Fructose or Sugar Free Vegetable Dressings

Hi Followers,
Sorry it has been a while since my last posting....was called away on urgent business to Sydney last week, and it truly demanded my undivided attention .....and energies.... to say the least. But I am back on board now (fingers crossed), and hope that the dust settles at least for the next few months before I have to make another visit to the big smoke.


And wasn't I tested having to forage in the Sydney without my fructose-free supplies. Despite the fact that I didn't think I slipped up in any way, I didn't do too well on the scales on my return home. I actually gained a kilogram!!!!! So I have done a whole rethink of what I consumed last week (excluding the wine), and believe that once again I most likely overdid the 'quantity' thing and the carbs. As of Monday, I have really cut down on my carbs (as well as the sugars/ fructose) and am actually feeling a lot flatter in my tummy for it. Hardly any bloated feeling in my tummy, and the sometimes puffy ankles are noticeably absent.....uhmmmmm......


So what exactly am I living on? Well....I always have my 2 vitabrits (my only carbs for the day) with some mixed natural berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries), a small handful of toasted almonds and some delicious whole milk for breakfast. For lunch I have a salsa of vegetables with a portion of meat/ fish/ chicken. And for dinner, I have steamed vegetables with a dressing, and a portion of meat/ fish/ chicken. This doesn't seem like much but it is enough to keep me truly satisfied without the mid-morning/mid-afternoon munchies wanted. So I will see how I go over the next two weeks.


One of my retired male friends is going great guns and losing heaps of weight just following the sugar free regime. Mind you he is climbing our 'little hill' here in Townsville twice a day....so that has to help right???? I truthfully have a fairly physical job, but a lymphodoemia problem... so maybe the carbs I have been enjoying lately could be my undoing. Time will tell. Bye pasta, fresh bread, and rice!!!! I know I won't give up until this weight comes off. If any of you have any words of advice or encouragement, please tell me...I promise to take it on board.

For todays little 'treat' I thought (seeing as how Ralphy and I are eating lots of vegetables), I would chat about the different dressings I quickly make to 'spice' the vegetable dishes up. After all, I am trying to come up with a lifestyle change and not simply a 'few-months-diet' plan. And vegetables have to be a delight to eat 24/7 especially if you are not that keen on vegetables!!!! Truthfully Ralphy and I quite enjoy our veg but they can get a little boring (like all foods) when eaten day in and day out. So here are a few of my quick ideas especially for during the work week when time is often in short supply.

Beef and Vegetable Salad

One of my favourite dishes (and Ralphy's) is to quickly cook a steak in a pan to medium rare. Whilst this is cooking, I crush on a chopping board a garlic clove with some salt (and sometimes some parsley). I then smear this garlic paste all over the board. As soon as the steak is cooked, I remove from the pan on to the board and thinly slice without resting the meat. Using clean hands, I quickly toss the pieces of meat around on the board to blend through the garlic, salt (and parsley if used). The 'dressed' beef slices are then added to a bowl of prepared (and slightly olive-oiled) vegetables with leaves of basil or watercress or baby spinach or........ How fresh and clean is that taste. Now if I wasn't on my almost carb-free diet, I would toast up a slice of sourdough bread and heap a ladel of this gorgeous dressed beef salad on top. Still it is nice without the carbs!!!!

The simplest way to dress vegetables is to just toss them with a little GOOD quality olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt (and pepper if you must). I won't be adding pepper to any of my following recipes as I hate pepper except on boiled eggs. Cannot explain that....go figure???? Sometimes I may add a squeeze of lemon, or limes, or lemonade fruit juice depending on the vegetable(s) to be dressed. This simple idea is particularly great with fresh beans, asparagus, and/or broccolini.

Dressed Grilled Vegetables

Another quickie is to drain the vegetables well, then toss them with a teaspoon of dijon mustard (sugar free of course) and a little salt. Carrots are really nice done this way. New potatoes chopped into bite sized pieces (and still with their skin on), steamed or microwaved, then tossed with a little sour cream or better still, my homemade greek yoghurt soft creamcheese is to die for (see earlier post). And don't forget the fresh finely chopped parsley if not already in the creamcheese.


