What are you eating today? (v4)

[aero280]

A new fresh thread.

Today the choice for the main meal is chicken, Cumberland sausages or bacon. I voted for chicken wrapped in bacon, but we will see. I still feel ful from yesterday's pizza!

[Seatallan]

Chicken wrapped in bacon sounds lovely Aero . I quite often make something similar, with chicken legs or supremes. I stuff borsin under the skin (for OH), remove skin & smear with low-fat cheese (my version as I am always trying to save on calories ), wrap the chicken with streaky bacon and oven bake for around 40-50 minutes. We usually have it with salad and home made herb bread and jolly good it is too.

We're having duck egg omlette (Spanish style) for tea (oddly enough, with salad and home made bread as it happens). Omlette will include red onion and mushrooms, finely sliced, porcini (chopped), some crumbled smoked cheese, parsley, and pancetta (which I cooked up the other day until crispy).

[ianinfrance]

We went for tapas and had:

Blimmin 'eck, How did you manage to waddle home after all that lot?

Our meals today are positively insignificant in comparison
Lunch will be finishing off the rest of the poor man's paté in brown toast and half a banana
Supper will be a duck magret cooked in salt and cubed spuds, broccoli. Maybe a little Montgomery cheddar. Got to finish it before the cheese hoover arrives in mid May.

[EmWilk]

Ha, Ian, the waitress looked at us like we were crackers ordering that much between 3 but not a thing was left! BIL has a seriously big appetite so counts as 2 people really!

I've had a very late start today and made myself a sausage and fried egg sandwich.
Not sure about the rest of the day - think dad wants to go and watch footy and have a few beers but... Hmmm!

[Prettykiwicrazy]

Yesterday I had some loin lamb chops with homemade chermoula , steamed broccoli and roast parsnips in a maple syrup/grain mustard marinade . Today I'm about to cook some homemade burgers . They're pretty simple , just steak mince , a spoonful of red onion marmalade and seasoning . I'm making some homemade coleslaw and salad.

[ianinfrance]

I've had a very late start today

I should think so after that lot last night!! I'm lost in admiration - speaking as a long term glutton (now somewhat reformed).

think dad wants to go and watch footy and have a few beers

Pat him on the back and wish him joy of it!

[Catherine]

Cumberland sausages or bacon

Cumberland sausages with bacon and braised lentils

[WWordsworth]

Roast chicken with a handful of wild garlic leaves inside

[OneMoreCheekyOne]

Our wild garlic is out too and has been for a week or so at least. I'm sure it wasn't out until early May last year.

Yesterday afternoon we had a Spanish squid salad with roasted peppers and onion, and a gorgeous tangy dressing. Then out to catch the second half of the football later in an Italian bar where we shared a garlic pizza bread. They have a wood fired oven at the back of the bar and the smell was too much to resist!

Roast beef for dinner today. The meat is resting, the gravy/pan juices are bubbling away and it looks like the yorkshires are rising nicely. Just time to pour myself a small glass of red while I put the veg on

There's some blue brie in the fridge that we opened at least a fortnight ago so it should be pretty ripe by now! So we've got that with chive crackers, chutney and grapes for dessert.

[Seatallan]

Our wild garlic is out too and has been for a week or so at least. I'm sure it wasn't out until early May last year.

Lucky so & so. My foodie colleague and I were bemoaning the lack of local wild garlic just the other day. We're both pretty decent foragers but neither of us has yet found any growing in the vicinity of Reading. Ramsons don't seem to care much for chalky soil I think.

I was in the 'gourmet food' section at Homesense earlier and found dried wild garlic- never seen it dried before so have bought some. I shall try a bit in our omelettes and see what it is like.

[badgerbum]

Beautiful day here , have been busy returning some sense of normality after decorators left yesterday

Hubby has done a leg of lamb in yoghurt and indian spices and having that with jersey royals , asparagus and some raita

Got a mango icecream churning away for pud

Can't wait - have had zero appetite lately so will enjoy this feast

[Seatallan]

That sounds splendid Badger!

