Recipe: Blueberry Yoghurt Pancakes

Brunch is a much loved meal in our house and weekends are all about taking the time for special morning meals. The yoghurt in this dish adds a tangy note that sets off the blueberries well but also makes a hearty meal without additional fat. 

Blueberry yoghurt pancakes

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup yoghurt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 cup milk or almond milk

2 eggs

1 tspn vanilla

Oil for frying

Method

• Sift the flour into a bowl and add the sugar
• In a small bowl whisk the eggs and vanilla, then add the milk
• Add the liquid ingredients to the flour, stir until a batter is formed
• Add the yoghurt and stir until incorporated into the batter
• Fold the blueberries carefully into the batter 
• Heat a skillet over medium heat and add oil to the pan
• Using a ladle or jug (pitcher) pour a pool of batter the size of your palm into the pan
• Once bubbles appear in the pancake then flip carefully so as to not break the blueberries
• Serve with your favourite pancake toppings like maple syrup, powdered sugar and lemon or more yoghurt and blueberries (as pictured)
• Makes 6 pancakes

Recipe: Oatmeal & Craisin cookies

Cookies are a fast and furious way to make a sweet treat out of cheap cupboard staples. Whether you have guests coming, children in need of a snack or just have a craving for a good book and a cup of tea these cookies are a spicy and delicious morsel. 

Oatmeal & Craisin Cookies

250g (2 sticks) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
2 cups oats
3 eggs
1 tspn vanilla
1 tpsn baking soda
2 tspns cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 190C (375F) and line 2 cookie sheets with baking paper
• Soften the butter and add to a large mixing bowl, cream the butter using an electric hand mixer
• Slowly add both types of sugar and cream with the butter until smooth
• Beat in the eggs 1 at a time and then add the vanilla
• Sift the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda into the bowl and mix into the batter
• Chop the Craisins and pecans into pieces and add to the batter, mixing thoroughly
• Using a tablespoon measure spoonfuls of batter into the hand and roll into balls, place around 5cm apart on the cookie sheet
• Flatten the balls into a cookie shape using a fork and place the tray into the oven
• Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned
• Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cookie rack
• If you have the willpower let cool completely before storing in a cookie jar or tin or try not to burn your fingers as you eat them warm
• Budget busting? Switch the pecans and cranberries for cheaper ingredients like raisins, peanuts or chocolate chips
• Lighten the calories by using light margarine in place of butter, Splenda in place of sugar and reduced sugar Craisins

Recipe: Banh Mi with fresh pickled onions

We try to have a leftovers night regularly in my house to make sure that we clear out the fridge and don't waste food. Rather than just eating the same dish again I prefer to turn it into something new. This week I had Vietnamese ingredients from our Bun Cha and also leftovers from a Sunday roast so Banh Mi was just what the doctor ordered!

Pickled Onions

1 red onion

1 cup white or rice vinegar

2 tbpsn salt

2 tbspn sugar

• Start by making the pickled onions, you can also pickle the cucumber this way if you like a more sour vegetable mix
• Chop the onions into rounds or half moon shapes and add to a bowl
• Sprinkle the salt and sugar on the onions
• Add the vinegar, enough to cover the onions
• Mix with a spoon and leave for 20 mins before preparing the sandwiches
• The colour from the onions may leave a faint pink colour in the liquid, this is normal
• Drain off the pickling liquid and then use for sandwiches, salads or Mexican food

Banh Mi

1 baguette

2 tbpsns liver pate

1 bird's eye chilli or 1 tbspn Schiracha sauce

1 tbspn mayonnaise

4 slices roasted meat or cold cuts (chicken, pork or beef all work well)

1 carrot

2 tbspn pickled onions

8-10 slices of cucumber

1/2 cup coriander leaves

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

• Ingredient amounts are for 1 sandwich, multiply by the number of guests
• I regularly make my own chicken liver pate but any commercial pate or Liverwurst can suffice
• Prepare the ingredients before collating the sandwich - slice the cucumber, julienne the carrots, de-stem the herbs, slice the meats, pickle the onions and set asside all the spread ingredients