Tonight I cooked a vegetable dish consisting of quartered yellow squash, quartered brussel sprouts (one of my favourite vegetables), one crushed garlic, and a 1/4 cup of flaked almonds. After heating some olive oil in the pan with a 1/2 teaspoon of butter, I added the vegetables, garlic, and almonds and kept tossing gently so that they cooked on all sides. When browned I then  squeezed over a little lemon and a quick grind of salt and removed from the pan into a serving dish. WOW!!!! What a yummy dish, and yet so easy. Next time I may add some very finely grated lemon rind or ginger before tossing.


Of course, the quick addition of fresh basil leaves, toasted pine nuts or roasted almonds, a piece of red chilli, some olive oil and salt into the blender and a quick whizz makes the most tasty pesto to add to chick peas or beans, diced tomatoes,  or even roasted diced pumpkin or sweet potatoes. And don't forget the wonderful flavours of soy or tamari sauce especially on a beef or chicken and vegetable salad like the one above.


None of these dressings I have just mentioned are harmful to you or against the principles of the fructose/ sugar free diet. Yes there are fats but not a lot. We must have some fats in our diets as these are essential in the production of many of our hormones etc. And don't forget from an earlier post, that the fats must be of good quality and whole.... not low fat or skimmed or margarines, or seed oils etc. Just remember what your mum always said...quality not quantity!!!! So I hope I have given you a few quick, tempting ideas to try for yourself (if not your family and visitors!!!!!).


And that my cherubs is your lot for the week. Don't forget to post me if you have any good ideas or words of advice...... I too am on a learning curve as I am sure many of you are (from the statistics I receive each week.... great to see... welcome and thank you for joining me).


Until my next posting, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite..... and have a good week...... Noels

Short Cuts In Planning Your Weeks Menu

Hello Followers,


Another weekend shot in the foot!!!! I went and visited my mum over the weekend and a break from cooking I did not have. Mum feels not confident enough to cook meals that are sugar free so has me do all the cooking. Honestly I think this is a big cop-out as if anyone ever cooks using only fresh/ natural ingredients, it is my mum. Having been bought up on a farm miles from any shops (and in the good old days), her main meal recipes usually involve home grown or fresh vegetables, meats, fish, and chicken. There definitely are no tinned/bottled/ packeted products of any kind added to her cooking. Everything is from scratch. Mind you the afternoon teas and desserts she is also famous for are a definite no-no sugar wise. But that is a whole bottled other story. Living on her own, I really think she just loves someone else cooking and knows that my meals are centred around what she likes. Oh well...... but it would be nice to have a break from the cooking sometimes (whinge, whinge!!!!).


Now in the last post I suggested to you all that I would give some hints on how to plan the weeks meals so that not so much planning/ cooking is required especially if you work. Granted that in my household there is only Ralphy and I, but we both do shift work and often have opposing shifts. So I find myself having to prepare/cook meals ahead of time especially when I have a late followed by an early shift and Ralphy is on the opposite time schedule.....and he doesn't cook full stop!!! He is a great washer-upper and will warm up meals in the microwave, but that is where he draws the line. So what do I do.... well........

Before we get into the guts of it....yuck....what a horrible word!!!!........I suggest you start with a blank meal planning calendar. Make a list of what you have on hand in the freezer, fridge and pantry. This way when you plan you can add to your plan some make-ahead meals or preparations as you go. At this stage, it is a good idea to check with your family what is happening in their lives for the week that may interfer with your well laid plans!!! Do you need to make a meal in 15 minutes for example versus 30 minutes and what days work best for you for baking and meal preparation. And don't forget to plan around leftovers. They always seem to get a bad rap but with a little imagination to 'spice' things up, leftovers can be a very handy resource especially on busy nights...... and a saving. I so hate wasting good food by having to throw it out.


