5:2 fasting with LighterLife (pros and cons)

After reading a few inspiring diet success stories from my fellow bloggers, I took a decision to join in 5:2 diet club. I don't think I will ever be a poster girl for any diet, as I don't have a dramatic result to display. To start with, I am not that big, and when I mentioned to a few people that I was going on a diet, they told me I didn't need to. I somehow disagreed. Since I stopped breastfeeding my younger son, I have started gaining weight and find it difficult to shift it. It might be not a huge amount, but this was the heaviest I have ever been (excluding my two pregnancies). I didn't find it hard to lose weight after the birth of both boys, it came naturally with the sleepless nights and breastfeeding on demand. But as the boys grow up, I have been piling on pounds, thanks to my love of chocolate and also eating the leftovers from my kids. It is a case of no-wasted-food mentality, of course, as I am not hungry, it's just I hate throwing the food. But I had to stop being a "bin".
When LighterLife queried if I would be up to testing their new range available in Superdrug and doing a 5:2 Fast plan for a month, I saw it as a sign from heaven that I should at least try a month of this new diet that so many people were talking about.
Intermittent fasting (i.e. cutting down the calories for two days a week) is a hot topic these days, and I wanted to share my own personal experience, albeit not very long.
I have already written a couple of posts on LighterLife Fast packs (for example, see what I tested on the very first day of my fasting in the post Joining the 5:2 revolution).

What do I think now, after a couple of months of fasting on the 5:2 diet as well as LighterLife Fast packs? (Just to clarify I had a month's supply of packs, which I used for longer than a month, as I mixed and matched them with the other diet products)

What are the pros and the cons?

Pros: .
1. Ease and convenience, all the packets come with the nutritional information and calorie count, you do not have to calculate everything you are eating and consult the list of products and calories.
2. There are no artificial colourings.
3. The ingredients are from non-GM sources.


Cons:
1. I missed the fresh fruit and vegetables. For three fasting days I ate only the products from LighterLife Fast packs, then decided to swap one of the meals for a piece of fresh fruit or salad. I later reduced the amount of packed products to one or two per fasting day, substituting the others with a variety of different snacks or fresh fruit & veg. That worked the best for me.

2. I wish the selection of meals was more varied. For example, I don't like the diet shakes. Of any brand. I have tried in the past to drink the diet shakes produced by different brands, and found them all not to my taste. It might be also psychological, but I don't feel like I had a meal, if I only drink a shake, so that's a No for me.

So my kind suggestion to LighterLife Fast brand would be to expand the range of meals, perhaps introduce more soups; cut down the salt; I would also prefer a shorter list of added vitamins, as it reads a bit like a Mendeleev's Periodic Table.

You may ask if I had any result, and the answer is:

I lost 1.5kg in January, following 5:2 diet. It might be not a drastic change of weight, but it made me feel in control. I keep fasting twice a week, and if you want to know more, watch this space for more diet foods and recipe suggestions.

Additional information:

"About LighterLife Fast 

LighterLife Fast is a plan for people who either wish to lose a little weight, or who want to manage their current weight more effectively. People eat normally five days a week and for two ‘fast’ days a week have LighterLife FastpacksTM. Having four LighterLife FastpacksTM on each ‘fast’ day guarantees 100% of the recommended daily allowances and full nutrition for only around 600 calories, which would be virtually impossible to have if eating conventional food restricted to this calorie allowance. 

LighterLife FastpacksTM are specially formulated nutritional food options that contain all the protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals required without the extra calories. They are available in a range of convenient and easy-to-use meals, including pasta carbonara, vegetable soup, porridge, banana shake and nut fudge bars as examples of the product range, from as little as £7.99 per box of four FastpacksTM (or per fast day). "


Disclosure: I received a month's supply of products for testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Sous Vide Cooking: my experience

