983
- The building is the largest brick building in Europe and is notable for its original, lavish Art Deco interior fittings and decor.
- The station famously appears in The Beatles’ 1965 movie Help! and on the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals (shown right).
Saturday was a beautiful, rare sunny day in London and the power station was crawling with camera nerds and their associated tripods, massive telephoto lenses and multiple camera bodies. I felt like such an amateur!
Bank Holiday Monday was a bbq at Tim’s fam’s place in Aylesbury. BBQ’s have been woefully rare this summer, and I relished this opportunity to get my kebab on (if if I did have to share the grill with a few sausages.
Tim and I have just returned from a weeklong camping holiday in England’s great southwest, taking in Cornwall, Devon and Dartmoor National Park. The plan was to do a whole bunch of walking through England’s luscious countryside, but the thing about England’s countryside, and in fact, one of the reasons why it’s so luscious in the first place, is that it rains in the country. It rains a lot.
The word of the trip was “preposterous”. Indeed, the sheer amount of rain we experienced was contrary to reason, utterly absurd, and thoroughly ridiculous. It rained every day, often forcing us into the vestibule of my tiny tent for awkward but delicious campsite meals, and later, into the warmth of our sleeping bags (fortunately we both brought along good books). The situation also drove us to drink, which allowed us to sample many of the regions’ fine ales. Favorites included Red Rock Traditional English Bitter, Black Sheep Ale and Wychwood Brewery’s Hobgoblin “Legendary” Ruby Beer.
Eventually, we hardened up. Tim bought some Gortex trousers, I put on a few extra extra layers of wool, and we headed out into the wet and wooly weather for some great walking. My new book of Dartmoor walks suffered the worst of the rain, but we came away dry and smiling. It makes such a difference having the right gear: good waterproof boots, waterproof outerwear, warm under-layers, plus a reliable tent and hot tea to come home to. As wet as it was, I can’t wait to go back to Dartmoor and explore the rest of its wilderness, preferably on foot rather than by car. We spied plenty of great spots for wild camping, and Dartmoor is certainly wet enough that water wouldn’t be a problem.
Yes, I have camping fever, and the only prescription is more Dartmoor.
Read on for a rough itinerary of our trip. Or check out the Flickr photo set and the interactive Google Map!
Friday, July 4
Our first day was spent mostly on the road.
We departed London in the A.M. for Devon. Spent £40 on 33 liters of gas (about $9 per gallon).
Discovered a fairly decent mix CD left in the rental car which included such gems as “Road to Nowhere” by Talking Heads
Drove by Stonehenge.
Lunch: Tomato, avocado and cucumber sandwich (in the car).
We bought groceries somewhere near Devon and arrived at Dartmoor National Park in the evening, just in time for the rain. Set up tent and wondered why we always manage to time our holidays for the worst weather ever.
Dinner: “The Italian Meal”, prepared with love by Tim.
Camp: Woodland Spring Touring Park, Drewsteighton, Devon
Saturday, July 5
Woke up and realized the Earl Grey tea we bought was decaf. Shucks. But at least the weather kept the milk cold.
Breakfast: Quinoa with cinnamon, apricot and nectarine slices for Monica. Tim had oatmeal.
We decided to head west to Cornwall where the weather was supposedly better. Drove through Dartmoor and stopped at the tourist office to pick up Dartmoor Walks (Pathfinder Guides)
Drove through Penzance which did not have any pirates (or much worth stopping for at all). We did find a coffee at “The Green Bean”, a decent coffee shop which was the unfortunate target of a stink bomb during our cappucchinos. Silly kids.
With little to do, we decided to head south to The Lizard Peninsula and found a quiet campsite in Helston. The nearby beach did not tempt us; we were wet enough from the rain.
Dinner: Veggie Chili with Kidney Beans, TVP and a bunch of veggies
Camp: Silver Sands Holiday Park, Helston, Cornwall
Sunday, July 6
Woke up in the rain and sought comfort in many cups of tea and a hot breakfast.
Breakfast: Quinoa with cinnamon, apricot and nectarine slices for Monica. Tim had oatmeal.
The sky cleared a bit so we packed up and set out to explore the Lizard Peninsula.
Visited the city of “Lizard” at the most southerly point of mainland Britain, then drove up to Kyanance Cove
and had a nice walk along the Southwest Coast Path. We even enjoyed a bit of sun while taking a traditional “Cornish cream tea” at a seaside cafe. From our hot tea and snacks we watched body-boarders catch waves while avoiding the granite rock cliffs surrounding the cove. It was was blissful.