Below is an example of the sort of week I usually plan for Ralphy and I. It is by no means set in concrete as there is always the inevitable event happening in our lives, not to mention changes in our shifts. But it should give you a heads up and help you 'connect the dots' especially when you read some of the hints that follow this menu plan. 

	SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Lunch	Grilled Foccacia (may use some of the grilled left-over vegetables from roast dinner Saturday night), grill eggplant.	Rice salad (use frozen rice from previous week and defrosted meatballs) or quick omelets in microwave, parsley, some left over  roasted vegetables).	Salsa of tomatoes, capsicum, chives basil, fetta cheese, olives, diced beef (from previous weeks roast beef) on slice of toast	Left over Pizza	Pasta (defrosted) with diced grilled chicken. Add freshly diced salad vegetables….tomatoes, capsicum, capers, microwaved sliced broccolini, greek yoghurt, Dijon mustard.	Potato wedges with greek yoghurt, fish cakes (defrosted from previous week), fresh green salad	Lamb jaffels (use left over lamb casserole)
Dinner	Pasta with steamed broccoli, mushrooms, and grilled bacon. (Cook extra pasta and freeze)	Lamb casserole with mashed potatoes and buttered French beans (freeze leftovers)	Pizza night (use vegetables leftover from Sunday) with some grilled chicken (double for next day)	Steak and vegetables	Grilled fish with home made potato wedges (double up)and fresh salad	Spaghetti with meatballs, Garlic bread or rolls (freeze extra meatballs)	Roasted Chicken (double, freeze leftovers.) roasted vegetables (double, smaller  dice, freeze)

Hint 1. Purchase a huge piece of beef/ lamb and roast it. When cooked, cut into several segments. One segment I will use for dinner that night as a lovely roast dinner. Another piece I usually finely dice and place in a container in the fridge (this I use for lunches...see hint 4 below). Another piece I will cut up into slightly larger pieces and place in a container in the freezer. This container I will use later in the week to make a curry or pasta meal (see 5 below).


Hint 2. After removing the roast meat from the baking tray, add some water to the dish and bring back to the boil (I do this on the top of the stove on a coil) to dissolve all the lovely meat juices. I then decanter some of this liquid into a jug leaving only enough in the baking dish to make a lovely gravy for the night meal. I won't tell you how to make a gravy here as I know you have this under you belt already....right????


When the liquid in the jug has cooled, I pour this into several of those lovely little silicone cupcake containers that are so popular nowadays and freeze. Make sure you place these cupcake containers on a tray before filling with the cooled meat juice as it is much easier to handle. Once frozen, they are very easy to demould and then place in a freezer bag for later use in flavouring meals.


Hint 3. When cooking the roast over several hours, prepare lots of vegetables. And I mean lots of all sorts of vegetables. Potatoes, pumpkin, onions, celery, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, beetroot, parsnips, mushrooms, capsicums.....whatever you like or have. Usually for the dinner that night with the roast beef, I will select some of the potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, pumpkin, and carrots and leave in roast dinner sized pieces. The remainder of the vegetables I cut into much smaller pieces (about 2cm) and mix together in a big bowl with some olive oil, fresh rosemary and paprika. I then place these vegetables on a tray (or two) that has been covered with baking/non-stick paper and pop into the oven to cook with the roasting meat that should be merrily cooking away. Keep an eye on these vegetables and stir after 20 minutes or so to cook evenly. Usually these vegetables are ready after around 40 minutes depending on the heat of your oven. When cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool. Place in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Then I place the remaining vegetables (cut into the bigger pieces) in the oven for the dinner that night.


Hint 4. When you need to cook rice (hopefully brown rice!!!!), make sure you cook up heaps of it. Take what you require for your dinner that night and place the remainder into sealed containers and freeze for later use. You can do the same with pastas especially the shells and penne, tubes, and bows.