Until recently I had only a very vague idea of what sous vide technique was supposed to be. It sounded very scientific, and I imagined it to be used by the likes of Heston and other super-chefs. Imagine my amazement and delight, when I was asked to test some sous vide equipment at home. After a month of testing and experimenting, I can vouch that even technically-challenged cooks like me may achieve great results with the right gadgets.
I knew Sous Vide means "under vacuum", but I haven't seen anyone actually using it. Before the equipment arrived, I spend a few evenings watching videos on Youtube, and wasn't quite reassured. Youtube is a veritable landmine of information. There are so many videos that you might easily get lost. But I also felt inspired.
This is a revolutionary way of cooking, as all the nutrients and flavours in sealed pouches cannot escape, in comparison to the other cooking methods. It needs less fat and oil, so the meals are healthier. The texture of the finished meals is also different, it is soft, tender and melt-in-the-mouth when you get it right (you might remember my earlier disaster story when I tried to cook tuna).

PolyScience Vacuum SealingSystem (150 series) is an easy to use vacuum packaging system, which allows to keep the food fresh for longer (in the fridge, freezer or pantry). How does it work? Essentially it removes the air, which extends the freshness up to five times longer than normal preservation methods (great for decreasing the food waste and costs).
It has a sleek design and reminds me of a laminator. It consists of a compartment lid, two gaskets, lid locks and seal wire.

The control panel has several buttons: Auto (activates a vacuum cycle followed by a seal cycle), Pulse (for manual control of the vacuuming process), Seal (with sealing time of 5 seconds), Seal Plus (with sealing time extended to 10 seconds) and Stop.
It is easy to set up and operate: just place the food item in the plastic bag. You need at least 4.5cm of space between the top of the food inside and the open end of the bag. Put the plastic bag across the seal gasket, making sure it is positioned properly in the vacuum chamber, close the lid, click on both sides. Press the button of your choice, once the bag is sealed, open the gadget and remove the bag.

Now the difficulties that I had: as the first time user, and a total beginner in sous vide cooking, I had some problems with sealing. For example, when you cook fish, you need to pat it dry completely or the bag won't seal as during the vacuuming, the juices start running up the bag and even out into the sealing chamber, thus making the sealing impossible. Like on one of the occasions when I defrosted the fish from the freezer, and though I patted it with the kitchen towel, it kept producing more and more liquid, so I had to wipe off inside the bag at the top several times before it was dry enough for sealing.

PolyScience Sous Vide Professional Thermal Circulator is easy to use. It is precise and maintains the programmed temperature through the cooking. The monitor screen shows the temperature.

Timing and the right temperature are crucial, that's why the novices should invest in the cook book with sous vide recipes, for example, Sous Vide the Art of Precision Cooking. Without the book, I would have been totally clueless. Each recipe has a photo (I dislike the cook books without images), and suggests the correct temperature and time of cooking.

As the food is cooked in the bath, it doesn't acquire the browning which you achieve during the frying, grilling or roasting. It is easily remedied: either slightly brown the food item before sealing, or afterwards. I have tried both ways.

With the bath and sous vide thermal circulator, I discovered that once you set the thermometer in Celsius, then set the timer, switch it on running, the temperature on display goes back to Fahrenheit. The cook book gives the recipes with temperature in Celsius. Perhaps not a big deal, but it is an inconsistency which confused me (mind you, I am easily confused).

I am glad to have had an opportunity to test the equipment. I was getting more confident by the end of the month.

Sous vide cod with potatoes cooked in luteniza sauce

A hug to my younger self

The other day I have been looking through my old diaries from the early 1990s, which my Mum rescued and brought to me. I was looking for the entries related to meeting my husband-to-be. What I found, somehow has shaken and startled me, as I came across some earlier writings, which brought back some painful memories.
This was before I met my future husband and related to someone my heart was aching for.
In these twenty-odd years a lot has happened: my romance, marriage, move to the States and back, birth of my sons, death of my Dad, depression, joys and tragedies... in one word, life happened.
Reading my old dairy almost dismayed me, I forgot how passionate I used to be.