• Cut the roll in half, spread one side with the pate and the other side with the mayonnaise; if you are allergic to eggs use butter. If using Schiracha spread on top of the mayonnaise
• Over the pate place your cold meats, for this sandwich I used a mix of leftover roast beef and cold cut Black Forest pork

• Spread the vegetables (cucumber, carrot, pickled onion and chilis) over both sides of the sandwich
• Stuff with coriander and mint and serve! 

Recipe: Bun cha - Vietnamese pork patties with herb salad

This is a labour intensive dish but absolutely delicious on a hot Summer's day.

Pork patties

500g (2lbs) ground lean pork

1 onion or 1 bunch of spring onions

1/4 bunch fresh mint

1/4 bunch fresh coriander

4 bird's eye chillis

2 carrots

2 eggs

1 sprig lemongrass

1 clove garlic

1 tbspn ginger

2 tbpsns soy sauce

1 tbspn Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc nam)

• I prepare the vegetable/herb mixture using a food processor or electric vegetable chopper to save time
• Grate or chop the carrots and onions and add to your mixer or a bowl
• Separate out some of the herbs,  you will use the rest in the salad about 1/4 of each bunch will do, you should end up with about 1 cup of each once you have removed the stems and separated the leaves
• Add diced garlic and ginger, mince the herbs and chili and add to the mix
• If mixing by hand then whisk the eggs before adding to the vegetable mix, if using a machine you can add directly 
• Add the liquid ingredients - soy and fish sauce. You should now have a quite liquid mix. 
• For a gluten free/low carb variation use Tamari or wheat free soy sauce
• Add to the minced pork and mix thoroughly to ensure that the herbs and egg are distributed throughout the meat
• Take a generous spoon (a serving spoon or ice cream scoop size) of each and form into patties, I do this by rolling into a ball and then tossing between my hands. Place on a tray covered in plastic until you are ready to cook. 
• This recipe should make enough for 4 people, as I often cook for 2 you can transfer 1 tray of meat patties to the freezer and once frozen store in a bag or box for another day
• Grill or fry the pork patties until a firm texture is reached then serve on top of the dressed salad detailed below
• Because there is no breading in this dish it is perfect for keto or gluten free eaters. 3g carbs (2g net) for 2 patties.

Dressing (Nuoc Cham)

5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup fish sauce (Nuoc Mam)
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
1 large clove garlic
2 bird's eye chillis
1 spring onion

• Depending on how cold you like your dressing you may wish to begin with this step before making the pork
• Boil the water and add the sugar, stir until all the sugar is dissolved. 
• Splenda or Stevia work just as well for Keto; but this sauce will be odd if you omit all sweeteners. Sauce is around 1g carbs per 1/4 cup if using low carb sweeteners. 
• Add the fish sauce, be sure to use Vietnamese Nuoc Mam and not Thai fish sauce which is much stronger and overpowering in this recipe
• Add the lemon juice, if using fresh lemon juice strain the sauce to exclude all the pith
• Dice the garlic and add to the sauce
• Cut the spring onion and chilli into fine slices and add to the sauce
• Chill and serve, this recipe is enough to make sauce for 2 servings, discard after 2 weeks if unused
• The sauce can also be used as a dipping sauce for Summer rolls and other Vietnamese appetisers