[MrsWWoof]

Sea, I haven't forgotten about getting some wild garlic dug out of my garden for you. Will get it done this week and let you know when it's posted.

[Seatallan]

It wasn't a hint Teri- honestly.

Whenever you & Steve feel up to it. There's really no hurry at all. I'd rather know you were chilling out and drinking Pimms.

[MrsWWoof]

It will be done Sea x

Not for today but in preparation for tomorrow, I've put some dried chickpeas on to soak so that I can make some hummus.

[ianinfrance]

I can make some hummus

Oh yum!

Especially jealous as we're on a fast day today.

Lunch will be a soup that's new to us, watercress & courgette soup with a poached egg.
Supper, the rest of Thursday's lamb & flageolet bean stew.

[OneMoreCheekyOne]

Lucky so & so. My foodie colleague and I were bemoaning the lack of local wild garlic just the other day.

I was surprised! It's definitely a good few weeks earlier than last year. Our original pot was from the Scilly Isles and is going strong three years on.

There was some leftover batter left from yesterdays Yorkshire puddings so i've just had a dark chocolate and cherry pancake for breakfast. It was amazing but I do feel a bit sick now.

Lunch will be leftover roast beef in a roll with rocket and English mustard.

Dinner will be Persian chicken with pistachios and mint. With rice on the side.

[Herbidacious]

I had a potato, cheese and Quorn cocktail sausage bake (using stuff up dinner) with crème fraîche and sweet Polish mustard last night. I will not be buying the violet potatoes again. They were mealy and not that flavourful. Looks are definitely not everything.

I need to diet again, or at least cut out the chocolate, desserts and too much cheese that have been creeping in. My aim today is for a greenish salad with (more) Quorn bacon and pumpkin seeds for lunch. Maybe a 0% fat Greek yoghurt with honey. Banana for breakfast. I have some blueberries too.

Not sure about dinner. I may see if the market inspires me at lunch time. I have a lot of ginger and chilli in the fridge...

[MrsWWoof]

Feeling as if I'm on a fast day here too Ian - CT scan later and woke up too late to have anything to eat as into the four hour pre-scan window of no food allowed.

I shall be following the faithful St Delia recipe for my hummus which I've done before and can't fault it apart from the fact I always double the recipe to make a sensible sized batch.

I have some lavash bread which I shall spray with oil and bake to crisp it up as dippers for the hummus.

[MrsWWoof]

Feeling as if I'm on a fast day here too Ian - CT scan later and woke up too late to have anything to eat as into the four hour pre-scan window of no food allowed.

I shall be following the faithful St Delia recipe for my hummus which I've done before and can't fault it apart from the fact I always double the recipe to make a sensible sized batch.

I have some lavash bread which I shall spray with oil and bake to crisp it up as dippers for the hummus.

[icelesley]

Breakfast: Orange juice then a toasted wholemeal muffin

snacks a few grapes and some carrot sticks

Lunch: chicken on a warburtons thin

Dinner: chicken salad with a small baked potato followed by a fruit yoghurt

[Catherine]

I can make some hummus

Oh yum!

Especially jealous as we're on a fast day today.

Lunch will be a soup that's new to us, watercress & courgette soup with a poached egg.
Supper, the rest of Thursday's lamb & flageolet bean stew.

Your fast days always sound delicious to me

[ianinfrance]

Your fast days always sound delicious to me

They're not bad, but when I'm in the middle of them, something more substantial always makes me salivate and I lerve Hummus.

The Watercress and Courgette soup was very good indeed, by the way. We made it with a poached egg, rather than pine nut and parmesan, mainly because Jacquie's not a great pine nut fan.

[Herbidacious]

I don't know how one keeps it down to 500. I've had my salad with half a packed of Quorn deli bacon, a dessertspoon of pumpkin seeds and a dessertspoon of low fat salad cream, a medium banana and a handful of blueberries and according to MFP it comes to nearly 400 and I am still really hungry!