"My love to you is the focus of all my life, you're the flame which burns from inside, which melts the lead, and at the same time (it) is the divine light which gives life. You are two elements: life and death, heavenly purity and the abyss. I either fly high into the air, soaring above the human accumulation of the everyday banality, or fall into the abyss, dropping all the way down, and there is nothing to hold onto, and this fall is eternal. And  as cruel as your silence.
But I accept it as a fact. Even earlier you disappeared for long periods of time, but before I took it easier, while now I worship you and accept your cruelty as the manifestation of the superior will. Through humiliation and broken pride, everyday slaps of the empty post box, to the grander purity of feelings and inner burning. Or is it not so?"

Reading that, I feel like screaming: no, it isn't, what are you talking about, girl?! No man is worth worshiping. The reference to the "superior will" makes my hackles rise in indignation.


Little did I know then that a boy I was so much pining about, wasn't the one for me. He was a drifter then, he needed a strong steady mature woman with her feet firmly on the ground to keep him and turn him into a family man. I wasn't that woman. I was a jittery creature, highly strung, too sensitive and naive. As a friend of my parents used to call me, "a girl (made) of porcelain" because he could sense my vulnerability. I am now almost as old as my Mum at that time. Hopefully wiser and more sensible with age.
Reading those lines makes my heart go to her, that tormented girl. I wish I could give her a hug and tell her: You just wait! Very soon you will meet your husband-to-be. Your world will change. You will never forget your old flame, but your feelings will first lose their edge, then change into an understanding, later become a distant memory, something you will cherish but will be able to smile about.

 When you look back, do you wish you could give a hug to your younger self?

I am still not sure whether I should have written this very personal post, but for the time being it is here.
Being very nosey curious, I would love to know if sometimes you'd like to give a hug to your younger self? Tagging my friends Cheryl, Leta, Jo, Sarah, Alison, Jaime and Sonya.

Perk!er range of gluten-free porridge and chocolate treats (review)

Do you have a coeliac in the family or a friend who is on gluten-free diet, and do you find it difficult to accommodate different diets when preparing meals? Are you going gluten free yourself? Have you discovered Perk!er range of porridge and chocolate treats? As a brand, Perk!er is a relatively new kid on the block (it was established in 2012 by Ann Perkins and her partner Steve Turner). As Ann says, when she went GF in 2009, she realised just how less choice in food there was available, and that a lot of GF food was inferior in quality. I think in the last few years there is a noticeable change in the market with more brands appearing and offering high quality gluten free products.

Perk!er range has a selection of porridge, cereal flakes and chocolate treats. The brand comes with a great motto: "We're a small company who know what it's like to live gluten free"

Their porridge comes in three flavours: Apple, Cinnamon & Raisin, Golden Syrup and Fruity Berry.

Apple, Cinnamon & Raisin porridge pot (233kcal per 65g pot) is made of gluten free oats, skimmed milk powder, raisins, dried apples, cinnamon. It also contains xylitol (natural sweetener).
One tub of dry porridge mix makes quite a substantial portion.
It has a rather grown-up taste, I did feel like adding a bit of honey or syrup but resisted, as I wanted to taste all the flavours of the porridge itself. It is quite dark in colour in comparison to my usual porridges, perhaps thanks to cinnamon. It reminded me of an apple pie. A satisfying morning meal.

Golden Syrup porridge from Perk!er (230kcal per 60g pot) is a combination of gluten free oats, skimmed milk powder, sugar and natural flavouring. In comparison to the standard porridge, it is more dense in texture and less silky. It is still smooth, just different, if you're used to the "normal" porridge. I liked the taste, it was not overly sweet, like some golden syrup porridges are. As the other porridges in the range, it kept me sated until lunchtime easily.

Perk!er Golden Syrup porridge

Perk!er Fruity Berry porridge has raisins, cranberries and natural strawberry flavouring among other ingredients. You get a good ratio of berries to gluten free oats. Perfect for warming you up on a chilly morning.

Perk!er Fruity Berry porrdige

I love the fact that all Perk!er porridges are high in fibre and are made of all natural ingredients.
The designs of all pots and packages are stylish and cheerful and stand out on the shelf.

Now, what about the chocolate treats? I have tried two varieties: Rocky Road and Tiffin.