Salad

1 cake of rice vermicelli

1 bunch fresh mint

1 bunch fresh coriander

200g bean sprouts 

4 tbspns roasted peanuts

1/2 cucumber

1 carrot

• The salad ingredients take some time to prepare; I suggest doing this before cooking the meat patties or they will cool too much before serving
• Boil the vermicelli for 5 minutes in hot water and then transfer to a colander. Rinse thoroughly with cold water to remove any rice starch from the noodles and to cool. 
• Leave the noodles to cool and dry thoroughly before using in the salad. If you do this step first the noodles should be cool by the time you finish preparing the other salad ingredients.
• Peel the carrots and julien, cut the cucumbers into strips
• Pull the leaves of the herbs off the stems and set asside, you should use the rest of the bunch that you didn't  use in the meat preparation
• Crush or dice the peanuts until to small crumbly pieces
• In a noodle bowl layer the salad - or ask your guests to choose their own. 
• I layer noodles, then vegetables, then herbs, pour dressing over, top with the meat and then crumble with peanuts. 
• Omit the noodles and replace with lettuce or more herbs for a low carb variation. 
• Serve with Summer rolls and a small dish of the dressing so that diners may dip their meat with each bite

Review: Sapporo-ya, San Francisco

The hunt for the ideal ramen place in San Francisco continues; having moved to Japantown some months ago we've been slowly hunting for the right combination of great soups and noodles.

Sapporo-ya is definitely a contender for my best ramen place in the area. Moving to San Francisco from Sydney means that I was amazed and disappointed how many mediocre noodle joints there are when San Francisco has a reputation as a city with good Asian food. In particular we had been craving and craving hand pulled noodles and failed to find them over and over again. Sapporo-ya finally hit home with the right chewy fresh morish noodles we were after. 

Hiyayakko (cold tofu appetiser) $4.50USD

The tofu here is good but bought in, but they serve it with plenty of sides. A great light alternative to dumplings.

Curry Ramen $14.50USD

This is the only place I've found in San Francisco so far that serves curry ramen - a salted ramen soup is topped with Japanese style beef and vegetable curry and micro greens. This is not overly hot but it is very filling so be warned! Great on a Wintery day

Soy Ramen $9.95USD

Lots of good additions here, vegetables, tofu and eggs. You can add additional toppings like corn, butter, pork and more for around $1 a topping.

Spicy Miso Chashu Ramen $13.95USD

Probably my favourite of their offerings the spicy miso soup is heart and delicious with a lot more substance than the other broths. It would have been better with more collagen but nonetheless is excellent and served with fantastic rolled roasted pork. 

The service can be a bit haphazard but no worse than any other noodle joint I've been too. The decor is a little quaint; reminds me of cheap eateries in the back alleys of Osaka. The miso broth is definitely the best here, I would have liked a chilli-sesame broth on the menu but all the soups have been decent and the noodles top notch. Unfortunately they hard boil their eggs which is a bit sad, but their bamboo is fresh and delicious so that makes up forit!

Sapporo-ya

Casual noodle eatery, kitsch decor

Recipe: Cheese bake

This is a warm and hearty dish that's well suited to using up leftovers and is a real favourite with children.

Chicken and Broccoli Bake

1 cup chicken stock
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup half and half
2 cups shredded cheese
120g (4 oz) sharp aged cheddar
2 cups steamed broccoli
1 brown onion
125g (1 stick) butter
2 tbspn flour

Method

Cut the vegetables into florets and steam until just cooked, drain and set asside. Prepare all your other ingredients.

Dice the onion and add to a large saucepan over low to medium heat. Add the stick of butter cut into cubes and stir until the butter is melted. Sweat the onions in the butter until clear, then add the chicken. Fry until the chicken is cooked on a low heat, being careful not to burn the butter. 

If you choose you can use leftover pre-cooked poultry instead of fresh chicken; this is a great recipe for using leftover Turkey after holidays. 

Prepare your liquid ingredients and set asside near the pan, you will need these quickly after adding the flour. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the pot and stir, the flour and vegetable mix will quickly tun into a roux and then solidify. Use almond or other low carb/gluten free flour if desired but it will change the texture. I advise using wheat flour and watching your carb count. 

