Sunday 18th January

I’ve had a naughty but perhaps not so naughty weekend, we had a Domino’s meal for dinner on Saturday night and I also shared a bottle of wine with my hubby on Friday, however on neither day did I exceed my TDEE (yay!).

This week I’m replacing normal milk with almond milk (400ml = 100kcal) on my fast days, as an experiment into whether I will do as well on the fasting if I manage to eat, rather than just drink, the daily <500kcal. Tomorrow is a fast day so it will be a good day to try it.

I’ve had soup today, it might not sound exciting but there is something really comforting about chicken soup with crusty wholegrain bread, especially when it’s cold outside.

I have also discovered quinoa and bulgur wheat (yes, yes I know all about “wheat belly” but I can’t give it up completely and bulgur wheat is classed as a whole grain). A wonderful dish, that my neighbour taught me how to make, is pougouri pilaf. It can be eaten as it’s made or you can add meat or fish to it for a full meal, a bit like a pasta salad or risotto. The recipe is below;

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• I cup broken vermicelli
• 2 cups bulgur wheat (pourgouri, cracked wheat)
• 5 cups water or stock (of your choice)
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato pureé
• Salt & Black/white pepper to taste – You can even add other flavours to experiment once you feel confident.
• Add cooked leftover meat if you wish or even a few prawns yum yum yum.

1.       Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan and sauté the onion for a couple of minutes until it softens but doesn't brown.

2.       Stir in the vermicelli, breaking it if not already broken. Continue to fry with the onion for a couple of minutes until it begins to absorb the oil.

3.       Rinse the bulgur wheat under the cold tap then add it to the pan

4.       Add the stock, seasoning, tomatoes and pureé. Cover and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or until all the stock is absorbed but don’t let it get too dry.

a.       Add any meat, fish, soy, feta etc. that you fancy.

5.       Leave the pilafi to sit for 10 minutes before serving. 

It makes quite a lot but the basic pilaf keeps quite nicely in an air-tight tub for about 5 days in the fridge so you can mix and match it with pretty much anything. Or just make half measures.