Haddock with Crushed Peas
This is a very simple recipe, that I got from The Times some months ago.
You’ll need these ingredients for two people.
- 300g frozen petits pois or fresh peas
- 2 haddock, cod or other firm white fish fillets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 2 sprays cherry tomatoes on the vine
- Best olive oil to serve
And this is how you do it.
- Put kettle on to boil. Use some of the water to cook peas and put the rest in the steamer pan. If you have no steamer, you could cook the fish in a hot oven for 10 mins, seasoned with a squeeze of lemon.
- Failing that, fry it dusted with flour in hot oil. If steaming, smear fillets with olive oil, place in steamer tray, cover and cook for 8 mins. Meanwhile, place tomato sprays in a frying pan/roasting tin and cook under hot grill for about 5 mins until they begin to pop but before they disintegrate.
- I spike each one with a pointed knife to stop them bursting. When peas are ready, drain and return to pan with 1 tbsp olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
- Crush with a potato masher, tip on to warmed plates and top with the fish. Drape a spray of tomato over the top and serve with a swirl of olive oil and a lemon wedge.
The only difference is that I bake the fish in a little oil in the oven of the AGA.
Help From UK-Coeliac Yahoo Group
I belong to the UK-Coeliac Yahoo Group and when you need help, they will always give it. I asked for some freezable casserole recipes and I got this long reply from Moodthy.
I do all sorts of casseroles, and wanted to say you can get low fat sausages! Just ask your butcher to make em up of 100% lean meat 🙂
An easy way to add fibre is to chuck some lentils in to any casserole, I have packets of puey lentils, red lentils and also soya beans (but these need soaking first, while lentils are easy to chuck in). Chickpeas and red kidney beans are also great thrown in (you can buy these canned or soak them first if using dry). I love chickpeas in curries and Moroccan style stuff.
Moroccan Chicken Casserole
http://www.crazysquirrel.com/recipes/poultry/moroccan-chicken-casserole.jspx
You can substitute chicken breast for chicken thigh (lower in fat) and chuck some chickpeas in for more fibre. I use millet as a cous cous replacement.
Mediterranean style fish casserole
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/3676/mediterranean-fish-casserole.aspx
Soya Bean and Aubergine Casserole
http://www.cookitsimply.com/recipe-0010-02l105.html
The soya beans could easy be substituted for another type.
Arabic Side Dish
This is an Arabic rice recipe that is rice, lentils and caramelised onion, it’s works great on the side of a casserole and it is the yummiest thing ever. Easy to sub brown rice for white, to get a bit more fibre in.
Thanks, Moodthy
Soluble Fibre
In an earlier post, Does Gluten Lower Cholesterol, I pondered why my cholesterol was higher than it should be.
Yesterday, I went to see a dietitian and it would appear that I’m not eating enough soluble fibre; oats, beans and pulses. In fact, with the exception of the odd tin of baked beans and broad beans when they are in season, I don’t eat much at all.
As I drove back home, I pondered why I don’t eat as many of these as I should.
For a start, I should say that I actually love beans and when I was left alone in my teens, supper would nearly always be a cold tin of baked beans and orange squash. How we lived then? I’ll eat most beans and pulses, so why have they dropped from my diet.
Could it be that, when it comes to vegetables, that I actually prefer the broccolis, cauliflowers and greens of this world? I do and I wonder if it is because my late wife didn’t eat any of them, so when she cooked the vegetables were inevitably peas or if it was something like sausages, baked beans. So now, I’m in charge these have been relegated to the subs bench. I do eat baked beans, but because of my high cholesterol, I’ve been avoiding the sort of fatty foods that I usually eat them with!
So it looks like I could have been drawn into a trap of my own making, by cooking food I like for myself, rather than following a correct diet.
How many others don’t eat enough soluble fibre becuase of ignorance like me?
There was a sad footnote to the appointment with the dietitian. They used to know my old doctor from Woodbridge, Dr. Ian Bowles, who was our GP for perhaps fifteen years or so. It was sad to hear that he died a couple of years ago, many years before he should. Such is life!
Tuna with Beans and Tomatoes
This is a pretty quick and very good recipe that came from the BBC web site. I’ve done it a few times and always do it with line caught tuna from somewhere like the Maldives, as this is sustainable.
You’ll need these ingredients. Quantities are for four people.
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 12 tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 350g baby green beans, trimmed
- 4 tuna steaks
- 10 basil leaves, roughly torn
This is the method to use.