With Rocky Road you get crunchy biscuit & soft marshmallows enveloped in milk chocolate
I managed to try only a small piece, as my little man ate it (the parcel arrived when he was at home, and of course, he wanted to help to test). From what I tried, it was lovely, though I would have preferred chunkier bits of marshmallows and biscuits to make it "rockier".

Perk!er Rocky Road

My little tester

We aslo got two varieties of Tiffin - a bigger bar and a tub with smaller pieces. I liked theidea of the sharing tub, and the pieces are just the right size for guilt-free snacking. Have a bite and discover bits of crunchy honeycomb, chocolate biscuit and raisins, all covered with melted milk chocolate.
I am not a big fan of tiffin to start with, so I'm probably not the best expert on the taste. It was lovely with coffee, but on its own I found it a bit dry and lustreless. It is quite fragile, so there were lots of crumbs at the bottom of the pot, and the chocolate has lost its glossy looks in transit. I even went to Waitrose to inspect the tubs of tiffins they have to see what they actually should look like, and they were full of crumbs at the bottom as well (I did get some odd looks as I was lifting the tubs one by one and raising them higher to see the bottoms).

Perk!er's range of products is wider than the selection I tested, they also have breads and flakes for breakfast. I was very pleased to discover this brand of gluten-free products, and hope they will expand their range to include more treats and porridges.

Perk!er Tiffin

For more information, visit Perkierfoods on Facebook and Twitter (@perkierfoods)

Disclosure: I received a selection of Perk!er products for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

The Gruffalo's Child Pancake

It's not fun to be poorly. My little man woke up today with high temperature. He was most upset that I wouldn't take him to the nursery to play with his best friend Charlie. To cheer him up I asked him if he'd fancy a pancake, and what should it be. As The Gruffalo's Child is the latest craze in our house (Eddie insists on reading the story and watching the DVD every day), I expected he would request it. I was right.

Make the pancake your usual way (I use 2 medium eggs, 80ml milk, 4tbsp flour (wholemeal + plain 50/50%), 1tbsp soured cream, a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of sugar). Using a sharp knife, cut out the contour of the Gruffalo's child. Carefully draw the outlines with Queen writing icing (in chocolate). A piece of banana will work as an eye.

Eddie was happy with my craftsmanship but critically pointed out "Mama, why does she have one eye?" Erm, her second eye is on the other side.
Happy Pancake Day to all my friends!

Dexter the digger from Wow Toys

That's my Eddie, playing and singing and making up the lyrics as he plays. He loves his Wow toys, and was delighted when a new toy - Dexter the digger arrived, in its super-duper bright and cheerful box.

This fantastic construction toy is every little kid's dream (I first wrote "boy's", but then thought girls would love it as well, if they enjoy vehicles and especially construction toys).

Dexter the digger is a motorised digger, with a strong and sturdy digging arm. It can spin around to offload the rattling boulders. Dexter comes accompanied by his friend builder Bill.
What about its features? You can pull and push the lever to scoop the boulders and drop them. You can open the engine compartment. As all Wow toys, there is a push-button function.
Its dimenstions are:
w: 440mm (17.32") h: 247mm (9.72")
Since the digger arrived, Eddie's friends came over to play a couple of times, and as soon as they see the majestic digger, they do a beeline towards it. Eddie's still learning the principles of sharing so he thinks he should warn them just in case "This is my digger!", to which I tell him it is nice to share. Actually he is happy to play with his mates. When recently one of the parents from the nursery came over for a morning coffee, she brought her younger son with her. Eddie was feeling very grown-up and showed all the toys to the little boy, and they played so nicely together.
There is a Show and Tell time in Eddie's nursery on Wednesday, and he wants to take his digger to show to his mates.


What more can I say? One happy boy.

If you liked this review, you might be interested in reading Wow Toys Emergency Rescue Bundle.

Disclosure: We received Dexter the digger for the purposes of reviewing, but if you read my blog, you'd know we're huge fans of Wow toys and spent a little fortune on them. All opinions are mine.

