Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘orange’

My first posting on this blog was a year ago today–7th of February 2011!

Poaching Eggs–was a homage to one of my food heroines, the formidable Elizabeth David.

I can’t remember exactly the weather that day but it may not have been so different to today’s–which is nose-endangeringly cold.

So a long nod of thanks to everyone that has visited and those that continue to visit and thanks too for  the comments–they are all read and much appreciated.

AND special thanks to my in-house photographer and editor with whom discussion is always lively and from whom I learn a lot!

Here’s a salad to celebrate.

Seasonally crunchy (not much choice from the locals this morning)–with a juicy orange and some sunflower seeds, to put one in mind of seasons to come.

It got the nod at lunch today from Meredith–(though not the mackerel fillet that it accompanied–next time I’ll use less smoked sweet paprika!).

For 2

1 large fennel bulb–outer leaves removed, stood upright and halved through the middle, each cut half laid flat and halved again, then sliced very thinly

celery stalk–sliced thinly

half a small sweet red onion–sliced thinly

1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds–dry roasted in a frying pan on the stove top

1 tablespoon of parsley–chopped

a few shavings of parmesan

1 juicy orange–carefully peeled (lifting off the white pith), halved and sliced thinly

salt for sprinkling

1 tablespoon best quality olive oil for dressing

  • Mix the first seven ingredients together with care in a favorite bowl.
  • Sprinkle with salt and the oil–add more oil if you like.
  • Lightly turn everything over.
  • Check the seasoning and serve.

Read Full Post »

On our last day in London our friends Prue and Michael invited us to lunch–a treat.

We ate a delicious monkfish dish followed by Prue’s Mango Surprise--thought up by a thoughtful Prue with me in mind, i.e. something she hoped a type 2 diabetic could enjoy.

A dessert–my word!–and it was delicious!

Mangoes have been controversial.

On our return I did a bit of research.

The news is encouraging.

This from the GI Index:

Mangoes are one of the few tropical fruits with a low GI (51) so they’ll deliver sustained energy without spiking those blood glucose levels (in modest portions).
They are also an excellent source of vitamin C, high in the soluble fibre pectin that helps in controlling blood cholesterol, a good source of vitamin E, rich in beta-carotene which the body converts to vitamin A, and loaded with compounds called polyphenols which have strong antioxidant properties protecting against heart disease and cancer. So you really don’t need an excuse to grab one.

Further reassurance and encouragement comes from the ygov site–Are mangoes good for diabetics??:

As usual, the message is “in moderation”.

Difficult in terms of Prue’s dessert!

Here it is:

500 gms/ 16oz (four small pots) yogurt--drained for 1/2 hour in a sieve to thicken it (spoon carefully into a fine sieve and leave to drain off the whey over a bowl in the fridge)

300 gms/10 oz ripe mango flesh–whizzed to a rough purée in a food mixer

the zest of an orange and a squeeze of its juice

  • Whisk the three ingredients together in a bowl.
  • Refrigerate for a couple of hours before eating.
  • Serve in a small glass–with perhaps a finger waifer biscuit for non diabetics and a few strands of the zest/thin rind for the look of it.
Lacking a sweet tooth, I don’t much miss desserts–does anyone have other healthy options for those that do?

Read Full Post »