Valentine's Day

Progress

I am now on phase 2 of the consolidation phase. This means every day I can have a couple of slices of bread, a drink, some fruit, a bit of cheese and two meals a week of anything I like, plus other restrictions/additions (see earlier post for details) and of course one day a week of protein only - this is due to go on another month.

So far I have lost 35lbs and am at the weight I am happy with. Saying that, I have put on about 5lbs over Christmas and New Year and am now limiting my carbs and alcohol to lose those extra pounds. I was a bit annoyed that I over indulged (a lot) but am knocking off the extra pounds pretty easily.

More recipes to come.

Cruise (PV): Vietnamese Pancakes with Nuoc Cham sauce

Pancakes

2 Tbsp of Quark

2 Tbsp of Oat Bran

1 Egg

Whisk ingredients together and 'fry' to make the pancake.

Pancake Ingredients

Couple of handfuls of chicken pieces (1" chunks) dry fried with Thai Spices.

Handful of bean sprouts

Handful of sliced onions

Handful of sliced red peppers

2 Tbsp of ripped fresh mint

Arrange on pancake and fold.

Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce (prepare 1 hour before)

1 Tbsp fake sugar

125ml warm water

60ml Fish Sauce

60ml White wine vinegar

1/2 juice of a lime

4/5 Cloves of Garlic minced

3/4 Birds eye chilli peppers chopped small

Combine water and sugar to dissolve. Add the rest and stir. Done.

CRUISE (PV): Tom Yum Soup

Using only allowed ingredients. Unfortunately coconut milk is not allowed and I've used as little oil as possible. Tastes really good and very filling, but I will add more chillies next time.

Serves Two

For the Tom Yum Paste

2 Garlic cloves

2 Lemongrass stalks

Thumb sized piece of ginger

1 Bunch of Coriander (stems only, keep leaves for garnish)

2 (hot) or 3 (hotter) birds eye chillies (the little ones)

1 large shallot

2 tbs water

Juice of a lime

For the soup

400ml skimmed milk

200ml vegetable stock (using low sodium stock cube)

Bag of frozen prawns or mixed seafood, whatever you like best. Chicken would work too.

Two handfuls of beansprouts

1 Red pepper sliced very thin

4 spring onions (chopped)

1 lime

Fresh coriander leaves (chopped)

Put all the Tom Yum paste ingredients in the blender and make a paste. Put in saucepan with a quick spray of oil and 'fry' slowly for 10-minutes, stirring all the time. Then add milk and stock, bring to the boil then simmer for 15-minutes. Strain and throw out the 'bits'. Then whilst still on the heat, add the seafood for a couple of minutes until cooked.

In two large bowls place red pepper, beansprouts, and spring onions in the bottom, then pour in the soup and leave for a couple of minutes. Squeeze half a lime in each and some coriander.

ATTACK and CRUISE (PP): Chicken Foodle soup

Chicken and fake noodle (Foodle) soup. I love this and it is really filling.

Serves Two

Two Chicken breasts cut into smallish chunks

Half a shallot

Heaped Tbsp of finely chopped ginger

Two or three cloves of finely chopped garlic

Tsp of Chinese 5-spice (or more if you want)

Dried Chilli seeds to taste (for me it is lots)

Low sodium Soya sauce

Knorr Low sodium chicken stock cube

Dry fry the onion, garlic and ginger for 5-mins. Add chicken, 5-spice and chilli seeds. Cook further 5-minutes. Add about 700ml boiling water and chicken stock cube. Add Soya sauce to taste (for me about 5 shakes). Leave to simmer for about 15-mins. Then beat egg in a bowl, give the soup a good old stir to get it spinning and pour egg in over the back of a fork.

CRUISE (PV): Lemon iced yoghurt with rhubarb compote

Serves two

Ingredients

1 Lemon

3 sticks Rhubarb

Ginger

Sweetener

Large Pot of low fat yoghurt

Shred the lemon peel and cut into julienne (thin strips). Put in saucepan with 150ml of water and 1 tbsp of sweetener, and bring to boil then simmer for 30 mins. When cool add to yoghurt and mix. Put in freezer for about 4 or 5 hours, taking it out every hour or so and stirring it up.

Cut Rhubarb into 1" chunks, add juice of the lemon and a tsp of grated ginger, bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Then add 'sugar' to taste. In my case it was a tbsp. Let cool then when 'iced yoghurt' is ready pour on top.

Handy Websites

I should have read a bit more before I started (but I may have never started then). But anyway, here are other websites I've discovered along the way:

My Dukan Diet - Good for basic information and a good base to adapt recipes.

Daily Mail - Good article with excellent recipe ideas.

Hub Pages - Good general information and some recipe ideas. Lots of links.

Dukan Facebook - Need to search around but some ok recipes.

DukanItOut - More recipes.