- Preheat the oven to 390F/Gas 6. I use the bottom of the top oven on the AGA.
- Lightly mix the oil, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl then place ingredients in a large oven-proof dish.
- Roast uncovered in a hot oven for about 35 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.
- Steam the beans until tender.
- Grill the tuna steaks until brown on both sides or just cooked through.
- Stir the basil into the tomato mixture and then serve the tuna with the tomatoes and beans.
It’s very easy to do and is totally gluten-free.
It seems to follow the pattern of being meat or fish with a sweet sauce.
Trafford Centre
In my view there is only one good reason to go to the Trafford Centre in Manchester and that is to go to Carluccio’s for some nice gluten-free pasta. The place was designed straight out of the if it’s got crap statues on it, then it must be good school of architecture.
The Trafford Centre
Look at them all around the roof.
At least I had a chance to take a picture of the Lotus in the car park.
Lotus Elan at Trafford Centre
I’d been to the Trafford Centre before and then I’d tried to buy something in Selfridges. So I’d asked where the Store Directory was and was told that they didn’t have one. Either the girl was having me on or they have one of the most warped marketing philosophies I’ve ever heard of. And then there was the shop where I wanted to buy some new shoes for real tennis. I use indoor court shoes and he couldn’t show me anything at all, so I left.
No wonder retail is in meltdown with methods and training like that!
But still on this visit, I saw some wannabe footballers wives preening themselves outside the restaurant. I didn’t like the pink stilettos.
Coeliacs and Goat’s Milk Products
If you want to read an interesting take on health, go to DogtorJ’s web site. He is an American vet, who is also a coeliac, and uses his insight to try to explain the health or should it be unhealth around him.
Here’s what he says on goat’s milk in a section called The Answer. Read it!
Wheat had an amazing history and clearly played a major role in shaping the medical conditions that would follow. But, the same thing happened with dairy products. Before 1500 A.D., the principle sources of milk and its derivatives were sheep and goats. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans demonstrated their understanding of the true value of these animals by elevating them to the heavens. The sheep was honored for it’s wool and milk and given the astrological name Aries. Capricorn, the goat, was valued for its milk. In fact, part of the name given to this honored creature meant “foster milk”. The ox, Taurus, was deified for his work in the fields. It wasn’t until much later that man veered from his natural course and chose to mass-produce cow milk.
In fact, it wasn’t until the middle of the second millennium that this took place. Somewhere between 1300 and 1500 A.D., our ancestors decided to go into the dairy industry using cows. A decisive factor had to be the usual motivation for most that we do as humans, supply and demand. The corollary to this is ignorance and greed. Suddenly, there was a demand for greater and greater quantities of milk and the cows larger udder was a tempting source. The rest is history.
The main problem with this seemingly logical yet devastatingly ignorant decision was that there was a vast difference between cow milk and that of its predecessors. The protein, fat, mineral, and vitamin content as well as the pH buffering qualities were all different. Some of these differences were subtle; others would be the difference between tolerance and intolerance. Goats milk was much more digestible, forming smaller curds and being lower in the indigestible components such as lactose. However, the most vital difference would not be discovered until the days of immunology and quantitative analysis arrived.
Now we know that the biggest difference between cow and goat milk is the absence or low quantity of one protein fraction, alpha S-1 casein. Understanding of this dairy protein not only serves to explain the lower allergy rate to goat milk, but also sends us in the right direction on our search for the culprit behind other immune-mediated food issues. Casein makes up 80% of the protein in cow milk. In bovine milk, 75% of the casein is alpha casein. In goat milk, the majority is beta casein. The dominant component of the alpha casein in cow milk is the alpha S-1 casein, the culprit we just identified as being responsible for most immune reactions, including milk allergies. There are other differences in protein concentrations, including those lactalbumins in the whey portion, but we will focus later on casein as it relates to the induction of villous damage in the small bowel.
The milk history lesson doesn’t end here. The reader is directed to remember the possible relationship between the advent of common wheat and the start of then Dark ages because history repeats itself. The first pandemic of plague occurred shortly after wheat’s creation. The second pandemic of plague, by far the worst of the three, immediately followed the introduction of cow milk. This was a phenomenal coincidence to me. This devastating epidemic known as the Black Death started in Europe in approximately 1300 A.D. and killed one fourth of its population. The pandemic occurred in 1400 and spread across Europe into Asia wiping out nearly 40 million people. Just as the dairy industry was getting into full swing in 1600 in England, its true land of origin, the Great (bubonic) Plague of London occurred, killing another 100,000 people. The third and last pandemic occurred in the mid 1800s in China, causing over 20 million deaths over a 75-year period. Had milk and wheat finally reached their land?
