Harvey has broken up for Christmas so I had a little companion with me all day :-). We started with a smoothie. I made one without a banana as I was conscious that I have eaten a bit too much sugar lately and definitely too many bananas. So in to the blender went (for 2 of us) 2/3 cup of oats, 250 ml almond milk, 1 tbsp chia seeds and the 250 ml jug filled with three types of berries (blueberries, raspberries and marionberries) from the freezer.
I served mine and added honey to Harvey’s to sweeten it a little.
Check out that awesome colour! I eat food like this and imagine the vitamins and micronutrients rushing around my body afterwards, healing, repairing, restoring and generally doing good.
For lunch I made an Avocado and Humous Dressing.
Ingredients (to serve 2)
- 1/2 a can of chickpeas
- 1 small avocado
- 1 small clove of garlic
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp tahini
- freshly squeezed juice from 1/3 lemon
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
- water to thin to desired consistency
Method
- Put all the ingredients, except the water, in the blender and pulse then blitz until smooth.
- Add water to get desired consistency. I like mine quite thick, like humous, but you could easily make it runnier without compromising flavour.
We had the avocado humous dressing on a wholemeal wrap,
with falafel, mixed salad greens, beetroot and carrot.
I was still hungry after one falafel on one wrap and so I served 2 falafels with more salad, carrot and dressing. However, I only ate about half of it so the rest is in the fridge for another day.
We were so lucky with the timing of our walk today. We enjoyed a reasonably sunny walk in the woods. Literally, within 5 minutes of being home, it poured with rain so I am happy we didn’t get caught in that.
In the afternoon we visited Moons Green Charcuterie in Northiam.
I went to pick up some jars of potted ham which are made from ham hocks, cooked with seasonings, spices and then bottled in lovely glass jars, where the ham is sealed with French butter.
They look lovely and would make great gifts. Harvey and I will be tucking in to one of the little jars tomorrow 🙂
John, who owns the charcuterie, showed us round which I found fascinating as I am really interested in food production. I have never been in a charcuterie factory before and wasn’t sure what to expect. I certainly didn’t imagine a place that was so clean and that did not smell of pork products at all. It was spotless with lots of white walls and shiny stainless steel equipment. Inside the saucisson curing room, where temperature and humidity is carefully regulated, were rows of saucisson and after trying some (it was delicious) I also bought some of the peppery saucisson with fennel. It was fabulous and just how I like it; slightly dry and chewy on the outside but still moist inside and as you chew the flavours develop. It may not last until Christmas!
John doesn’t sell to retail so normally you would have to buy his wonderful products at Borough Market or Brockley market but he does have a few hams left for Christmas. If you would like a ham, made from a happy rare breed English pig that has lived outside all its life, then please contact me and I will send you John’s number or leave a comment after this post. Thank you John for showing us round and for the delicious samples.
For supper we had chicken breast, stuffed with chopped up red pepper, olives and goats cheese for me and a vegan cheese for Harvey. Served with steamed green beans and carrots.
This meal takes about 20 minutes, from taking the food out of the fridge to sitting down and eating:
- Put the frying pan on a low heat, and brush the surface with a thin layer of oil.
- Put the water in the saucepan on to boil for the vegetables.
- Finely chop the red pepper, olives and goats cheese. I used Chèvre Blanc, which comes in rounds and is quite dry but has a lovely mild flavour.
- Cut a pocket in the chicken breast, stuff with the filling and hold shut with wooden (NOT plastic!) cocktail sticks.
- Put the chicken in the frying pan and fry gently, turning after 5 – 8 minutes so both sides are well cooked.
- Prepare the vegetables and add to the steamer. I steam for about 5 minutes.
- Serve up and mangez.
Told you it was easy.
I weighed in tonight 2 pounds lighter than last week so I was pleased with that. All in all, a good day 🙂
Lose Weight and Gain Health 
Well done Zoe, another good result. Keep it going – you’re doing so well. Gini x
Thank you, I am pleased and relieved x
Bravo to you for another 2#s released Zoe!!! Sometimes we have to shock our bodies by increasing the calorie count so it doesn’t get stuck into the pattern of knowing what to expect. Your funny weekend and then cutting back on your sugar and calories made your body think it didn’t need to hold onto the fat to keep you surviving.
I forgot to mention I actually ended up baking my chicken instead of frying it. I baked it for 30 minutes at 350F while the brown and wild rice I served it with finished cooking. It was a nice since I was busy making a salad for dinner. So, depending on what you are doing with the side dishes, both work well to keep the chicken moist and tasty.
It was good to get on the scales and see a loss 🙂 I was going to oven bake the chicken. But when I follow a recipe the first time, I try and copy exactly. Then i fiddle about with it to make it healthier or just to vary it. Good to know oven baking works. Thanks again for the recipe.