I suppose I just need to re-adapt to less food.

[BrightShazza1]

Some nice food was eaten over the weekend, lunch at a friend's on Saturday, lots of salads and pan fried salmon. She made a delicious strawberry cheesecake. I took a long some of Suelle's cookies which are a favourite with everyone who I've made them for.

Breakfast today was toast with marmalade,
Lunch is a salad made up of leftover veg & cheese with crackers,
dinner will be a thai satay stir fry

[Pepper Pig]

Breakfast: Orange juice then a toasted wholemeal muffin

snacks a few grapes and some carrot sticks

Lunch: chicken on a warburtons thin

Dinner: chicken salad with a small baked potato followed by a fruit yoghurt

You really enjoy food then Ice?

[StokeySue]

The Watercress and Courgette soup was very good indeed, by the way. We made it with a poached egg, rather than pine nut and parmesan, mainly because Jacquie's not a great pine nut fan.

I might give that a go on Wednesday, having both ingredients to use up - in fact I might make the soup tomorrow as I'm not sure of the shelf life of the watercress, I got a bit carried away

I don't know how one keeps it down to 500.

My hairdresser and I were discussing this - we find you have to be really careful with salads dues to the temptation to add "just a spoonful"
Soup is the easy option - you can have a huge bowl of something light with something like a couple of rice cakes for under 200 cal - or a bowl of a really substantial soup without the side items for the same

Fish, chicken and eggs are also good options, I think I'd find the limitations on protein harder if vegetarian, though tofu is obviously handy here, and I do a tofu stir fry sometimes for dinner

Today I've had a small bacon roll, a bowl of chicken noodle soup (mainly stock & beans sprouts to be honest)very nice - I got some marked down pea shoot sin Waitrose which went in nicely

I've also had a prune yogurt & will have an apple; tonight will be whatever I find in the pub

[ianinfrance]

in fact I might make the soup tomorrow as I'm not sure of the shelf life of the watercress, I got a bit carried away

If I might suggest, Sue, I suspect that once the watercress is in, it would be as well to eat the soup as soon as possible. I've always found its flavour very ephemeral. What I did this morning was to do the initial cooking, right down to the full 10 minutes simmering of the vegetables in stock. Turned off heat. Then when Jacquie started heating the water for the eggs, I started reheating the soup base. When boiling I added the watercress and started timing when everything came back to the boil. Literally 3 minutes later, I whizzed it all up with my stick blender. By that time the eggs were done, so we ate it immediately. It's only relatively recently that we've had watercress available, and so I've not really looked out for many recipes which use it. But it gives a very agreeable zing of pepperiness all its own, doesn't it. We kept our watercress after a dunk in cold water, in a green bag, from Saturday, and it was fine, though I'd not have wanted to keep it more than a day longer.

This is the soup (about half way down) if anyone's interested. There's another version on line that's identical but they try to make to subscribe to something. Pah!!!

[Zosherooney]

Bacon, egg, tomato (half each) my fried bread - well it was an onion baton 'buttered' with the residue of the roast potato grease from yesterday but very tasty.

A very late lunch of pear and walnut bread/cake with some blue cheese melted on top.

Not sure about supper but I will treat myself and have supper in bed !!! I know I am strange but it is my treat...

[Kacey]

I'm going to have a go at posting on here regularly again.

I don't have breakfast on a weekday, unless I'm not at work.
Lunch today was 4 Ryvita crackerbreads with home made labneh cheese and a dollop of hot green chilli sauce on the top, low fat, low cal and satisfies my cheesy cravings.
Dinner tonight will be pasta with arrabiata sauce.

[EmWilk]

I'm lost in admiration - speaking as a long term glutton (now somewhat reformed).

Ian, I eat so much, it's scary! We went on hol with my mum last year and she was astounded
I should really cut back as I'm going on holiday in less than 3 weeks and this is the first time I'm a bit wary of wearing a bikini
Plus, I'm approaching 30 and it's definitely easy to put on the older I get!