Quickly before the flour mix browns begin adding your liquids. Alternate between almond milk and stock, adding about half a cup at a time. Stir thoroughly and make sure all liquid is incorporated before you add the next half cup of liquid. You should end up with a thick sauce with the consistency of glue - don't be tempted to taste it at this point since it contains no seasoning or flavour. Once all the almond milk and stock are added add the half and half to add a creamy richer texture.

You can substitute the almond milk & half and half with 1.5 cups of cow milk if preferred. Using almond milk and half and half gives the best texture - creamy without being heavy.

Set asside 1/4 of a cup of shredded cheese, as we will use this for a crust at the end. 

Using only around 60g (2oz) of cheese at a time add this to the sauce and then mix to melt. Once the cheese is melted into the sauce add the next batch of cheese. My recipe calls for half shredded cheese half sharp cheese to give a balance between taste and texture but you can use whatever cheese you have in the house, including soft cheeses. Once all the cheese is is melted into the sauce it should have a slight stringy texture to it when you lift the spoon and a reflective fatty look to it.

This is when you should taste the sauce and season to your preference, then fold in the cooked vegetables. It is also the time to add variations of your choosing such as:

• Broccoli and seeded mustard (as shown)
• Fried bacon and sweet corn
• Spinach and feta
• Herbs and asparagus

Pour the prepared mixture into a glass baking dish; sprinkle with the cheese set asside earlier and then brown under the grill (broiler) for 5 mins. 

Remember that this dish is very rich; 6 serves are still quite high calorie. Macros below are for the full tray, per serve are Calories - 446, Carbs 11g (Net 8.6g), Fat 34.8g, Protein 24.5g

Snapshot: Lajkonik Bakery, Krakow

When travelling a good breakfast joint is a great find; finding somewhere cheap and cheerful to eat a real meal before work or tourism makes all the difference to your day. There also becomes a point in Poland where you can't face another meal of pork and cabbage. Craving salad and fibre I was glad to come across the Lajkonik Bakery. 

There are a couple of these around the Old Town; one near the Barbican and one near the Rynek Glowny both conveniently situated to stop before site seeing. 

Dominikański kurczak - Chicken fillet, pesto rosso, dried tomatoes and rucola in a wheat and rye roll. Combo meal with Coffee 12PLN

Stopping for breakfast means great combo deals (this costs a wopping $4USD). Good quality ingredients are heated to order and served with strong European style coffee. The bread is the real star of the show here; heavy sour dough and rye breads are baked fresh each morning. You can take away full loaves and rolls, pastries and croissants but I needed something green!

Lekki krakowiak - Cream cheese and tomato in a rustic roll 8PLN

Caprese on a heavy rye bread roll. Fresh or toasted this is the perfect morning meal to recover from pork dumplings and cutlet the night before.

You can eat in the restaurant or take away. Eating in affords hot fresh coffee and efficient service or take away to eat while enjoying the view or on your site seeing activities for the day. Lajkonik is a combined retail shop and cafe so expect plastic chairs and hustling service; you will have to bus your own tray once you are finished. 

Lajkonik Bakery

http://www.lajkonik-pik.pl/en

Bakery shop and cafe

Casual fresh snacks and breakfast

Review: Restauracja Wesele, Krakow

Wesele is another of the Michelin starred restaurants owned by the same group as Mod Molina and Marmolada. Meaning "The Wedding" and named for the Stanisław Wyspiański play this restaurant is aimed squarely at offering a Polish family style cuisine and dining experience to tourists in Krakow.

Situated directly on the Old Square you can of course take in the gorgeous views of the Rynek Glowny and the Artisan Hall from the outside seating.

We however were dining on a busy tourist day and the crowds on the square were of little interest so instead we decided to take in the quaint traditional setting inside the restaurant. The entire restaurant is decked out in country style Polish furniture with wait staff in traditional clothing; it's every bit as magical as the square itself.