Top that! (pancake toppings)

This Tuesday many households all over the country will be flipping their pancakes. Shrove Tuesday is preceding the first day of Lent, it is the last chance of enjoying the rich foods before long fast of 40 days. Did you know that the earliest known record of the pancake recipe goes back to 5AD? That Roman recipe suggested adding honey and pepper to the pancake. The Tudors liked their pancakes made with the good old ale, and used plenty of spices like cinnamon and ginger in the batter. The pancake as we know it today is a later creation, thanks to the influence of the French cuisine of the 18C.

Pancakes with mascarpone and fresh berries

Judging by the numerous pancake polls, the Brits like to eat their pancakes the traditional way, with lemon and sugar. As a girl who grew up in Russia, I don't fancy lemon-sugar combination. It is either honey for me, or the soured cream with sugar. Of course, there are so many recipes and variations of pancakes, that you could probably eat them every day for a year and serve them differently each time.

For the classic American style pancakes you will need bacon rashers and maple syrup.
I use a standard recipe, that works well in many pancake recipes.
You will need
2 medium eggs
80ml milk
1tbsp soured cream (optional)
1tbsp wholemeal flour
3 heaped tbsp self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
1tbsp melted butter (optional)
butter for greasing the pan
sugar from 1/2tsp to 1tbsp (whether you want them savoury ot sweet)
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. In a measuring jug whisk the milk and eggs. Pour the egg mix and melted butter into the bowl and mix well. Leave it to stand for 10 minutes.
When the pan is hot, pour the ladelfuls of batter. Turn them carefully and cook until both sides are golden brown.
Serve with the crispy bacon and maple syrup.

For a vegetarian version, skip the bacon. Add the blueberries to the batter and serve with the maple syrup as well.

For my American style pancakes I used Clarks original maple syrup (blended with carob fruit syrup). It is a classic combination of sweet and salty flavours.

If you are more of a chocoholic, perhaps you would prefer to drizzle some liquid chocolate over your pancakes?
Choc Shot Liquid Chocolate by Sweet Freedom is a versatile ingredient. You can make a cup of hot chocolate with it, just stir into hot milk. Drizzle it over ice cream, toast, fruit salad or porridge. It has 25% fewer calories than regular hot chocolate.
From the list of credentials: it is 100% natural, GM & gluten free, with Low GL.
One teaspoon of liquid chocolate is 13.7kcal (per 5g).

Daddy's pancake

My guys, big and small, love their pancakes with lots of fresh cream, squirted from the Anchor bottle. Slice half a banana per each bigger pancake, squirt lots of cream and drizzle the liquid chocolate.

Eddie's pancake

Choc Shot on pancakes? mmm, yummy

If you like, swap the cream for ice cream or thick Greek style yogurt. Add any berries you like, or caramelized fruit like pears or banana.

Or do a mini-tower from pancakes, mascarpone and fresh berries. You will need about 2tbsp of mascarpone, 1tbsp of maple syrup, 1tsp lemon juice and a handful of raspberries and blueberries. Eddie loves blueberries and calls them chuckleberries (in case you don't watch Tree Fu Tom, these are sweet juicy berries which can laugh). As mascarpone is quite thick, mix it with the lemon juice and maple syrup to make it more spreadable. Add half a tablespoon of the cheese mix to each pancake, top up with berries.

Whichever recipe you enjoy, have fun on the Pancake day! And don't forget, pancakes are not just for Pancake day.

For more information about Clarks maple syrup range visit their page Clarks Maple Syrup UK.
I suggest you visit their Recipes page, as it has some fabulous mouthwatering ideas like Cinnamon and Clarks Maple Syrup Pancakes with Caramelised Pear and Pecan Brittle, White Chocolate and Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup Drizzle and many more.

Disclosure: I received a bottle of Clarks maple syrup and Choc Shot Liquid Chocolate each, to write a post on pancakes, though as you might know well, I do talk about pancakes very often.