Today, I attempted to cut back!
I had some dried fruit and vanilla coated seeds for breakfast.
Very late lunch of a smoked ham, cheese and pickle sandwich with the ham taken off - the thought of eating tesco reformed ham is enough to make me gip!
Tea has been half a very large indian spiced chicken breast, spiced chickpeas, indian dressed shredded salad and cauliflower 'rice'. Very nice indeed.

Not a bad day, health wise, for me that other than the sandwich!

[icelesley]

Breakfast: Orange juice then a couple of dessert spoons of bean on a toasted muffin.

Snacks: carrot sticks and a pear

Lunch: Turkey Salad

Dinner: Prawns and linguine in a light tomato sauce folowed by a fruit yoghurt

[Rocky]

On Saturday we had ribeye steaks with wedges and a rather strange side of roasted sprouts and parsnips with bacon. I really liked it but not so much the steak. I think I am not much of a steak fan

On Sunday we met some friends for lunch at a lovely new place that is right on the beach and I had curry chicken which was a perfect example of a light delicious West Indian curry sauce. For dinner we had mahi wrapped in prosciutto on cauli risotto

Last night we had mixed bean chili with some of the creamy avocado dip I made recently and salsa. There is lots of chili left so dinner might be flautas made with them. Or maybe have that tomorrow and something else today.

[Herbidacious]

Last night I went down the soup route too, with a home made multigrain and nigela seed pita and a few cubes of feta that I had marinated in caraway seed, fennel seed, urfa chilli, freshly dried oregano, lemon zest and smokey olive oil.

So, now day two of 'diet' and I am wandering around wondering how people can possibly get away with eating sandwiches on a regular basis and stay slim... because they are young? Young and men?

breakfast: banana

Note to self never ever buy food from Eat again. I had a superfood side salad (tenderstem broccoli, edamame and green beans, with about 3 little squares of 'feta') which it said was 170 calories on the label in the shop. I double checked this on their site... later, too late. That's without dressing. It didn't say that in the shop! I once had a medium sized soup from there which turned out to be almost 400 calories, so I should have known better. Their boiled eggs, if they sold them, would probably have twice the number of calories in them as those that Pret a Manger sells.

Anyway, obsessing much! This will die down after a few days.

So I had that, and I am still going to eat the 70 calorie mango and lime, because I am feeling stressed and need a treat.

Tonight I am thinking of making some black bean dip (Rocky's recipe) but I may need something bigger. We shall see.

[BrightShazza1]

Had toast and marmalade for breakfast this morning, and just had a beautiful lunch at Yalla Yalla, a little Lebanese restaurant in Soho. We had babaganoush, fattoush salad, bread, falafel, grilled haloumi and batata harra. So delicious and apologies to anyone who also had to read this on Chatterbox!!

Tonight follows on the middle eastern theme, we are having Iraqi kebabs, made on the BBQ by my mum, with flat bread and salad.

[OneMoreCheekyOne]

Phwoar that sounds great BrightShazza!

I have had such a carb filled day so far. Crumpets for breakfast. Then a maple and pecan pastry after a long walk around the park and some shopping. Then a handful of grapes and dried apricots at yoga. Then a few mouthfuls of revolting black bean noodles at home (pot noodle style but a different brand). Then a slice of lemon drizzle cake at baby massage class this afternoon.

Now finally home and i've put a jacket potato in the oven which i'll have in a couple of hours with baked beans, grated cheddar, coleslaw and a rocket salad.

[Kacey]

Fast day today, so lunch was 4 Ryvita crackerbreads with Laughing Cow Blue cheese triangles - yes I know, but they're easy to take to work, calorie controlled and with a little dollop of super hot sriracha sauce, don't taste that bad and its a total of 191 calories.

Dinner tonight is spicy lentil and spinach soup - a big bowl and a half for 368 cals. OH will have a big slab of home made toasted sourdough with his.

