Kitchen Cheat Sheet

Something I found and thought you would like - super handy when translating recipes from Europe vs North America vs UK...

Its a good thing;)

Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Curried Quinoa Salad

Sunday nights I like to prepare meals for the week ahead.
Quinoa has become a new favourite of mine as it is hearty, versatile, easy to freeze, is a complete protein source, is gluten-free and has a high nutritive value.
It also tastes good.

Tonight I made a quinoa salad using fresh vegetables and fruit from yesterday's market.

I wanted to make a zesty salad that would keep well - so something light on dressing and with vegetables and fruit that wouldn't go mushy by tomorrow (yes tomato - I'm talking to you;)

I am very happy with how this recipe turned out - use it as a template, adding in veggies and fruit you like/have in the fridge that won't go soggy. You can't go wrong!

 
What You'll Need - The Salad:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 red pepper
• 1/4 head of broccoli
• 1 crunchy apple
• 1/4 cup of raisins (dried cranberries would also be nice)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (almonds would also work well)
• 1 large carrot

What You'll Need - The Dressing:

• 1 Tbps liquid honey
• 1 Tbps curry powder (I used the Silk Road Spice Merchants Madras Curry Powder. This one is heaven)
• 1.5 Tbps olive or grapeseed oil
• 2 Tbps fresh lemon juice
• Twist of fresh pepper
• 1 Tbps dried dill flakes (not necessary, but I love dill...and just dried some and wanted to use it)

What You'll Do:

• Cook your quinoa (1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water. Boil water and slowly add quinoa, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid has been soaked into the grains)
• Dice your vegetables - make them as small as you can, so each bite has more than one piece of fruit or vegetable on it
• Crush your nuts 
• I just typed 'crush your nuts'...(insert immature giggle)
• Once your quinoa is cooked, let cool completely. Hot quinoa = soggy & soft veggies 
• In a small jar, add in the oil, lemon juice, honey, curry powder, dried dill and pepper
• Put the jar lid on, give it a good shake until combined
• Stir in your dressing into the quinoa grains until absorbed 
• Add the quinoa into the bowl of diced veggies and fruit
• Stir until completely mixed through
• Enjoy!

If you overdid it on the quinoa and cooked too much, good news is this grain freezes beautifully.
A trick I like is to use ziplock freezer bags instead of tupperware to store the excess.
This way you can squeeze all the air out of the bag, leaving little room for freezer burn to sneak in. You can also make the grains lay flat, so they defrost way faster than a deep container full.

The STEWART SCORE:
Appearance: 2
Taste: 2
Ease: 1.5

Dukan Oatbran Pancake (Galette) Recipes

A crucial part of the Dukan diet is eating oatbran everyday.
To do this during the Attack, Cruise, Consolidation and now the Stabalization Phase one eats a lot of the Dukan diet's Oatbran Pancakes (or, Galette's as Dr Dukan calls them).

They are quick to make, tasty to eat and store easily if you wish to pre-make them for a busy week ahead.

Below there are three recipes - all containing your daily consumption target of oatbran: The Basic, The Cinnamon Spice and The Lemon Yogurt.

The fun thing is, with 'The Basic' recipe - you can add toppings, try new spices - anything to keep eating oatbran from being boring...because you need to do it for life if you have committed to the Dukan diet.

The Basic: What You'll Need:

• 1 egg
• 1.5 Tbps Oatbran when you are in the Attack phase. Use 2 Tbps when you are on the Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization phases.
• 1.5 Tbps fat free quark or yogurt (I use 0% Total Fat-free Greek Yogurt). As per the oatbran, raise this amount to 2 Tbps when on the Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization phases.

What You'll Do:

• Use a non-stick frying pan
• Pre-heat your frying pan as you do the below steps
• In a small mixing bowl, add in your oatbran, fat-free quark or yogurt then egg
• Stir completely
• Pour onto your hot pan, cooking until the pancake starts to show small bubbles (about three minutes)
• Flip your pancake over and cook the other side until a nice light brown

Easy, right? But - admittedly pretty darn boring. We can be more creative than this?!

