Apple and raisin no flour pancake

Makes 2 small pancakes

3 large eggs

3 apples, peeled, cored

1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

Handful raisins

Tablespoon coconut oil

Put the eggs, Apple and ground cinnamon into a blender, and blend until smooth. 

Heat half the oil in the frying pan and pour in half the mixture. 

Sprinkle half the raisins over the top. 

When you think the bottom side is cooked, finish it off under the grill, as this pancake cannot be flipped as its too fragile!!! 

Enjoy :0) 

Turmeric, black pepper and coconut oil savoury pancake (no flour)

Makes 1 pancake

1 banana, mashed

1 egg, whisked

1 tablespoon fresh grated turmeric or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Black pepper mill

Salt to taste

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

Mix the whisked egg and mashed banana together till it smoothish, then mix in the turmeric and about 10 turns on your black pepper mill, and salt to taste. 

Melt the coconut oil in a frying pan and cook the pancake for a couple of minutes on each side. 

Turmeric is one of those 'super foods' which is being mentioned a lot lately. It has Curcumin and other curcuminoids (key which are chemical compounds in turmeric) offer numerous health benefits since they are powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial agents. 

By adding fresh ground black pepper you are increasing the magic of the turmeric by a staggering 2000%!!! 

Coconut oil also has many health benefits to it, and despite being full of saturated fats, has been shown to improve health and help you slim your waistline! 

Read more: http://www.turmericforhealth.com/turmeric-benefits/health-benefits-of-black-pepper-and-turmeric#ixzz3ce6UqY5z

Oriental Chicken, sweetcorn and olive salad

Serves 2

For the marinade

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1 teaspoon paprika 

70g pineapple chunks

1 tablespoon coconut aminos

1/6 vegetable stock cube (I used kallo organic gluten free)

1/4 medium onion

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger root 

100ml water

400g chicken, diced

200g mixed salad leaves

1 carrot, finely grated

200g cucumber, sliced

2 large tomatoes, sliced

2 celery sticks, chopped

1 small tin of sweetcorn

1 small handful olives, sliced

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

For the marinade, throw all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until most of the lumpy bits are gone and it makes a slightly watery paste.

In a bowl, add the chicken, cover with cling film, and leave to soak in the fridge for a few hours, preferably over night.

In a frying pan, melt the coconut oil and fry the chicken unti, cooked through. add the sweetcorn and the olives, and fry until they turn slightly browned. Leave to cool down in the pan while you arrange the salad.

Split everything in half and arrange on your plate however you wish! 

Please note: the chicken is very moorish! My 4 year old ate all his and then came and ate all the chicken off my plate too! It's a good job he's so cute :0)

Banana and cinnamon pancake (No flour)

Makes 1 pancake

Calories 216

1 banana, mashed

1 large egg, whisked

1 teaspoon coconut butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

Mix the whisked egg into the mashed banana, then add the cinnamon and coconut butter and mix well.

Using a frying pan, melt the coconut oil and cook the pancake as you would a normal pancake, taking care when tossing as they don't stick together quite the same as a normal pancake.

Quail egg, sweet potato and aubergine salad

Serves 1

Calories 500

1 medium sweet potato (approx 200g) peeled and diced

1 small aubergine (approx 230g) diced

5 quail eggs

1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

100g mixed salad leaves

1 celery stick, chopped

1 large tomato, sliced

100g cucumber, sliced

For the salad dressing

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 tablespoon melted coconut oil

1/2 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon wholegrain mustard

Whilst pre-heating the oven to gas mark 5, peel and chop the veg and salad.

Cook the sweet potato and aubergine in the oil until soft and slightly browned (approximately 20 minutes)

Boil the quail eggs in a pan of water for around 8 minutes, then drain the water and replace with cold water. Once cool, peel the eggs and chop them in half.

Add salad dressing to mixed salad leaves and toss well. 

Arrange salad however you feel like it!

Please note: due to using coconut oil, you need to make the salad dressing as late as possible, (as in before eating!) otherwise it starts to solidify again!!!

6th June 2014

Week 5

Weight 11 stone 8.6 pounds

Weight loss 3.6 pounds

Total weight loss 13.3 pounds (ooh so close to a stone!!)

As I have been very disappointed with myself over deciding not to do the juicing diet, I have been looking at other options.

As of today I have decided that I will be mainly aiming for an organic paleo diet, but will be allowing myself to eat dairy and occasionally gluten, for now at least anyway!

I have noted today that my pins and needles have dramatically improved, and I am hardly aware of them. 

