Thursday, 2 July 2015

Lunch At O'Briens, Wilton

I found myself on the go for most of today, so had to grab a quick lunch in Wilton Shopping Centre. Honestly, it's not a great place for low-carb options; the restaurants offer lots of sandwiches/ bagels/ chips/ lasagnes etc. I decided to try my luck at O'Briens, near the Tesco entrance.

I opted for the turkey club salad and I was pretty happy when it arrived. There was a good amount of bacon and cheese on the plate (vital fats for keeping hunger at bay!), though the turkey was processed and a little rubbery. While it wasn't the most amazing salad I have ever had, it did the job and kept me going for the rest of the day. Worth trying the next time you find yourself starving in Wilton!



Monday, 8 June 2015

Low Carb Konjac Noodles & Pasta

While browsing the aisles of Holland and Barrett recently, I came across these low carb noodles and pasta from a company called Eat Water. Made from a Japanese plant named konjac, these products are very low in carbohydrates, suitable for vegans and gluten free. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, no. They're fantastic.


These noodles and pasta don't taste of anything and nicely bulk up your meat dish. Tonight I made bolognese with penne, having the pasta made it seem like a regular meal. Moreover, it's about 5 hours since I ate and I'm still stuffed. 
Last night I used the noodles in a homemade low carb Pad Thai- recipe coming soon! One packet will easily feed two low carbers- they're quite filling and high in fibre.

There is one thing that's worth pointing out, when you initially open the packet the product smells slightly off. This is due to the brine it's packaged in. It's easily taken care of though- just pour out the water contained in the packet and rinse the noodles or pasta under cold water for a few minutes.

You can find out more on the Eat Water website, which also has a handy store locator.


Thursday, 28 May 2015

The Best Scrambled Eggs Ever

If you've visited this blog before, you'll know I sometimes struggle to eat eggs. I'm not a giant fan of their taste, but as such a great source of protein I'm always trying to find new ways to tart them up. 
Easier to put together than my yummy breakfast muffins, I reckon these scrambled eggs have cracked it. (Sorry!)




In the picture above, I've served my eggs on a toasted slice of ProFusion Protein Bread. It's made with flax seeds, wheat and milk protein and rye flour and works out to about 5g of carbs per slice. You can get it in The English Market. 

The Best Scrambled Eggs Ever (Serves 1)

Ingredients

2 Medium Eggs
Generous Knob Of Butter
Tablespoon Cream Cheese
Salt & Pepper

Method

1. Turn your stove/ hob on at a medium heat.

2. Crack two eggs into a small saucepan and add the butter.

3. Place over the heat and stir with a spatula. Don't use a whisk.

4. Continue stirring until the eggs begin to thicken and bind together as one. It usually takes about 90 seconds-2 minutes to get the right consistency.

5. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the cream cheese. Stir until completely mixed.

6. Season with salt and pepper. Serve!

These creamy eggs are tasty enough to eat alone, but to avoid samey-ness I like to mix it up from time to time. Here are a couple of my favourite variations:


  • Add a pinch of chili flakes when stirring in the cream cheese, skip the salt and pepper.
  • Fry off some bacon, finely chop 1 spring onion and mix into the eggs.
  • Sprinkle with grated cheese before serving.
  • Fry a bunch of cherry tomatoes on the vine, then mix into eggs before serving.

Saturday, 23 May 2015

Nando's Coming To Cork City Centre

While wandering around town recently, I was sad to see that Meadows and Byrne on Academy Street had closed. It was a great resource for those odd kitchenware items you couldn't get anywhere else.

On passing the other day, I noticed that a planning permission sign had gone up outside and I couldn't resist being nosey. I was absolutely delighted to see that Nando's was named as the tenant and they were going to create a new restaurant there!



You may have read about my experience in Nando's Mahon Point a while back (where I intelligently forgot to take food pictures- doh!) and while it was a tasty, low-carb friendly meal, it's just too far to trek to. Now, I'm delighted to have this restaurant come to the city centre, and I'm hoping to make a lot more visits for their tasty chicken and low-carb friendly sides!

You can take a look at their menu here.



Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Low Carb Cheesecake (Take 1)


Okay, so it collapsed but it still tasted good! Too many berries I reckon. Overberried.



On the plus side- the low carb almond and chocolate base was perfect. I'll post the recipe once I've perfected the top part and it holds.