The Cinnamon Spice: What You'll Need:

• 1 egg
• 1.5 Tbps Oatbran when you are in the Attack phase. Use 2 Tbps when you are on the Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization phases.
• 1.5 Tbps fat free quark or yogurt (I use 0% Total Fat-free Greek Yogurt). As per the oatbran, raise this amount to 2 Tbps when on the Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization phases
• 1 tsp your favourite cinnamon (mine is from The Silk Road Spice Merchant - I use their Indonesian Korintje Cassia Cinnamon, I find it the most spicy)

* Repeat the cooking instructions from above

The Lemon Yogurt: What You'll Need:

• 1 egg
• 1.5 Tbps Oatbran when you are in the Attack phase. Use 2 Tbps when you are on the Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization phases.
• 1.5 Tbps fat free lemon-flavoured yogurt (which raises to 2 Tbps when not on the Attack phase)
• 1 tsp lemon zest

* Repeat the cooking instructions from above

Now its time to channel Martha - be creative!!

Try different spices that you love.
Make the pancake savoury by adding dill, fresh basil, curry powder...put salmon or tuna on it and have it for dinner instead of breakfast.
This is such a versatile recipe allowing for creativity.

Show Martha what tricks you have up your apron sleeve!
Try the sugar-free cinnamon apple sauce with strawberries (any berry would be tasty). Using sugar-free or xylitol-based syrup, or have The Basic galette with low-fat ham or chicken slices.
The STEWART SCORE:
Appearance: 1.5 (this would raise to a two with lots of pretty fruit toppers!)
Taste: 2
Ease: 2

Lemony Crackle Cookies

I am totally into lemons right now. Maybe because it is so dreary out right now and the smell and taste of lemons just makes me feel awake and cheery.

I have also been doing some reading on the benefit of lemons in your daily diet (benefits from immune-boosting to infection fighting) so I am trying to incorporate lemon juice and lemon zest into as much as I can.

Today was especially cool and dreary, so I wanted to make some cookies with a zing! I hope you like these as much I do - they turned out soft and light - like Summer in my mouth.

                                           * I do really need to stop taking pictures with my camera phone...                     

What You'll Need (2 dozen):

• MixMaster or hand blender
• 1/2 cup of softened butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar (I used 3/4 cup of my xylitol-based Ideal No Calorie Sweetener and 1/4 cup of sugar)
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbps fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

What You'll Do:

• Preheat your oven to 350 (175F)
• Lightly grease your cookie sheet, or use a non-stick sheet
• Cream your butter and sugar until fluffy looking
• Add in your vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest
• Crack your egg into a small cup (to check if it is good), lightly stir with a fork then add into your mixture
• Scrape down the sides of your bowl then mix again
• In a separate bowl, combine your salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour
• Stir until combined
• Slowly add the dry mixture into your wet mixture, scraping down the sides occasionally to ensure everything is fully mixed in
• Measure your powdered sugar into a bowl
• If your dough seems little too soft, do not add more flour - just let the mixture set in the fridge for 20 minutes, covered
• Roll small dough balls, approximately the size of a 2Euro coin/2Dollar coin
• Place the ball into the powdered sugar to cover
• Place the balls evenly spaced on your sheet (I fit 12 per sheet)
• Bake for 8-12 minutes depending on your oven - you want them cooked through, but not over done. Ideally you should remove them when the top is no longer glossy looking and when the bottoms have just started to lightly brown
• Let cool for a few minutes then move to a cooling rack
• Enjoy...with a nice cup of tea (with lemon in it, of course!;)

Martha would love these cookies as they are pretty, have a nice, light taste and are fancy - just like her.

The STEWART SCORE:
Appearance: 1.5 (they look a whisper scabby, rather than 'crackly')
Taste: 2
Ease: 2

Tangy Baked Broccoli Recipe

This is a recipe to kick up the taste of your broccoli, without smothering it in a fattening cheese sauce.