Hint 5. Grow in pots near your back door (or on the kitchen sill if you gets lots of sunlight), herbs for flavouring your dishes. Because you are not using lots of sugar-laden sauces, herbs are a great food enhancer. Of course, there is always the supermarket until these herbs get growing!!! And don't forget a bowl of lemons kept on the kitchen bench for that quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice to finish a dish....it's a must have and allowable.


I also always have available in the refrigerator fresh Parmesan cheese (for grating on my dishes), feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, natural greek yogurt, kalamata olives, a bottle of capers, and some Dijon mustard.


Hint 5. For a lunch or light dinner, combine a defrosted container of rice or pasta with some of the roasted chopped up vegetables you had already cooked (hint 3), the diced roast meat (hint 1), perhaps some additional pieces of diced feta cheese, a few thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and some yummy sliced kalamata olives. Or save the meat for another meal and instead quickly place some bacon rashers in the microwave on absorbent paper and zap for a minute or so until cooked and then dice and add to the dish...... or open a tin of your favourite fish.... or break a couple of eggs in a microwave safe bowl and mix with some salt and a dash of milk and cook for a minute (according to your microwave instructions), then chop up and add to rice or pasta dish....or if wanting a nice hot meal, don't forget to use one of the roast meat 'stock cubes' you made in hint 2.......... or....


Do you see what I am suggesting here. By thinking ahead and having some of the meals already partly prepared, it is not that time consuming or difficult to make entirely different dishes by just adding a few optional ingredients each time. And don't forget the herbs in these options. Basil, parsley, chives really add lots of flavour as does a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of good olive oil.


I hope these few helpful suggestions have started you thinking of a more healthy, and enjoyable way of cooking that isn't too labour intensive or brain zapping and free of sugar, in particular fructose!!! It will take a bit of getting used to initially I am sure (as does anything new) but with a little practise, planning, and patience, you will reap the rewards in no time. Meals will be so healthy, inviting and tasty...... and you will actually find that your grocery bill won't be that bad either. 


Most of your shopping will be around the periphery of the supermarket with only occasionalvisits to the rice, pasta, and flour lanes. Someone once told me to commence my weeks plan at the end of the week after the weeks supermarket specials come out. Hey, if this works for you and your family is on a budget or if you simply want to cut back on your spending, then go for it. 


Oh...and I almost forgot to give you the best hint of all time.....POST YOUR MEAL PLAN. Stick it on the fridge. This way, your whole family know what they'll be having for dinner and can help out by commencing dinner if you are running late or take something out of the freezer. Of course if you are married to someone like my Ralphy, then you may just starve....or have to resort to vegamite on toast!!!!


So good luck my cherubs in your menu planning..... and don't forget....
..........sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite..........Noels

Fructose Free Anzac Biscuits

Hi Everyone,
Well Saturday was weigh in day again and we are pleased to report that after our Easter week weight gain (only little.....not quite 1kg each), we are back to where we were pre-Easter....which is great although Ralphy is a bit disheartened. I really think he wants it to fall off by the bucket loads. But a sedentary life most weekends won't cut it (so to speak). And we are eating well... sometimes really surpassing our satisfaction state in appetite control...hence the Easter little gain!!!!  I believe that we need to cut down on the carbs a little more, (allowable and yummy as they are). The bottom line is still that old equation - energy in < energy out = lose weight..... Einstein would be so proud of me!!!!


How do I feel all up with my new "lesser" me? In a word - great! I do have more energy, more bounce, more motivation as the weeks go by. Sometimes I feel like grabbing something naughty like an ice-cream when we go out or a ???............ actually, it just dawned on me as I am typing away that most times I don't really feel like anything. I don't actually ever miss anything not allowed that I would want to go out and intentionally buy. This doesn't mean if I see someone indulging in a Ferro Roche I don't salivate embarrassingly. But it is all what the eyes see and the memory triggers that makes me almost instantly drown in my own saliva. But once I move on, it is all forgotten. Soooo.... the secret is to try and avoid being tempted although I am getting better at resisting. I have a will-power now that my dear sweet dad would be sooooooo very proud of.