Chripiaca grillowana kaszanska z cebulka serwowana z kapustka zasmazana (Grilled black pudding with onion served with fried cabbage) 17PLN

Black pudding is hard to come by in the US where I currently live so it was time to indulge in a local version. This is a rough chopped version with bulgar wheat, more akin to a haggis than Irish or French style blood sausage. The pudding is spiced perfectly and served with the ubiquitous cabbage and sweet onions to compliment the savoury meat 

Polska specjalnosc: kotlet schabowy z kostka panierowany z kapustka zasmazana i ziemniaczkami zasmazanyrni z kpoerkiem (Polish specialty: pork chop with fried cabbage and fried potatoes with dill) 36PLN

Heart warming and familiar this Milanese/Vienna Schnitzel style breaded cutlet is a good example of a traditional dish. Served with creamy buttered cabbage and country style home fries this is a great hearty dish after trekking up and down hills in Old Krakow. Down it with a local Żywiec lager and have a little Germanic influenced treat Polish style.

Buraczki zasmazane (Fried Beetroot) 8PLN 

Finding vegetables in Poland that are not purely starch can be difficult; one of the best options is usually beets. Bright and tart they cut through the heavy pork and cabbage dishes well. This preparation of fried grated beetroot became my favourite side dish on this trip. 

The restaurant is what you expect of  one of this quality - service is attentive, a full service bar is available and the atmosphere is cosy and pleasant. As with many restaurants on the square in the Old Town the prices are high for locals but very affordable for tourists. I stopped here for a drink in the evening but found it quiet and a little stilted; I would definitely recommend stopping for lunch and enjoying the bustle of the square during the day. 

Restauracja Wesele

http://www.weselerestauracja.pl/

High end family style Polish food

Snapshot: Krakowska Manafaktura Czekolady

Krakow makes wonderful sweets; sticky sweet drinks, perfect parfaits, warming spiced cakes and fruit specialties abound. You can easily lose count of the number of chocolate makers around the Old Town but this chocolate store and cafe was a real highlight for me and a great place to pick up souvenirs.

Upstairs is a gorgeous coffee shop with quaint doilies and personalised crockery. The staff speak minimal English but do offer an English menu. 

They serve amazing hot chocolates and coffees.

Or if you prefer they'll serve you an entire cup of melted chocolate straight from their kitchens.

Downstairs is a veritable wonderland of chocolate purchases. Many of these are just novelty formations of pure chocolate in white, milk and dark. Adult items could be found for buck's and hen's nights, touristy formations of Krakow Dragons and Castles or Christian symbols for Easter. 

If you're looking for a reasonably priced gift in Krakow they offer a number of pure chocolate tablets gift boxed with the Krakow Castle on them. 

For a more upscale gift consider getting a box of handmade chocolates. Krakowska Manafaktura Czekolady make gorgeous marzipans from a variety of nuts, cream truffles and liqueur fruits. They offer gift boxing that is designed to endure a flight home. 

Krakowska Manafaktura Czekolady

http://chocolate.krakow.pl/gb/ 

Upscale chocolate store and cafe

Recipe: Beet and Arugula Salad

Another of my favourite home salads this is a cafe inspired side dish that goes perfectly with red meat.

Beet and Arugula Salad

2 cups baby arugula (rocket)

60g (2oz) soft goat's cheese or blue cheese 

2 slices red onion

1/3 cup walnut pieces

1/2 can/bottle of pickled whole beets (~220g or 8oz)

1 tbpsn olive oil

1 tbspn balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Method

• Dice the onion into bite sized pieces and cut the beats into quarters
• Place the beets, onions and argula in a salad bowl
• Add the walnut, making sure to break up whole nut pieces
• Add the oil and balsamic to the salad, then season with salt and pepper
• Toss the salad thoroughly ensuring all the leaves are coated in the dressing
• Crumble the cheese over the salad and then fold gently - do not rigorously toss the cheese through the salad or it will disintegrate
• You can choose any soft white cheese to your taste, here I have used St Agur blue but Chevre or Danish Feta also work well
• Serves 3 - per serve 219 calories, 6g net carbs, 18g fat

Review: Marmolada, Krakow Poland

The owners of Marmolada have several of the most highly rated restaurants in the old town of Krakow but of those I ate at this was my favourite. Like a lot of cuisines from Central and Eastern Europe Polish food is heavy and focuses on meat and pickles. Great for warming up but expect to hunt for green vegetables and salad - sparkling water helps cut through the fat. 