The tremor I get in my right hand seems to currently be non existent too!

This is a huge breakthrough for me!!!!

However my time of the month is still going on, which makes it over a week now, which is not like me.

I have developed an incredibly itchy rash that is mainly on my arms, I'm certain it is due to sun exposure, and the duloxetine that I am on. I will have to make an appointment with my GP to ask. An attempt to come off the duloxetine on my own accord ended up with me being in a really foul mood within 2 days, so I started taking it again and will wait to see what my GP has to say.

Headaches are still on and off. At the time of writing this I have a really bad one, so no improvement there as of yet.

Joints are incredibly painful, I can barely touch certain parts of me as they feel really bruised and painful.

Still a definite increase in my energy levels though.

Onwards my journey continues :0)

BBQ chicken and halloumi kebabs

Serves 4

400g chicken, diced

150g halloumi, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

Cherry tomatoes, halved

2 medium onions, chopped and cut into 8ths

Melted coconut oil

Soak the bamboo sticks in water for at least half an hour. This helps prevent them from burning.

Thread the ingredients on to the kebab sticks however you wish.

When the BBQ has cooled down enough that it's not blackening everything really quickly, cook the kebabs for approximately 10 minutes while turning occasionally.

Check the chicken is cooked throughout before serving.

Aubergine, courgette, fennel and sweetcorn bolognese

Serves 2

Calories 244 (doesn't include pasta)

Ingredients 

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1 courgette (zucchini), diced 

1 aubergine, diced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 fennel bulb, diced

1 small tin sweetcorn

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 vegetable stock cube (I used knorr organic gluten free)

1 tablespoon tomato purée

1 teaspoon garlic purée 

Fry the courgette, fennel, aubergine and onion in the coconut oil until softened and slightly browned.

Add the sweetcorn, tin of chopped tomatoes, garlic purée, tomatoe purée, and stock cube.

Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

Serve with pasta of your choice.

Chicken and mushroom coconut curry

Serves 2

524 calories per serving (doesn't include rice or alternative)

400g chicken thigh, skin optional, diced

1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

1 red onion, chopped

200g mushrooms

2 tablespoons curry powder

400g tin coconut milk

1 vegetable stock cube (I used knorr gluten free, organic)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a frying pan, gently fry the onion and the chicken in the coconut oil until chicken is cooked throughout and slightly browned.

Add the mushrooms and curry powder and fry for about a minute.

Add the coconut milk (don't worry if it's separated! It will stir back together!) and the stock cube and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste

Serve with rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or alternative of your choice.

Note: my 4 year old loved this so much that he ate the lot and then some of mine! :0)

Sweet Potato, tomato and sweetcorn quiche

Serves 8
374 calories per slice

You will need
Approx 8" by 2" round tin
Baking beans
Grease proof paper

For the pastry
100g butter, softened
225g plain flour
A pinch of salt

For the filling
One sweet potato, peeled and diced
One red onion, chopped
Small tin of sweetcorn
2 large tomatoes, diced
5 large eggs
375ml whole milk
100g mature cheddar, grated
50g Parmesan, grated
Ground nutmeg

For the pastry
Rub the butter and the flour together with your fingers until it all resembles fine bread crumbs, next add just enough water to turn it into a dough (approx 2 tablespoons) you will know when it is right as it won't be sticky and there won't be bits of flour not wanting to stick. Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and allow to rest in the fridge for around an hour (I'll be honest and say I've never bothered with the resting stage...)
Pre-heat oven to gas mark 4, or equivalent.
Roll out the pastry to the desired thickness and width. I decided to make a side less one, but you can add sides if you want! To make a side less one you just place the tin on top of the pastry and use it to cut around, then place the pastry into the already greased tin. Or you can just put the pastry in, mould it up the sides with your fingers, and then cut away any access.
Place great proof paper over the top, and then your baking beans on top of that, and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the baking beans and the grease proof paper and bake for another 15 minutes.

For the filling
Fry or bake the sweet potatoes and onion until softened and slightly browned.
Tip into ready prepared pastry case (still in the tin!) along with the sweetcorn, and tomatoes, and spread evenly.
Whisk the eggs with the milk, and then carefully pour over the top.
Sprinkle over the cheddar and Parmesan, and then sprinkle a bit of nutmeg over the top of it all.
Place in the oven until the egg has completely set. Takes around an hour, but you can check by wobbling the tin to see whether it has set completely or not.
Leave to cool for a few minutes before serving with a salad of your choice.