And the really "bestest" thing happening lately is all the compliments I am getting from my work mates. They don't realise just how much of a bounce they put in my step every time they comment on how great I am looking/ how much weight I have lost. I love them so much for making me feel so good. Just as well I don't wear tops with buttons down the front as I would pop the buttons I am sure. 


And this is a lesson to self. To try and say something really genuine and nice to at least one person each day in my life. If I can make one person a day feel even half as good as I feel when I have a nice compliment given to me, then my days goal is achieved. I truly don't think this is going to be a challenge as I work with some pretty amazing people who give so much of themselves. But enough soppiness.... it is going to make my next recipe all soggy and soft!!!!


Being Anzac Day tomorrow, I just had to do Anzac Biscuits. Yes you heard me correctly.....Anzac Biscuits with no sugar!!!! And they are yummy....really firm and yummy and close to the original flavour..... and allowable in our 'diet'....although calories are calories and will stop you losing weight if you have more than one (or two). 


This recipe is out of my cooking bible by David Gillespie.... the Sweet Poison Quit Plan.  If you haven't purchased it yet and want to join us on the fructose free lifestyle plan, then I suggest you get your little butts off quickly and order it. By the way Big W usually stock it. As David says, "The critical part of the traditional Anzac biscuit is golden syrup". And as I mentioned in an earlier posting for those who have been following me to date, golden syrup is full of fructose and a BIG NO NO!!!! But we can use liquid glucose purchased from the supermarket, the result being a nice hard tooth-breaking biscuit that you expect the Anzac biscuit to be. So here goes.


Anzac Biscuits

Makes approx. 24

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup coconut

1 1/4 cups dextrose

150g butter

3 tablespoons boiling water

4 tablespoons glucose syrup

1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

• Preheat oven to 150º C (300º F). 
• Line two baking trays with paper.
• Sift flour into a large bowl. Add oats, coconut and dextrose, then set aside.
• Melt butter in a saucepan, then add syrup and water. Allow mixture to boil briefly before taking off the heat. Add baking powder to the saucepan, allow it to foam, then pour immediately onto dry ingredients. Mix well.
• Take heaped teaspoon sized pieces of mixture and press out thinly (about a fingers width) onto greased trays, allowing room for spreading.
• Bake for approximately 30 minutes until golden.
• Cool on a wire rack (biscuits will be soft and spongy when warm, but will harden as they cool).
• Store in an airtight container.

If you want to make a variation on the theme, try adding 2 teaspoons of ground ginger (or more, if you like) and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to this mixture before you bake it.

Challenge

• To stop at only one or two!!!!  BE WARNED!!

I hope you are starting to get the gist of this new healthy eating plan by now. It doesn't mean cutting your throat or doing without the sort of treats life threw our way. It does however mean that we have to be more motivated and creative in the kitchen and actually do more than open a packet of frozen food and heat it in the microwave.  Yes, we must actually cook and occasionally be required to adapt old favourite recipes to a fructose free way. But it is our health and that of our children we are talking about here...so what more motivation do we need than that. 

And to make things a little easier for you, I thought I would (starting in the next posting) give you some tips on how to plan meals ahead with not so much "planning" or "effort". Soooo stay tuned.

And in the meantime, sleep tight cherubs and don't let the bed bugs bite.........Noels 

How to Cook with Dextrose

Hi followers,
So how is your week so far? Been tempted to start the sugar free lifestyle yet? Here is something that may swing you further that way. I had a real reward yesterday for all the sugar I haven't consumed over the past three months that I am dying to tell you about.


I went for my 3 month dental check-up with the dental hygienist yesterday... 3 months because I had been negligent of my teeth cleaning and had a condition that left my gums in a very poor state (ratings mainly of 4 and 5 for each tooth for those in the know). Anyway, yesterday I had an incredible 1 and 2 rating which is a miracle result in that short time frame. My gums are perfect and healthy. The hygienist couldn't believe the results and said it was basically impossible to have such an improvement especially over just 3 months. She just couldn't explain it. I then suggested the possibility of the sugar-free diet perhaps being behind this miraculous healing. And to my amazement she actually agreed as she then admitted to having one other lady who has been on the same diet for 12 months now with similar results. So there you have it ....... a big positive in dental health. Yahoo!!!!