[ianinfrance]

We went out for lunch wtih friends to a 1 star michelin near St Céré. Excellent meal.
We all went for the €48 menu.
Pre-prandial nibble was a delightful asparagus mousse/soup with the tip of a little asparagus spear sticking up in the middle looking for all the world like something I'd have been prosecuted for photographing. That was served with a a fried quails egg on crispy pancake.

Then the meal itself started.
Cold seared 1cm thick slice of foie gras taken from the lobe itself. Served on a slice of bread, with some apple purée. I thought it was wonderful Jacquie thought it was a bit too sweet.

A poached fillet of John Dory served with fennel purée. Lovely

Roast breast of squab with baby spring vegetables and the most wonderfully sticky demi-glace sauce. The legs and wings were confit and served alongside.

Splendid cheeses

Baked apple stuffed with prune cream and served with a granny smith mousse. That was followed by half a dark chocolate tartlet and peppered coffee ice cream. FAR better than it sounds.
Excellent and interesting wines by the glass.
Coffee.

We came down to earth with a bump for "lunch at suppertime" a salami sandwich and half a banana.

[Rocky]

Herbi - I find the dip quite filling so hope if you had it, you do too! Ian - that meal sounds delicious.

I have had a bit of an unexpected evening. Fate laid the last straw on the camel's back today (had unexpected surgery two weeks ago and a horrible horrible situation at work so feeling a bit 'delicate' and bullying colleague targeted me this afternoon) so I very dedicatedly (is that a word) did my last long run before a race we are doing on Saturday and then came home, ate stacks of peanuts and then consumed a lovely (large) glass of NZ Sauvignon blanc when OH got home. Then decided to have quick cook barley cooked almost risotto style with pesto and roasted veg. Utterly drained now. Sorry for moaning!

[OneMoreCheekyOne]

Oh dear Rocky, look after yourself. Can you speak to someone at work about the bullying colleague?

Just had cereal for breakfast. Very tired this morning even though I had 7 hours uninterrupted sleep. I went to season my coffee with salt and pepper

Lunch when I get back later will be another jacket potato which I cooked with last nights dinner.

Dinner tonight will be pomegranate molasses and honey glazed chicken skewers. With a salad of red onion, coriander, parsley, rocket, pistachios and pomegranate seeds.

[icelesley]

Breakfast: Orange juice then a toasted muffin

Snacks: carrot sticks and an apple

Lunch: Beef Salad

Dinner: a small portion of Cottage pie and lots of steamed vegetables followed by a fruit yoghurt

[StokeySue]

Having a fast day to day for the first time in a while

Lunch will be a version of the courgette and water cress soup

Dinner I am going to try something slightly different; I was thinking of making the lamb & flageolet dish but I've had a lot of lamb recently and years ago I used to make a dish of chicken, artichoke hearts and flageolets, with a lot of lemon, so I think I'll have a go at a 5:2 version of that. If it works I'll post the recipe

[Herbidacious]

Rocky, I do hope you feel a bit better today.

I did make your dip. Yum! It was quite spicy I used chipotle paste rather than whole chillis.

I had a few of spoonfuls of it on it's own... you know just to make sure I had got it right... then made a small portion of nachos with it, some Mexican queso blanco (Funny stuff. Selfridges are doing a Mexican promotion and I picked some of this up the other week along with some Oaxaca cheese) and some salsa (bought).

Weight has been lost since Monday morning

I may treat myself to a Clerkenwell Coach and Horses lunch today as I think I will be too late home for dinner tonight.

[Kacey]

Lunch was cheese and tomato on homemade sourdough bread - first sandwich I've had for a weekday lunch since since starting a very focussed diet 10 months ago. Down to my goal now (and a little bit under for luck) and hoping that continuing the two fast days and easing up the rest of the week, I'll be able to maintain more easily. I must say after 10 months I'm finding it hard to stop - it felt very wrong today eating a real butty instead of crispbreads!

Dinner tonight is Paneer Masala, Aubergine & Tomato curry along with a lentil and carrot dal and basmati rice - yum!