Homemade Jammie Dodgers

Jammie Dodgers have long been our family favourite. I remember the days when Sasha was much younger, and was happy to demolish a whole pack of Jammie Dodgers, given an opportunity (in fact we had to hide them, as he would go through the pack in one go). Eddie's less enthusiastic about them, but also enjoys them from time to time. There is something nostalgic about this classic biscuit, with its crumbly buttery discs "glued" together with a raspberry jam.
Good to Know site is well known for its mouth-watering recipes, and recently they have been running a Homemade food campaign. They asked me if I might be interested in recreating one of the homemade versions of the much loved treats like hobnobs or Twix.
Bravely enough, I agreed to try and bake my own Jammie Dodgers.

If you search online, there are quite a few versions of homemade Jammie Dodgers. My baking session was based around two similar recipes, one from Good to Know, and another published on BBC Good Food. Both are pretty, and looked simple enough.


Homemade Jammie Dodgers
Ingredients:
1 egg yolk
150g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
70g ground almonds
230g plain flour+
200g butter (unsalted), melted
seedless raspberry jam (a teaspoon per each cookie)

Beat the egg yolk with sugar and vanilla essence. Add the flour and ground almonds (if not using the almonds, substitute with the equal amount of flour). Add the melted butter. Stir well with a fork, then using hands, make a dough ball. Place the mixing bowl with the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Generously dust the working surface with the flour (you'll be adding more flour as you go, so don't yet put that bag of flour away). Roll the dough (half of the amount) to about 5mm thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut the circles. Place them on a tray covered with foil or parchment paper. Roll and re-roll the leftovers to make as many cookie shapes as possible. Space the cookies on the tray evenly, they will spread during the baking.
For the second tray, do the same, but this time you will need to cut out the small size cookie cutter (I used a star, but a round shape would be more classic).
Bake the cookies at 180C for about 10-12 minutes, until golden. Take the trays out. At this point, the cookies will be still soft. Very soft. So be very gentle, or they will break.
Once cooled, sandwich them together with a teaspoon of seedless raspberry jam.

Well, that didn't sound too difficult, did it? Now the confession time. The bottoms spread quite a bit and looked much bigger than the tops with stars. So, our Jammy Dodgers looked very mismatched and totally un-uniform in appearance. To be honest, I haven't quite figured out how to keep them the same size. Perhaps trim the bottom circles while they are still warm and soft?
They tasted really great though. So, if you're not discouraged by their wonky appearance, the homemade version of Jammy Dodgers is pretty good. Even my rather fussy critical husband approved of them.

It looks like I was not the only one struggling with the homemade version of a sweet treat. Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews was creating Homemade Jaffa Cakes. Looks like neither Cheryl nor I are going to win GBBO with our latest baking creations.

Have you tried baking your homemade version of well-known sweet treats?

Salmon in aspic à la Russe

There are literally hundreds of recipes for fish in aspic in the Russian cuisine, made of all kinds of fish and with different ingredients. I have consulted a few of my Russian cook books, and then proceeded to make my own version. I needed to clear space in the freezer and it was time to cook the salmon heads I bought just after Christmas for less than a pound (thinking of making the fish stock).

Salmon in aspic à la Russe
Ingredients:
2 salmon heads (about 900g)
150g salmon fillet
1 onion
1 carrot
1 lemon
peppercorn, bay leaves, cloves
a handful of fresh coriander (or parsley)
1 sachet of Dr Oetker gelatine
a handful of pomegranate seeds

First prepare the fish stock, which will be the base for the aspic. Place two salmon heads in a big pan with 1 onion and 1 peeled carrot. Add all the spices and salt. Pour enough water to cover the fish. Cook for about an hour. Discard the onion (this is one of the foods that makes me gag, a boiled onion. I like the flavour in soups, but cannot eat the onion itself). Cook the salmon fillet in the same pan for the last 10 minutes. Squeeze at least half a lemon into the stock.
In a measuring jug, add 100ml of hot boiling fish stock and pour the contents of Dr Oetker gelatine pouch in, stir well until all the gelatine is dissolved. Add more fish stock, to make 500ml of liquid.
Take a jelly mould or a big oval dish. Scatter the pomegranate seeds on the bottom and carefully pour some of the stock, about 1cm in height. Slice the carrot into little circles and add a few in the mould. You might cut flower or star shapes with the mini-cutters, if you like.
Place the mould in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Once the jelly starts to set, take the dish/mould out.
Flake the salmon fillet. Open the salmon heads, remove the skin and bones, use the flesh bits including the cheeks (not sure of that's the right term). Place about 1/3 of all fish in the mould, add some thin lemon slices, more coriander and carrot stars. Pour the stock with gelatine over. Place the mould in the fridge.