Its place directly on Rynek Glowny (the stunning Krakow Mediaeval square) makes it expensive by Polish standards but the average Western tourist will find the "lavish" prices somewhat economic. For the most part the USD stays steady at around 3PLN, so divide prices by 3 for translation to USD.

Pierogi z farszem z miesa - w piecu zpiakane (Meat filled dumplings with onion and crackling) 19PLN

I will take dumplings over almost any other food regardless of the culture, so I came to Poland ready for pierogi and lot of them. These were excellent, lightly fried and then oven baked they will remind many of gyoza/pot stickers but with a richer slow cooked meat filling. These were easily the best example I had while in Poland and at less than $7 for a plate served charmingly in its pan this is worth a stop. 

Poledwica wolowa najprzediesjszego gatunku - wypieczona wedlug uznania z sosem z zielonego pieprzu (Beef tenderloin in a green pepper sauce) 56PLN

A well cooked beef tenderloin steak, while you can get this anywhere the creamy rich Polish sauces are worth checking out. 

Sledz tradycycyjny marynowany z cebulka w oliwie przedniego gatunku (Salted herring marinated with onion and olive oil) 14PLN

Nothing says grey European skies like cold salted herring; my only surprise was that this wasn't for breakfast. Sadly I cannot comment because herring with creamy salads is a course I'll skip. The recipient seemed to enjoy it, if you're into that kind of thing. 

Rozgrzewajacy gulasz wolowy z suszonymi grzbami, rozmarynem i aromatycznym tymiankiem (Beef goulash with aromatics) 24PLN

Goulash is the other dish I love to eat in this part of the world - slow cooked spicey and creamy stew heavy on the paprika and herbs. Try it with knedle (Polish spatzle) or kopytka (Polish gnocchi) for a warm filling comfort meal. 

Meals are served separately to side dishes, so be aware when ordering that vegetables or starches will need to be ordered separately. This has the advantage in a group meal of being able to mix up side dishes "family style". 

Steamed Green Vegetables 8PLN

We were glad to see these and surprised to find them lacking in crackling or oil. After endless Pork you too would be joyed to see plain vegetables. 

Pan fried potato wedge 8PLN

Fried potatoes, golden crispy and well cooked; perfect with a hearty Polish meat dish. 

Mizeria (Cucumber Salad) 8PLN

Looking for something a bit lighter? Cucumbers are one of the reliably available green sides and almost always served with sour cream. This sour cream was rich and thick, more like a creme fraiche and mixed with fresh dill. Perfect to cut through the heavier dishes. 

The Polish do good coffee, so stop at the end of the meal for an Espresso. If you've room after the heavy food you should definitely try a local pastry as Krakow is famous for its delicious fruit and nut based desserts. 

Szarlotka prosto z pieca jakiej na pewno nie jadles z lodami waniliowymi (Apple pie with vanilla ice cream) 13PLN

Shown without the ice cream due to the dairy intolerants at the meal. Delicous buttery short crust pastry filled with local apple and spices. They sell these streusel topped pies and slices everywhere, excellent with a strong cup of coffee. 

Tradycyjni delikatny sernik krakowski z gorzka czekolada, na cieplo podany (Traditional Krakow cheesecake served warm with bitter chocolate sauce) 15PLN

We debated for some time about this dish before confirming with the waitress; this was no translation error but indeed a hot cheesecake. Curious we ordered and shared it. A familiar semi sweet ricotta based cheese cake is warmed in the oven and served with chocolate sauce. I can't help but feel this would have been better warm and stuffed with fruit like raisins or cherries. 