[Catherine]

Dinner I am going to try something slightly different; I was thinking of making the lamb & flageolet dish but I've had a lot of lamb recently and years ago I used to make a dish of chicken, artichoke hearts and flageolets, with a lot of lemon, so I think I'll have a go at a 5:2 version of that. If it works I'll post the recipe

That sounds delicious

[Herbidacious]

Yesterday at the C&H I and cauliflower soup. Not sure if it was a velouté per se, but it was very thick and creamy. Almost like a creamy dessert in texture. It was scattered with toasted cumin seeds and olive oil and had little fire triangular croutons in it. It was delicious, but didn't actually taste very cauliflowery. I was very naughty and had sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream for dessert... and was hungry all afternoon, so succumbed to snacking on half a packet of Quorn bacon.

Didn't get home until almost 10 (trains up the spout again) so no dinner, as predicted.

edited for multiple typoes! I may yet have missed some. Gosh. So tired...

[StokeySue]

Both soup and chicken fast day recipes were a success yesterday

I read several versions of the recipe for the soup then made up my own to use the ingredients I had to make 2 portions, which was all I needed

I used one leek (150 g) one courgette (300g) and 100g of watercress. I cooked the courgette & leek (sliced in 500 ml of veg stock then added the chopped water cress stalks and cooked for 5 minutes. Then I blended, adjusted the thickness with a tad of potato starch (I mean to use instant mash, but I'd run out). Then I added the leaves to the hot soup, let stand a couple of minutes and blitzed lightly so the chopped leaves ran through the soup, Added a dollop of low fat Greek yogurt, Delish.

The chicken dish was in the end the meat of two skinned & boned chicken thighs (just over 200g meat), two shallots, the white of one small leek, 2 sticks celery. one can flageolets, a chicken stock cube (Kallo low salt) a splash of vermouth, a clove of garlic , and abou t120 g artichoke hearts defrosted & cut in wedges

Lightly sautéed the cubed chicken with One Cal spray, gradually adding the raw veg including garlic. Added a splash of vermouth, then the flageolets, stock, artichokes, a small bouquet of herbs and two big strips of lemon zest. Hot water just to cover . Simmered very slowly for half an hour, checked seasoning, and served sprinkled with parsley. Served in a bowl (2 portions) Yum.

Today the remains of the soup & a small sandwich for lunch, breakfast granola & berries, book club tonight - falafel, hummus, little Turkish pastries (they sell ready to bake at one of the local shops), pitta chips. anything else that occurs - olives of course, maybe some nuts, maybe a second dip

[BrightShazza1]

Lunch yesterday was crispbreads with cheese/cucumber/marmite etc, at my friends house.

Last night made poached salmon (first time, will def do again) with such a delicious side dish. It was roasted cauliflower and rounds of sweet potato, with a sauce to drizzle over of tahini, lemon juice, parsley and salt. It worked really well and I've got leftovers for lunch today.

Dinner tonight is sushi, out for dinner with the girls.

[icelesley]

Breakfast: Orange juice then 2 spoonfulls of baked beans an a toasted muffin

Lunch: Tuna Salad

Dinner: weight watchers salmon & broccoli wedge melt with salad followed by a fruit yoghurt.

[Prettykiwicrazy]

If it's the first time you've had that WW meal , ice , I would bin it if I were you . I've had it before and it was absolutely revolting . In fact I think all diet ready meals are gimmicky and overpriced. Much easier to cook a piece of salmon and have with some veggies .

On Monday , I made some tapas for a friend and me . I cooked prawns with garlic and chilli , Albondigas , a potato and pepper tortilla and some feta stuffed peppers. Very nice sat out in the sun putting the world to rights .

Tuesday was a healthy version of fish and chips with cod loin smeared in pesto , butternut squash wedges and peas . Yesterday was an ancient portion of braised beef from the freezer . I've got a large turkey breast fillet from the freezer which I'm going to cube and marinate in Cajun spices to have with a pineapple salsa and green beans .