(FYI: Cream tea is tea taken with scones, clotted cream, and jam.)
After the Lizard, we set up camp at Mena Caravan and Camping Park in Bodmin near the Eden Project, our destination for Monday. The campsite was set on a high open hill that was totally empty except for a couple camper vans. It was strange but kind of cool. They also had a microwave which made tea lots easier. (Hot tea, the elixer of life on cold wet days and nights.)
Dinner: Chickpea Curry with Basmati Rice and loads of vegetables (kale, carrots, and cauliflower)
Camp: Mena Caravan and Camping Park, Bodmin, Cornwall
Monday, July 7
Had a quick breakfast at camp then packed up and headed to The Eden Project, a large environmental extravaganza comprised of gardens and faux-biomes housed in giant domes. It was cool but it didn’t really blow my mind. Most of the gardens are recreations of gardens from other parts of the world, complete with fake houses and decorations that emulate the garden’s “natural” environment. I can see how this is cool from an educational standpoint (and that’s really what The Eden Project is all about) but think I prefer the plants on their own.
After the synthetic wilds of The Eden Project, we were ready for some natural wilderness, rain or shine. So we returned to Dartmoor and found camp at the Langstone Manor, a totally sweet campsite set on the grounds of an old farm. We chose it for the onsite bar/restaurant which we thought we might need if the lousy weather continued, but the bar turned out to be the least of its selling points. The grounds had all kinds of nooks and crannies that provided a good amount of privacy. The owners were really nice and helpful with walking advice and even lent us an OS map to help us during our travels. The place even had chickens!
Dinner: Round two of Veggie Chili
Camp: Langstone Manor, Tavistock, Devon
Tuesday, July 8
Screw the rain. We’re walking anyway!
Breakfast: More oatmeal and fruit and tea
Packed lunch food and wet weather gear and headed out for the Walkham Valley and Merrival Walk (Dartmoor Walks, Pathfinder Guides
After about 10 miles of walking in the country, we were pooped, so we had dinner and beers in the Langstone Manor’s bar/restaurant. The beer was good, the food was fine. Note to self: in the future, research restaurants before going to them. England is notoriously bad for food, especially for vegetarians, especially in the country. But at the same time, I was too tired to care that my “Vegetable Tikka Masala” came with frozen vegetables. It was pretty good not to be crouched inside the vestibule huddled over a campstove.
Camp: Langstone Manor, Tavistock
Wednesday, July 9
Breakfast: More oatmeal and fruit and tea
The crap weather was back in full swing, and it didn’t seem to be going anywhere. This time we even had fog to threaten our visibility. But now that Tim was all Gortexed up, we were determined to get a walk in. I talked to the helpful lady at reception about walking in this weather and she recommended the circuit around the Burrator reservoir as described in our trusty book
Sure enough, the Burrator reservoir was pretty straightforward and fairly pleasant, with a big ol’ dam and some very pregnant cows. Our feet were happy and dry and our spirits were only mildly tarnished by the constant downpour of rain. We enjoyed the walk, but we were definitely ready for the end when it came. We headed back up north to the same place we stayed on our first night, remembering they had decent showers and satisfactory pan au chocolates in the morning. Our neighbors, “Clive” and “Helen”, saw us setting up tent in the rain and invited us into their camper van for hot tea and Waitrose mini eclaires. They were nice folks and it was good to be sitting at a table for a change.
Eventually we had to leave the camper’s sweet soundless shelter and head back into the vestibule for dinner. The picnic blanket was left so I was left to cook sitting on a plastic bag. I didn’t care. Food is good and warming and cheerful even when the weather seems horrible. After dinner, it was back into the tent for another night of reading and listening to heavy drops fall on the rainfly.
Dinner: Round two of Chickpea Curry with Basmati Rice
Camp: Woodland Spring Touring Park, Drewsteighton, Devon
Thursday, July 10
Our last full day on holiday and the rain finally stopped. At one point during the night I woke up to pee and looked up and the sky was crystal clear and I could see the milky way. In the morning, the dry weather finally permitted us to have breakfast at the picnic table.
Breakfast: Leftover Chickpea Curry for Monica, Wheatabix for Tim.