There is some debate on Yelp and TripAdvisor that this restaurant deserves its fame and (contextually) hefty price tag. Most of the arguments seem to be about poor table placement. Like many restaurants in Stare Miesto this is housed in a Mediaeval (14th Century AD) building and thus space can be a little cramped. We had a large group and so fared very well, I would suggest if you are alone or in a pair that you are specific about your seating requirements.

The service was good, the food excellent and the atmosphere lovely. The delightful building of antiquity is furnished with homey feeling Polish furnishings and there was a delightful live music duo throughout our dinner. Bonus points for playing Satie, Nyman and Tiersen throughout the meal I couldn't have picked a better play list if I tried.

Marmolada

http://marmoladarestauracja.pl/

Upscale traditional Polish food
Famous without feeling touristy

Recipe: Tangy goat's cheese green salad

Requests for salad ideas are always coming up on my Keto Recipes board so I thought it was time to record some of my favourites.

Tangy goat's cheese and greens salad 

60g (2oz) Chevre soft goats cheese
1 baby romaine lettuce
2 slices of red onion
1/4 cup pickled artichokes
1/2 medium hass avocado
1 tbpsn hazelnut oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Hazelnut oil isn't the cheapest but it is absolutely delicious and a little goes a long way. You can use any light oil such as grape seed or canola if you don't want to shell out for specialty oil. 
• In the US I buy Laura Chenel's Chevre as well as being light, moist and locally produced it is available in Bay Area Costco franchises. At around $7 for 6-8 salads worth this is an affordable luxury. 
• Rinse the lettuce and cut off the stem, slice the leaves into 3/4 inch width strips
• Cut 2 large slices off a red onion and dice into strips
• Cut the avocado and remove the seed, dice the flesh into cubes
• Drain the artichokes of oil and cut each piece in half
• Place all the vegetables in a salad bowl. Season the salad with salt and pepper
• Add the lemon juice and oil and toss the salad to ensure all the vegetables are dressed and seasoned
• Once the salad is tossed then crumble the goat's cheese using a fork over the dressed salad, do not add the cheese before dressing as it will break down
• Serve with your favourite chicken or fish dish

Recipe: Low Carb Peanut Butter Cups

You can always buy Atkins' brand low carb peanut butter cups but I'm not a fan of processed foods and the quality of the chocolate leaves a lot to be desired. These are my 'go to' low carb treat, they're easy to make and very satisfying.

Low Carb Peanut Butter Cups

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

115g (4oz) 100% Cocoa chocolate

1 tspn natural vanilla essence

100g unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated Splenda

Method

• I buy 100% Cacao Ghirardelli baking chocolate; it melts well and the texture is smoother than many other low sugar/high cocoa bars on the market. 
• I tried experimenting with adding sweetener to the chocolate but it causes it to split. If you must have sweetened chocolate use Liquid Stevia or Sucralose and melt the chocolate with 1 tbspn of coconut oil using a double boiler.
• Prepare enough space in your freezer for a baking tray, you will need the space for 3 separate phases of preparation. 
• Take a muffin tray and line it with muffin cases; I use silicon muffin cases for easy removal and no papery bits in your chocolate. 
• Melt half the chocolate using a double boiler or a microwave on high for 1 minute. Place 1 tspn of the melted chocolate into each muffin case. 
• While the chocolate is still warm swhirl the tray so that the chocolate covers the bottom of the muffin case. If you have a deft hand you can get the chocolate to also coat the sides of the muffin tin so that it will encase the peanut mixture later.
• Place the tray into the freezer for 20 mins to let the chocolate set, this is vital to get the layered cup effect. Once the bottom layer is cold you can begin to prepare the peanut mixture.
• Heat the peanut butter and butter until they are melted together, this will seem quite liquid but once cooled will add a creamy effect. Add the Splenda and Vanilla essence to the peanut mixture and stir thoroughly until the Splenda has dissolved.
• Place 1 tbspn of the peanut mixture in each muffin tin and return the tray to the freezer for another 20 mins or until the peanut mixture sets.
• Melt the remaining chocolate and place 1 tspn of chocolate into each muffin tin. Again swhirl the tray so that the melted chocolate completely covers the peanut mixture. 
• Return the tray to the freezer for at least 20 more minutes, once the cups are fully set you can remove them from the tray and store in an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for up to a month.
• This makes 24 small (86 cals, 2.3g net carbs, 8.3g fat) or 12 very generous (172 cals, 4.5g net carbs, 16.5g fat) peanut butter cups.