Once starting to set, repeat until all the fish and stock is used.
The fish will be set in a couple of hours, but best left to set for a few hours. Let's say, cook it all before lunch to have for dinner.


Now the fish stock I prepared was not as clear as I wanted it to be. I think if you strain it through a clean muslin it might get clearer. Salmon is quite a fatty fish, so the stock was very rich.
My great grandma who worked as a cook in the baron's household before the Revolution of 1917, used to say, that when they prepared the fish stock, they cleared it by throwing a handful of caviar in the pot for a few minutes, which seemed to do the trick. The caviar sort of coagulated all the bits together. Then the caviar was discarded.
I am not in the same profligate category like the cooks of the old days, and don't have spare caviar anyway.

The result was quite pretty, very delicate and tasty

As my foodie blogger friend Chris from Cooking Around the World has been "visiting" Russia this month, I am adding this recipe to his linky.

Ryvita crackerbread

Are you stuck for ideas for healthy snacks that don't taste like made of cardboard? Following my 5:2 diet, I had my feel of boring rice cakes which taste of nothing much, and only serve to fill you in, but they are so dull-dull-dull. But of course, low-cal snacks don't have to be boring or flavourless. My latest addition to the list of products I can use on fasting days is Ryvita Crackerbread. This range from the well known and much loved Ryvita has two new delicious flavours: Pepper and Cheese. They taste lovely and what's even better, each crackerbread is only 19kcal, how fab is that?!

Ryvita crackerbread with babaganoush and roasted sweet pepper

Pepper Crackerbread from Ryvita is light and crispy, and is a perfect base for all kinds of healthy (or not so healthy, if you don't count the calories) toppings. These crispy snacks surely melt in your mouth.
Loved them, my kids loved them, especially the little man.

These crackerbreads are low in fat and have no nasties in them like artificial colours or preservatives. When you are feeling peckish, add a topping of your choice and enjoy: from virtuous low fat cottage cheese with coriander to more naughty guacamole or babaganoush.

Ryvita crackerbread with low fat cottage cheese and coriander

Cheese Crackerbread is the second new variety, with the same low count of calories.
Make your own guacamole:
Mash the ripe avocado with a dash of Tabasco or some chilli flakes. half a teaspoon of garlic puree, a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and top up with sliced cherry toms. For being a fruit, avocados are pretty high in calories (160kcal per 100g), it is a healthy food, which helps to lower cholesterol due to most of its fat being mono-saturated.

Ryvita with guacamole

For today's lunch, I had a couple of Ryvita crackerbreads with the chicken leftovers and some roasted garlic on low-fat hummus.

Babaganoush is another delicious dip which is easy to prepare. For the authentic smoky flavour, you need to blacken the skin of the aubergine over the hot flame or on the grill. Then wrap the aubergine in foil and cook at 180C for about 40 minutes or more, until soft. Once not too hot to handle, remove the skin and mash the flesh with a fork. Add 1tbsp of tahini, 2tbsp of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and crushed garlic clove or two. To be honest, I could eat the whole lot, it is so tasty. But not on my fasting days. Add some grilled sweet pepper and radishes, and enjoy.

Ryvita with babaganoush.

For more recipes and ideas visit Ryvita Recipes page.

Disclosure: I received two packs of Ryvita for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Win tickets to Grub pop-up restaurant (ends 2 March 2014 NOW CLOSED)

Are you brave and adventurous when it comes to food? Then this competition might be perfect for you!
One of my lucky blog readers has a chance to win two tickets to Grub pop-up restaurant sponsored by Chang Beer for Wednesday 5th March – Saturday 8th March 2014

"Chang Beer is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a pair of tickets to Grub’s first London pop-up next month! Suppliers of premium, edible insects, Grub is bringing tasty and nutritional dishes to British plates. The winner and a friend will be treated to a seven-course experience of traditional Thai dishes with a twist, including Chang tempura grasshoppers, soy-roasted cricket miang wrapped in betel leaf, washed down with a free bottle of Chang Beer, the perfect accompaniment to Asian cuisine.

