Calculating carbs
Calculating carbs I have given the nutritional analysis at the bottom of each recipe. As ingredients vary so much this is only a guide, but it will help you see the nutritional value of the meals in respect of carbs, protein and fats. You can use various software such as cronometer.com or nutritics.com to […]
Balsamic Vinegar
There is no need to give up the sweet and sour mouth puckering delights of balsamic vinegar when you live a low-carb lifestyle. Just don’t have too much of it. A tablespoon can contain as much as 5.6g net carbs but if used to make a dressing with extra-virgin olive oil for four people, the […]
Steamed Vegetable Parcels
This is a way of steaming foods but unlike the conventional steamer basket over boiling water method it traps in the flavours and juices. In Italian it is called cooking al cartoccio I think it is a lovely way to cook; it’s clean, simple and saves washing up so what is not to like? I used to […]
Paper-lining a baking tin or a lid
This is a simple trick to line a cake tin. It is used a lot in Italian cooking when making cakes. It also saves washing the tin! I think it is prettier to tear the circle out so that you have rough edges and have it protruding above the edge of the tin. Alternatively, […]
How to Make Ghee
Ghee is made in the same way as clarified butter. The process of making it is easy and once cooled, keeps for weeks in the fridge or in a cool kitchen. The benefit of ghee is that you can use it to safely fry foods as its smoke point is higher than butter as the […]
Drying herbs
It seems so wasteful to throw herbs away especially when woody herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano and sage can be easily dried and kept for another day. To dry herbs at home, pick them at their peak and tie them in bunches by their stems. Hang them in a dry, airy place until completely […]
Bringing herbs back to life
I try to have a fridge clear out once a week as I hate wasting food and like to test my ingenuity at creating something from the ingredients I have rather than buying more. Hidden in the back of my fridge I regularly find open bags of herbs, slightly wilting and looking sorry for themselves. […]
Paul’s Story
I am a 65 year old (nearly 66) retired Royal Air Force Officer living with my wife in Telford. I retired in 2011 and have enjoyed what I considered to be a healthy lifestyle and in general was a fit and well person. I was active and enjoyed a number of adventurous activities, including sub-aqua […]
Mike’s Story
My names Mike, age 29, Head of Account Management for a health and safety company in Buckinghamshire. When I was younger, I was a keen rugby player, both out of a love for the sport and as a route to staying in good shape. Unfortunately, about 4 years ago, I broke my ankle during a […]
Laura’s Story
Not long after I hit 30 it seemed like a good time to have a baby. I thought it would all be fine, after all, I was a whole food vegetarian, basing my meals on starchy carbohydrates, making my own bread with wholemeal flour and eating lots of pulses and homemade yoghurt. Although some members […]