What You'll Need:

• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 tsp your favourite olive or grapeseed oil
• 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp dry BBQ or steak spice - I used the Silk Road Spice Merchant's St Laurent Steak Spice. I love this spice as it way less salty than normal BBQ spices and has a lovely spicy kick to it. If you can't get access to this spice you can also create your own by using: cracked black pepper, coarse salt, coriander, chile flakes, dill, paprika, mustard seeds, garlic and onion
• 1/3 cup of your favourite cheese - I used old gouda (as I live in the Netherlands), but a nice sharp cheddar or old parmesan would also work great
• Large bowl

What You'll Do:

• Pre-heat your oven to 350C (175F)
• Line a cookie sheet in tinfoil
• Inside your large bowl, add in your oil, salt and pepper to taste, BBQ spice
• Grate your lemon peel and add that into the oil mixture in your bowl
• Chop your broccoli - not too small or they will burn and not too large as they won't crisp up
• Toss your chopped broccoli into the bowl and toss around, ensuring each floret is covered in the oil mixture
• Lay out on the baking tray, evenly spaced
• Cut your lemon in half and squeeze lemon juice over each floret
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes
• Remove from the over and squeeze more lemon juice over top
• Bake another 10 minutes or until the tips of the broccoli start to turn light brown
• Grate your cheese
• Remove the broccoli from the oven, and, using a spatula, move all the broccoli close to each other in the centre of the pan. The sprinkle your grated cheese over top
• Bake another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melty
• Remove from the oven and enjoy

This side dish would go great with Lemony Dill Salmon or the Dukan Polenta Oatbran Chicken Nuggets.

I know Martha would like this side dish as broccoli is really good for you. It is loaded with fiber and vitamin C.  Just like her.

The STEWART SCORE: 
Appearance: 2
Taste: 2
Ease: 2

How to Dice an Onion

I cook with onion all the time.
One year for Christmas my husband bought me the Slap Chop (for real) to help me save time with all my dicing, chopping and slapping.
It was totally terrible. I threw it out after about four very unsuccessful attempts at dicing mastery.

Instead of gadgets, I use a trick my friend Keith showed me years ago, a trick I think you will all love.

I have tried to show you in the below picture, but, basically cut the onion in even strips in one direction, then rotate the onion, keeping it facing upwards, and slice in even strips, so you have a hatched pattern.

Then, turn your onion on its side and when you slice your onion evenly, all of your pieces will be perfect little squares. I love this trick and hope you do, too!

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

I love me my quick breads. Banana bread was a staple in my kitchen (before I started the Dukan diet...I am pretty sure the persistence of the bread and the start of the diet were directly correlated;).

Now that I am in the stabalization phase of the diet - life is fabulous. I am back to baking and enjoying the things I was temporarily off during the attack, cruise and consolidation phases. And now I am back on those things with new healthier cooking tricks up my apron sleeve!

As I recently bought some adorable little pumpkins from the market, I wanted to make something baked that was warm and comforting - and not just your standard pumpkin default dessert - the good 'ol pumpkin pie.

I pulled out my old banana bread recipe and thought about trying to swap the banana content with pumpkin puree and it turned out marvelously, if I do say so myself.

I just thought of a new term: 'Marthalously'. So - this recipe turned out Marthalously.

                                * I promise this is the last time I use my camera phone as a camera...

What You'll Need:

• 1 loaf pan
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (you can read the first part of this pumpkin risotto recipe to see how you make it, or use a can of un-sweetened puree)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup dark, brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp of Apple Pie Spice* (if you can't get this spice, use 1/2 tsp of ginger, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg)

What You'll Need to Do:

• Pre-heat your oven to 350 (175F)
• Grease then flour your loaf pan
• In a large bowl, mix together your pumpkin puree, egg, oil, water and sugars until smooth
• In a separate bowl, mix together your flour, baking soda, salt, and spices
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry, stirring slowly and allowing some 'lumps' to remain - you don't want this mixture too smooth
• Pour evenly into your prepared loaf pan
• Bake for about 45 -55 minutes
• The loaf is done when you can stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean
• Let cool then serve. Or just keep it your little secret and don't share a bite of it.

I think this bread is excellent on its own, but if you wanted to fancy it up - or plan on bringing this to a brunch/party - top each slice with a dollop of cinnamon-spiced vanilla whipped cream.

How do you make that, you ask...and now for today's bonus recipe:

Well, take your medium-sized carton of fresh whipping cream, add in 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp vanilla - beat until peaked and enjoy.

You could also turn this loaf into muffins - use tin liners and reduce cooking time to just 20 minutes. 

The STEWART SCORE: It is a 'good thing'
Appearance: 2
Taste: 2
Ease: 2