To enter, just answer the following question:

What does Chang mean in Thai?

Goat
Elephant
Rabbit

Healthy, sustainable and delicious, let Grub convert you to the insect revolution. Grub are leading the way for the next generation of foodies and trend-setters by incorporating insects into flavoursome dishes that not only taste great but also pack a serious protein punch. To try it first hand, visit the Grub pop-up restaurant, sponsored by Chang, which will be taking over Monikers in Hoxton Square for four days, kicking off on Wednesday 5th March 2014. Tantalise your taste buds and come on a journey of discovery with Grub’s insect inspired Thai street food feast – even the most sceptical will be converted.

There will be two seatings each night, 6-8pm and 8:30-10:30pm, and tickets are £36.50 each.

For more information on the pop-up restaurant including how to secure a spot or to buy some quality insects from Grub, visit Grub online

or follow the brand on Twitter @EatGrubOfficial or at EatGrubOfficial on Facebook.

To find out more about Chang Beer visit their webpage Chang beer, or follow ChangBeerUK on Twitter and Instagram".

T&Cs:
One entry per person
Open to the UK residents only.
The competition ends on 2 March at midnight.
The winner will be selected from all entries on Monday morning with the Raffleking, I will email the winner and would need the reply on the same day.
The tickets will be reserved for the winner at the restaurant.
I will pass the details of the winner to the promoter.

Good luck!

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Wow! Lots of brave and adventurous people around!
The winner as chosen by Raffleking is Rebecca U. Well done, Rebecca! Please get in touch with as soon as possible.
Thank you all for taking part and keep an eye on my blog for more giveaways to come.

Eggs Baked in Tomatoes

Last week, tired after digging in the garden before lunch, Eddie and I came back home and fancied something light and easy for lunch. The day before I bought some lovely big tomatoes. Why don't we prepare Eggs Baked in Tomatoes. My recipe is adapted from Nigel Slater's dish (Real Fast Food), which he in his turn has adapted from Margaret Costa.
BritMums have challenged the parenting bloggers to share quick family meals using eggs. They say: "Coming up with tasty, healthy meals for the family every day is a challenge, but eggs can save the day - they're a fridge staple that help make meals in minutes!"

Eggs baked in tomatoes (serves 2)
Ingredients:
2 big tomatoes
2 medium or small eggs
1 tsp of Luchito Smoked chilli honey (optional)
2tbsp single cream
2tsp grated parmesan
to serve with toasted bread, pickles, cheese

Cut the tops (hats) off the tomatoes and using a teaspoon, scoop out the seeds and fleshy bits from inside, so that you get containers. Tip them over for the juice to run out. Use the seeds and liquid later for a sauce for another dish.
Add half a teaspoon of Luchito smoked chilli honey to the bottom of each tomato container. You can certainly add more, but my version is child-friendly, unless you have little fire-eaters who don't mind the heat of the chillis. Carefully break eggs into the tomatoes, you might need to leave some of the egg white out, as you need some space for the single cream which goes on top of the egg.
Season with salt. Place the tomatoes in a small size ceramic dish or roasting dish. Bake them for about 15-20 minutes in the oven preheated to 180C. Sprinkle with the grated parmesan for the last five minutes of baking.
Toast the multiseeded bread and cut into triangles or soldiers for dipping in the eggy inside.

As my little man loves pickled cornichons and Babybel cheese, he insisted on having them with his lunch. I had my baked egg with a bit of rocket salad.

This would have been a vegetarian dish with a different cheese, but you can easily substitute it for any other hard cheese.
As a variation of the popular egg and soldiers is was definitely a big success with my son.

This post is an entry for the #ShortcutEggsperts Linky Challenge sponsored by British Lion Eggs. Learn more and find recipes at www.eggrecipes.co.uk