Chef Martin Anderson
Well folks how are we doing ? Have we kept our new years resolutions or have we raided the biscuit tin , sneaked the chocolate into the bedroom , blamed someone else for eating the last slice of cake or even gone outside when no one was looking and eaten a packet of crisps as quick as possible?
It’s not easy making a lifestyle choice but it is very important to stick with it , as I said last week you should try and balance your foods over the week making sure you get all the good food groups included , yes chocolate can be part of it but just a wee bit .
I can’t remember if I give you a recipe for a wee chocolate treat but I’ll do that next week .
Today’s article is about food cravings it is very important to eat breakfast first thing in the morning if you don’t start off with a good breakfast you’ll be playing catch up for the rest of the day , high sugar cereals , buttery scones , yogurt bars , pop tarts and even some of the flavoured porridges all contain hi amounts of sugar , these give you an instant kick start to the day but the energy runs out of them and you will feel hungry and crave another kick .
It is very important to eat protein as this will curb your hunger and the need for more bold foods if you are vegetarian or vegan this can be difficult as you need to replace animal protein with vegetable protein and you need to eat plenty to get the same amounts .
Breakfast should consist of small bowl of porridge made with low-fat milk , soy milk or in some cases coconut water , a glass of fresh pressed juice of your choice or make your own smoothies , there are loads of recipes online and if anyone received a smoothie gadget for Christmas there will be a recipe book in the box .
Poached eggs and or grilled rashers are a great start to the day , you may also use turkey rashers or even sausages if you wish but always remember to buy good quality sausages and grill them , good quality sausages contain less fat but keep an eye on the portion size , don’t eat six sausages for breakfast !! Of course black pudding is also an excellent start to the day , real black pudding that is !!
Breakfast is not just limited to the traditional choices. What about scrambled eggs , don’t add butter or milk simply add a dash of low fat yogurt to 3 beaten eggs and a couple of slices of smoked salmon? Whisk them all together and microwave for a minute stir and cook again for another minute if they are still too sloppy for you give them another blast, served with some toasted spelt bread this is a fantastic breakfast. If you don’t like using the microwave you can cook them in the traditional manner in a pot or pan but go easy on the butter.
Omelettes of course are another fantastic option the same principle applies three beaten eggs a dash of low fat yoghurt to replace milk and butter and cook in the normal fashion in a nonstick omelette pan.
Omelettes are also a great choice for lunch , brunch and dinner remember you can add whatever ingredients you wish to the omelette just make sure that they are cooked before hand
Of course you make grate some cheese over the top of the omelette and finish under the grill .
I always use low-fat cheese , I never buy pre-grated cheese I always grate my own this way you can control how much you’re eating , you will be surprised how far a small piece of cheese will go when you grate it yourself .
Cold cooked meats are also a great breakfast choice our European cousins have been eating, charcuterie, smoked fish, cheese & ham, fruits for generations before us . There are so many good quality sliced meats available including Parma ham …..one of my favourites with fresh melon , a fine breakfast treat.
If you have cravings during the day it is very important not to give in to them. Drink a cup of green tea, have a glass of water with lemon, carry some fruit with you. Cravings will pass and if you are going shopping make sure you eat before you go , if you shop while you are hungry you will only buy foods you crave usually high sugary foods or those that can be eaten in the car on the way home .
learn what times of the day you get your cravings and have a snack at that time , your body will begin to realise that you are feeding it and the cravings will eventually disappear .
Remover everything in moderation and making small choices over the day will eventually lead to a healthier lifestyle and trimmer you !
So keeping on the omelette theme here are some suggestions for you .
There are two types of omelette
The traditional folded omelette where the cooked ingredients are add to an egg mix. The omelette is then cooked quickly and folded making sure it is a little runny in the centre, serve straight away.
The Frittata or Spanish omelette where the cooked ingredients are added to the egg mix, this time however the omelette is cooked through and served flat. You may place this omelette under the grill to aid the cooking processes, a large frittata may be oven baked.
You will need.
You must use fresh eggs when making omelettes, stale eggs will be watery and have a grey colour.
All ingredients bar the herbs and cheese should be cooked in advance and also an even size, as there is little cooking or reheating time in the pan.
Season the omelette after it hits the pan, adding salt before hand will break down the egg and make it turn grey and watery.
Herbs should be whisked in at the beginning to ensure they are evenly distributed.
A good quality non stick or heavy pan is essential. New pans must be seasoned; this is a process of heating and cooling several times with salt and oil.
Finally you must make each omelette as required; omelettes left for reheating will be rubbery, dry and tasteless and lose their nutritional value.
The combination of flavours is up to you but here are a few ideas for you.
Reduced fat cheese and smoked bacon bits.
Red onion and cherry tomato.
Quark and smoked salmon add chopped chives or chilli to add that extra zing!!
Potato, leek and smoked bacon.
Chilli and chicken with fresh herbs.
Ham and mushroom.
Prawn and pineapple.
Method.
Heat a little lo cal in a non stick pan and cook your ingrediants, add to you egg mix.
Clean your pan and heat again with a little spray.
Add your egg mix and stir quickly making sure that the sides of the pan are kept clean.
Allow to set and cook slightly.
Tilt your pan and roll the omelette, turning out onto your warmed plate.
If using grated cheese, you may place the omelette under the grill to melt the cheese.
On a personal note you may have heard or read in social media that I am in the process of opening my own food business here in Letterkenny. Over the years I’ve built a loyal following of real food lovers and it is my intention to open a coffee shop and fresh food deli offering both sit-in and grab-and-go meals. This has been a dream of mine for many years and I’m delighted to finally get the opportunity to do it. The recipes and advice I give here on Donegal Daily will all come to real life very soon. Thank you for your support and I look forward to cooking you for you very, very soon. Add me on Snapchat for live updates throughout the day!