On reading this, I decided that if I must have milk products, then I would use goat’s milk products where I could.
So I switched to the Waitrose goat’s milk and use St. Helens Farm cream and yoghurt.
I think that I feel better, but how would I actually prove a scientifically correct proof of it?
Incidentally, I always find that goat’s milk lasts a lot longer than cow’s.
Rahmschnitzel (Veal Escalopes With Cream)
This was one of those classics where I bought the veal escalopes from Waitrose and hadn’t a clue what to do with them. So I had to search for a recipe and then go back for the extra ingredients. The recipe came from Ichef.
But it was worth it. Although, it is a bit high in cholesterol. But I only have a meal like this once a month and I’ve been feeling down this weekend.
The ingredients needed are shown below. Quantities are for four people.
- 4 large Veal escalopes, pounded thin. I used a rolling pin.
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup of Doves Farm Plain Gluten-free Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 1/4 cup Dry white wine
- 8 oz Button mushrooms, wiped clean & sliced
- 2 tablespoons Chopped fresh chives or spring onions
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg, grated
- 1/2 cup St. Helen’s Farm double goat’s cream. I used one of their small pots.
The method is as follows.
- In a shallow dish place the escalopes and pour over the lemon juice. Set aside and marinate for 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Remove the veal from the marinade and dry them on paper towels. Discard the lemon juice.
- Season flour with salt, pepper & paprika. Place the flour on a plate and, one by one, dip the escalopes in it, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan, melt 3 T of the butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, place the escalopes in the pan. Fry them for 3-4 minutes on each side or until they are lightly and evenly browned.
- Pour in the white wine and bring to the boil. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly. With tongs or a slotted spoon remove the escalopes from the pan and place them on a warmed serving dish.
- Set the dish aside and keep warm while you make the sauce.
- Ad the remaining butter to the pan and melt it over moderate heat.
- When the foam subsides, add the mushrooms, chives or scallions, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the pan and stir well to mix. Cook the mixture for 3 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream.
- Pour the sauce over the escalopes and serve at once.
It was good. But I made too much. Or at least too much sauce.
Fish and Tomato Gratin
Despite the moan last night, I did cook myself a nice supper. I got this recipe from then BBC web site and it is from the Sea Fish Authority. I actually used line caught haddock, from Waitrose, as this is the most sustainable way to buy fish.
I only cooked enough for probably two, so I halved these ingredients, which are for four.
- 450g/1lb haddock or whiting fillets, skinned
- 4 tomatoes, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 55g/2oz Cheddar cheese, grated
The method is as follows.
- Preheat oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. I use an AGA and put it on the bottom of the top oven.
- Lay the fish fillets in a greased ovenproof dish.
- Add the tomatoes, garlic and parsley and season well with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle over the cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
It was simple and good.
Update – July 30, 2009 – I’ve actually started to cook this in a small dish just big enough for one piece of fish, two tomatoes, one clove of garlic and an appropriate amount of cheese.
Pork Chops Braised in Cyder
This is a recipe I’ve cooked many times. Note that I spell the cyder with a y. This is because I use the King of Ciders, Aspall. And they spell it that way.
The original recipe came from recipetips.com.
Applesauce is a traditional accompaniment to pork chops – but try this version which infuses apple flavour into the meat. I’ll agree with that.
The ingredients you’ll need for four are.
- 4 6 oz. pork chops, about 1″ thick
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups apple cider – I use Aspalls Cyder
- 2 teaspoons dried sage, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
I usually do one, so I would use an onion and a cup of cyder. I should say that the recipe doesn’t seem to be too critical as to how much onion, sage and cyder you use. More sauce is probably a good idea.
And this is how you cook it.
- Heat oil in heavy 12″ skillet.
- Lightly salt chops. Grind a generous amount of black pepper over each chop. Press pepper into chop.
- When oil is very hot but not smoking, add chops and brown well on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Remove chops from pan. Add cider, sage and onion. Boil to reduce liquid by about half – about 5 minutes.
- Return chops to pan, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cover.
- Cook until chops are desired doneness – make a small cut to check. Center should be very pale pink. (If overcooked, chops will be tough and flavorless.)