What I'm watching right now...

Living in the US is the first time I've had cable TV for any extended period and lets face it my TV is almost perpetually tuned to the Food Network, the Cooking Channel or the Travel Channel. Recently we also discovered that we have seemingly endless 'on demand' options meaning I can search for new shows on my tablet and send them directly to my TV rather than having to chance on advertisements for new shows.

Easy Chinese

Ching-He Huang is a UK raised Chinese chef who makes for a chipper and charismatic host. Each episode of Easy Chinese picks a theme of Chinese cuisine - sweets, celebration food, dumplings and explores eateries famous for each dish. The majority of the show focuses on recipes inspired by her outings rather than the restaurants so this is a show for the chef not the consumer. I love her take on authentic Asian food and for the Asian newbie her recipes are simple and delicious. I was thoroughly amused to see her as confused by American style Chinese food as I was on first contact. If you enjoy Ching-He's style then check out her other how Restaurant Redemption which is a Restaurant Impossible style makeover show for Asian Takeaway joints.

Top Chef

 Well you knew this though right? Top Chef just seems to get better and better with every season. High quality chefs are put to challenging tasks creating new dishes, new restaurants and highlighting their own style. The guests and judges are the creme de la creme of the food world - Tom Colicchio, Wolfgang Puck, Anthony Bourdain, Eric Ripert, David Chang, Daniel Boulud to name but a few. This is the pinnacle of television for those who take their food seriously. Season 11 has been fantastic with some excellent new challenges focused on Creole cuisine in New Orleans.

Man vs Food Nation

Man vs Food is not for the feint hearted; host Adam Richman visits restaurants around the Americas the offer food challenges. In the first three seasons "Man vs Food" Adam himself performed each and every one of the challenges; sometimes he won, sometimes food won. If you despise food wastage or American fast food I suggest you avoid, however it's like watching a delicious car crash. The only problem is that Adam is a wonderful host, and as time went on you could see the impact that the constant gluttony had on his health. Presumably his doctors intervened because now we have Man vs Food Nation; the format is the same, Adam visits local eateries and then a food challenge ensues. The only difference is that now fans of the show perform the challenges and you don't have to watch the same person suffer week after week. Other than the unbelievable challenges Adam visits some wonderful "mom & pop" restaurants all over America that are worth checking out.

Restaurant Express

Restaurant Express is a reality competition show recently added to the Food Network lineup. Each week contestant spin up a pop up restaurant and compete for business; as if each episode was it's own Top Chef Restaurant Wars. The host is Robert Irvine whose grumpy but caring style I love from Restaurant Impossible. The first season was a monumental success and I hope to see more of this show in future.

Giada At Home

Giada de Laurentiis is an Italian born chef with a casual easy presentation style. Giada at Home focuses on authentic family style Italian and Sicilian recipes. Many are simple enough for the new cook and the food is very family friendly if you're looking to feed a clan. I love that Giada uses 'real' ingredients - plenty of good quality oils, flours, meats and full fat cheese. Now if only I could work out how she stays so slim on this diet I'd be happy.