So how about you....want to hear more? Having to eliminate sugar...or more specifically fructose from your diet can be very tricky - but the benefits are huge. So how can you still enjoy the sweet treats  you soooooo love - after all the liking of sweet foods go way back to the caveman days. Yep, our ancestors only ate those fruits off the trees that were sweet, and totally avoided anything sour or bitter as these were usually poisonous!!!! How do we eat yummy cakes, and desserts without consuming the poisonous fructose. What do we use instead of sugar?


The answer is dextrose, bought at your local supermarket in the home brewing section. To be more exact (for all those closet chemistry buffs) it is officially known as dextrose monohydrate and is a form of glucose - sugar without the fructose. It's safe to use because our body does have a regulator for glucose. When we've had enough, a hormone is released which stops us from wanting more. Dextrose is very easy to digest, but it also releases into the bloodstream very quickly (I have spoken about this in length in earlier postings). 


So dextrose is good to use instead of regular table sugar. But there are some differences to keep in mind when cooking with dextrose. Being a monohydrate, it contains more water than sucrose does. So sometimes cakes and biscuits have to be eaten on the day they are made or they get a little soggy. Personally I have found putting them in the fridge reduces this happening most times...that is if the cakes last more than a day!!!! And the glucose powder is more finely ground than sucrose, so creaming butter with glucose, for a cake, might not incorporate as much air as the usual sucrose crystals. 


But remember this most important piece of information I am about to give you - stuffing yourself with cakes isn't going to do you any favours - whether they are made with dextrose or standard sugar. Dextrose is still energy and calories.  Make some, enjoy some, but don't overdo it. (Besides which, removing fructose from your diet  leaves you with less desire for sweet foods most times anyway......).



So how do you convert your recipes? Gram for gram, dextrose is about 70 percent as sweet as white sugar. So... to determine how much dextrose to use instead of standard sugar in a recipe, divide the quantity of standard sugar by 0.7. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, divide 1 by 0.7 to get 1.4 cups of dextrose. Or better yet.... because you and hopefully your family will all be on the diet, your taste buds won't like things as sweet as they used to be. Trust me this does happen. It really turns my eyeballs in when something sweet and sugary slips passed my scrutiny. If this is your story, then leave the recipe exactly as it is. By this I mean if it calls for 1 cup of sugar, then just use 1 cup of dextrose. To you it will still be heaps sweet enough without changing the volumes of the ingredients. 


So go ahead and do some experimenting with your favourite recipes. Sorbets and ice creams are a big success subbing in dextrose for sucrose (pretty much equal parts). I was actually googling earlier today for some proven dextrose recipes as I have a friend coming for a visit this Saturday and want something that will be a definite success.... and I found this interesting recipe for making sugar-free lamingtons!!!! So thought I would share it with you all.
Sugar-Free Lamington Recipe (Fructose Free)

Lamingtons have three parts- sponge, chocolate icing, and coconut. None of these are optional 

How to make the Sponge:

(Modified from “Complete Perfect Recipes”)

• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup dextrose
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup SR flour
• 75g melted butter

Preheat oven to 180 C. Spray a lamington tin with spray oil, baking paper as well.

Combine the eggs, dextrose and vanilla in a heatproof bowl. Microwave on 50% (for about 30 seconds) to dissolve the dextrose. Beat in a mixer until pale, thick and doubled in size.

Gently fold in the sifted flours, and the cooled melted butter. Mix until just combined and there is no flour.

Spread the mix into the tin. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until firm to touch. With lamington sponge, it’s best to cook until it’s firmer then a normal sponge. Leave it to cool.