- Remove finished chops to a warmed platter. If cider sauce is too thin, quickly boil down to consistency of syrup. Spoon over chops and serve immediately.
It’s good and it’s totally gluten-free.
Does Gluten Lower Cholesterol?
I am a coeliac, which means that I don’t eat the gluten in wheat, barley and rye. But does not eating gluten mean that I have other health problems.
My doctor is worried about my cholesterol, which despite eating all the right things does seem to be rising. Over a period of four months, I stayed off all of the dangerous foods, used Benecol and the level rose by half a point. This is worrying. Especially, as I’m very anti taking statins. Nothing particularly against statins, but I just don’t take drugs unless they are absolutely necessary.
The levels for your information were as follows.
- December 2008 – Total 6.0, Trig 1.3, HDL 1.16, LDL 4.25
- April 2009 – Total 6.7, Trig 1.1, HDL 1.63, LDL 4.57
I’m not a medical person but I think I can draw the following conclusions.
- The triglyceride levels are well within the normal range.
- The high-density lipoprotein levels are considered in the range for greatest protection against heart disease.
- The low-density lipoprotein levels are considered high, but not quite in the highest risk level.
But can it be that by sticking to my gluten-free diet, I’m actually causing the problem.
I found this under a heading of Your Cholesterol Levels will Probably Rise in an article called Side Effects of a Gluten-Free Diet.
For the first four decades of my life, while I was still eating gluten, my doctors always told me I had the lowest cholesterol levels they’d ever seen. It retrospect, it’s easy to see why — my intestines weren’t absorbing any of the cholesterol in the foods I was eating. Those days are over. Now I have to watch my cholesterol levels along with everyone else. When I check food nutrition labels for the presence of gluten, I also check the fat and cholesterol content. It’s very important to choose low-fat, low-cholesterol foods. Packaged gluten-free products are often higher in fat than their gluten-containing counterparts. This is especially true of packaged gluten-free cookies, crackers, and cakes. The American Heart Association points out that foods that are high in soluble fiber have been shown to help lower cholesterol — so look for beans, peas, rice bran, citrus fruits, strawberries, apple pulp, and gluten-free oats.
This doesn’t apply to me, but I can see the logic. I don’t eat many packaged biscuits and cakes, but I do it lots of berries, beans and apples. Apples I didn’t eat until I tried to lower the cholesterol. Now I eat one a day instead of the occassional crisp.
But this doesn’t seem to explain my problems.
I also found this article called Gluten Lowers Cholesterol on Dr. Mirkin’s web site. It’s from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and it comes from the University of Toronto, so it meets all of those criteria needed to be a proper scientific report and is not something produced by a health nutter.
Here’s the abstract.
A study from the University of Toronto shows that a high-gluten diet helps lower oxidized LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and uric acid.
Many studies show that eating whole grains helps to prevent heart attacks, but doctors are not certain why. Before the bad LDL cholesterol can cause plaques to form in arteries, it must be converted to oxidized LDL. This study shows that gluten does not lower blood levels of the bad LDL cholesterol; it helps prevent LDL from being converted to oxidized LDL cholesterol. Gluten also lowers blood levels of triglyceride that increase heart attack risk.
There is an interesting discussion on the problem on the US web site, celiac.com. Now this is not proper scientific fact, as it is really a collection of peoples’ opinions.
Someone suggested the South Beach Diet.
Starting the SBD was a pretty radical change for me, but I found pretty quickly that I really enjoyed eating this way and felt lots healthier. If you’re interested you should get the book, but basically you eat lean meats, LOTS of veggies, good fats (e.g. olive oil, nuts), dairy (if you can tolerate it, which I can’t) and small portions of fruits and whole grains. People tend to think of it as a “low-carb” diet in the same vein as Atkins, but it’s really not. It’s just focused on GOOD carbs (whole grains, fruits, veggies) and GOOD fats.
This is virtually my diet, but I perhaps don’t eat as many whole-grains as I could.
There was also a warning about statins.
Other than that, eat loads of fruits and veggies, good protein sources like fish and drink more water. Do not be talked into cholesterol lowering drugs unless you want liver or kidney problems. They have serious side effects and my brother, who has celiac disease (in denial) and Type 1 diabetes, took one and now his kidneys are in poor shape….from the drugs.
I’ve had similar warnings about statins from a couple of lawyers. As my wife was a barrister, I can vouch they are always a good source of gossip about doctors, hospitals and drugs.
I shall be researching this further.
The Anonymous Widower 