After breakfast, we slowly made our way towards the Castle Drogo and River Teign walk, a fairly straightforward loop of 4 miles along the Teign Gorge. We made it longer by walking from the campsite and taking an uphill diversion to some Iron Age ramparts, followed by a well-earned pint at Fingle Bridge (though in retrospect, I wish we had opted for the cream teas, which looked and smelled delicious!). A thoroughly enjoyable (and surprisingly long!) day. Note to self: take more walks via cool pubs.
Lunch: Sandwiches at a bench named “Kristen’s Seat” on Feign River.
After the walk, had a “Legendary” Hobgoblin at camp before taking a much needed shower. Tim cooked a lovely dinner, his signature pasta a la arrabiata with broccoli and red wine. Spectacular!
Dinner: The Italian Meal
Camp: Woodland Spring Touring Park, Drewsteighton, Devon
Friday, July 11
Breakfast: Oatmeal for Monica and Wheatabix for Tim.
Departed Woodland Spring, unsure of what to do for the afternoon. Went to Chagwell on Clive’s recommendation. It was a nice village but we’re not really village people now are we? We did find a very nice place to have coffee and write postcards and reflect on the trip. Here are a few observations and resolutions for next time:
- Carry a waterproof map case
- Bring pillows
- Bring cling wrap for sandwiches - it’s far easier to pre-make sandwiches and pack them for a walk rather than bringing the ingredients and making sandwiches on the fly (pre-made sarnies are especially convenient when it’s raining!)
- Thermarest’s camping chairs are the bomb and make spending lots of time in a tent far more enjoyable
- Carry a camelback while walking instead of bringing big bottles of water
- Use plastic containers to keep groceries and camping gear organized
- Get out in the world even when it’s raining
- Camp when the weather’s right and postpone if the forecast is really bad
- Keep the picnic blanket out of the rainfly’s dripline
- Real ales are great for camping because they don’t need to be refridgerated
- OS maps kick ass
- Find good pubs to take breaks at during long walks
- Bring a good book to read during the downtimes
- Don’t eat out without researching restaurants first
- Sleeping bags that zip together would be nice and doubly warm
The Books That Helped Us Along:
- Dartmoor Walks (Pathfinder Guides)
- Alan Rogers Britain and Ireland 2008 Camping and Caravanning Parks Guide
(hugely useful)
- The Rough Guide to England
- Lonely Planet’s Walking in Britain
- The Bone People: A Novel
by Keri Hulme (Tim’s novel of choice)
- A Friend of the Earth
by T.C. Boyle (Monica’s novel of choice)
More Stuff From the Trip:
- Camping in Devon and Cornwall [Flickr photoset]
- Interactive Google Map of our Trip
What a way to spend a Saturday. Surreal and strange: the Docklands.
We even had snow (sort of).
Time’s photo essay, “What the World Eats”, made me wonder what my typical food week looks like. So as of last Monday, I’ve been writing down everything I eat and when. For example, today’s log so far looks like
- 6:15am: Two glasses of filtered water
- 6:30am: Earl Gray Tea with organic semi-skimmed milk
- 7:00am: Organic porridge oats with an organic Gala apple, organic raisins and organic un-sweetened soy milk
This started as a simple project, but it’s given me so much more to think about than just my week in food:
- I eat a lot. And often.
- It’s much more fun to track my diet this way than to tediously count calories.
- The diary is growing in detail. For instance, on February 25th I wrote “Coffee with milk”. On February 29th, I wrote “Clipper Assam tea and Tesco Organic Un-sweetened soy milk”. Today I started noting which foods were organic.
- I am still fighting an addiction to Diet Soda, which has only grown worse by my discovery of Pepsi Max, a beverage I shamefully find delicious.
- Food is much more than a sum of its protein, fat and carbohydrate calories.
Calorie tracking is useful - this is how I painstakingly learned portion control. But I wonder if this could have been achieved by tracking food on this level instead? After all, isn’t our foods’ variety, origin, and quality just as important to our health as our foods’ calories?
This has been such a fun and fascinating exercise that I think I’ll keep it up. Until now, I’ve logged everything in a Google document but have moved it over to the SmarterFitter forums under a new topic, “Food Diaries” (an idea stolen from the FatFree Vegan Board - I hope she doesn’t mind; non-vegans need a place to log their food, too!).
If you’re interested in joining in, feel free to start a new thread with your diary. I’d love to see what other people’s food week/month/year looks like. And I’d also love to hear your ideas on food tracking in general. What works? What matters? What’s easiest?
Crossposted to SmarterFitter.com
Latest Comments