How to make the Icing:

(Modified from David Gillespe’s The Sweet Poison Quit Plan)

• 3/4 cup dextrose
• 2 tbs water
• 2 egg whites
• 80-100g butter
• 2 1/2 tbs cocoa

Heat the dextrose and water in a pan (you could also use a saucepan) until it enters ‘soft ball’ stage.

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Trickle the dextrose mixture into the egg whites while still beating, until combined.

Beat the butter in a separate bowl so it’s light and thoroughly mixed. Mix the two together in a bowl with the cocoa.

How to make the coconut:

Buy desiccated coconut. 

Putting together your lamingtons:

This hardly needs an explanation, but in case you live somewhere else in the world, and you’ve been deprived on lamingtons your whole life, here’s a quick explanation.

1. Cut up the sponge cake into squares or rectangles.
2. Coat the mini sponges with the icing.
3. Cover with coconut. Don’t over-handle, or the icing will come through.
4. Refrigerate them so they set.

Uhmmmmmm... .. wish me luck and let me know if any of you have any success with one of your favourite recipes being converted.

Until we next meet, sleep tight cherubs and don't let the bed bugs bite.......... 

Mumma's Italian Comfort Soup

Hi Everyone,
Just in case you haven't pulled yourself out from under that warm doona yet and stuck your head outside, it is overcast, cold and windy......and definitely soup weather! So that is where I have decided to head today..... into the soup kitchen. This recipe is a version of one my mum used to always make. It is indeed a meal in itself , very comforting against the elements, and appropriate especially seeing as how I am on-call all of this weekend for work. That bowl of hot soup may just come in handy later!!!


I have called it Mumma's Italian Comfort Soup as I have used cacciatore sausages in it and thin spaghetti pasta. However, I have also made it with diced chicken, mince, or no meats at all and it is still very yummy and moreish. And instead of spaghetti pasta, I have sometimes used small pasta shells, angel hair pasta, or even rice or barley. So.... what I am really saying is don't freak out if you don't have or like all the suggested ingredients; modify the recipe to suit.


And why I have included this food in my blog is because it is very allowable in our eating plan.....all fresh produce and just full of goodness!!!!  The cacciatore sausages are made locally by my friendly butcher who uses dextrose instead of sugar in the recipe and lean pork, beef and back fat. And if you are really organised, you can do away with the canned beans as you will already have in your freezer little containers of soaked and cooked beans you did yourself just waiting for cold weather and soup making. So here goes....


Mumma's Italian Comfort Soup

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 diced onions
3 cloves garlic
1 cup thinly sliced button mushrooms
1 carrot diced
2 stalks (including leaves) thinly sliced celery
2 large cacciatore sausages
1 cup thinly sliced broccoli
3/4 cup diced pumpkin
3 diced fully ripened roma tomatoes
water or vegetable stock (I usually just use water as there are enough flavours from my fresh vegetables)
420g can sugarless, drained and rinsed red kidney beans
150g thin spaghetti broken into lengths around 3 inches


Method:

• Place oil in a large saucepan, and heat on the cook top. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, carrot, and celery and cook until the onion is transparent.
• Meanwhile place the 2 cacciatore sausages in a microwave dish and cook in microwave for 3 minutes or until sausages are cooked. Slice into 1cm rounds.
• Add sliced sausages, broccoli, pumpkin, and tomatoes to saucepan mixture. Add enough water or vegetable to completely cover the vegetables and continue cooking gently for 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are softened.
• Next add the beans and the uncooked pasta. Top up with more water or vegetable stock and continue gently cooking for 1/2 hour or until the pasta is softened. Add more fluids as required.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in a BIG bowl with a sprinkling of parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese. To really make it entertaining food, slice some sourdough bread, sprinkle with combined grated parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and grill under the grill until cheeses are melted and a little browned. Place slices of bread beside bowl of soup... great for dunking!!!! Hope I am not teaching you bad habits here!!!

Well I am off to have my bowl now and then hop into my warm comfy bed with a good book. Let's hope the hospital doesn't call me out.

Until next time cherubs, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite......Noels