It is definitely not appropriate to discuss recipes that are going to add insult to injury. Most of us have consulted the scales,screamed at our partners that the scale is broken and should be boiled in oil before being crushed between two tons of solid rock. If you love food, Christmas is the time that you are going to pack it on. The fact is we have to shed it so that the cycle can be repeated.
I think that commercial diet regimes do help and certainly make a lot for their shareholders. I prefer the tactic of eating well and sacrificing all the refined carbohydrates and replacing them with their cruder original version. Try the mantra, "if it's white it's not right." The courser the carb, the better it is. The trick is to enjoy your food, eat well and have fun while doing it.
Now for those of us who are not very adventuresome when it comes to food this is to say the least a challenge. I strongly suggest Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers. Have fun while sharing your obesity with others. On the other hand for those who still look forward to every meal as a sort of Indiana Jones in the Culinary jungle, then let's get our chefs knifes and chip-chop our way into unexplored territories, have fun and loose some weight.
First of all let me make it absolutely clear that I am not a dietician, doctor, nutritionist or anybody who can be trusted with profound advise. I am Pat de Rosemond, hedonist supreme and unrepentant bon vivant. The foregoing is my philosophy on dieting and should be taken with a pinch of fleur de sel.
Now I am not going to forego protein and will eat a moderate amount at supper time. The trick is, if you think you could comfortably handle a 12 ounce steak, then scale it back 25% and eat a nine ounce steak. Still hungry? Then eat veggies. Now here is the trick. Make it the best bloody steak you have ever cooked. Don't hold back on the truffle oil, the freshly ground Five Peppercorn Mix or your favourite steak sauce. The idea is that you should decadently pamper that steak so you are zinging with anticipation at the first juicy mouthful.
Veggies are the nemesis and sometime the enemy of the non foodie. Something you were forced to eat and were, in all likelihood so poorly prepared, that you developed a deep aversion to them. For you Kraft has been a savior providing you with it's endless variety of chemical elixirs,(50% or more of the ingredients cannot be pronounced) to splash onto your vegetables so that you can swallow them. This is where the foodie has the advantage. Any veggie with butter, a splash of lemon juic, a sprinkle of fleur de sel, freshly ground pepper and cooked to the right tenderness is pure gastronomical magic. Yes butter or extra virgin Olive oil. It adds wonderful flavour and most of it is left in the pan. I never feel guilty about a thin layer of oil on my protein and butter is really good for you.
Veggies cooked with this approach more then make up for the sacrifice in carbohydrates and if we explore all hose strange ethnic vegetables there is a sense of adventure that will triple our gratification. Having been brought up in a home where all sorts of weird and wonderful vegetables were served I thought I would share two with you. The chayote is available in most Super Stores and ethnic super markets. As a child and growing up in South Africa we called it Sou-Sou a derivative of the Brazilian name, Chuchu. It goes by many different names in different cultures. The plant belongs to the gourd family and can be eaten raw or cooked and makes an excellent salsa or salad.
Choose nice clean fruit and one per two persons is appropriate. The fruit should be green,firm and as unblemished as possible. Split the fruit in half and leave the seed where it is. This is undoubtedly one of the most delicious parts of the fruit. Just steam them until soft and not crunchy. Do not cook until mushy. Add salt and pepper to taste, a squeeze of lemon juice and butter. Eat hot with steak, fish or chicken. The flavour is wonderful and even your veggies skeptic will love it. The skin is edible.
Alternatively you can steam as above,cut into cubs, add lemon juice, salt, pepper and a nice fruity olive oil.
The other veggies is Okra. This poor vegetable is always thought of as an integral part of Gumbo when in fact it is a star on its own. Just split them length ways, put in a bowl, add salt,pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil and you have a great salad. Or, take the same mixture and sear in a hot pan until the cut side turns brown at the edges and eat with steak, lamb cutlets or roast chicken. SOOO good!
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