April 2018 Recipe Redux: Vietnamese Chargrilled Pork Neck Skewers

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It’s that time of the month my friends for the Recipe Redux Challenge. Drum roll please….it’s spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Picnic Day is April 23, so get ready to eat al fresco. Show us the healthy recipes you like to bring on a picnic – or serve outside.

Every Sunday we eat al fresco. Since our kids sailed as their summer sport, whose season spans 8 months, we had a lot of meals on the water. Sailing goes all day so we would pack up for an adventure every Sunday morning. And if there were regettas then the adventures spanned over a weekend or a whole week. I became adept at creating food that could be eaten with wet hands while being highly nutritious to keep us all going during a long day on and in the water.bah min style

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Mango Scallops

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One of Stuart’s favourite dishes is scallops. I, on the other hand, are not so much of a fan. It works for us because that means there’s more for him and scallops are best served seared, so it doesn’t take long to pull together a spectacular meal. You could say it’s a win-win.

Mango Scallops on the grill

Seared scallops with mango are a great addition to a seafood barbecue.

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The Mediterranean Diet is a Migraine-Friendly Way of Eating

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So something a bit different this week. I was asked to work with the team from Red Dieticians to help create a weekly menu with some of my recipes to go with their very informative review of the Mediterranean Diet. Needless to say I was chuffed to be asked and even happier to participate in my first collaboration as a foodie.

The Mediterranean Diet suits migraineurs because it focuses on whole foods, the cornerstone to a Migraine-Friendly diet. Why not grab a cuppa, some quiet space and head over to their site for a very informative read. Plus I think you’ll find some recipes you might like.

 

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean diet was started as a heart healthy eating plan, and now has also been seen to be associated with lowering cholesterol levels, as well as lowering the risk of cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. The Mediterranean diet plan focuses on eating plant-based foods, specifically a high content of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Although this diet stresses to consume most protein from plant sources, fish and poultry are consumed at least twice a week, and red meat is limited in consumption to a few times a month. Another key component of the diet is to remove salt and instead season with fresh herbs and spices, and to remove butter and replace with healthy oils, such as olive oil or avocado oil.

Keep on reading over at Red Dieticians

Meal in Greece

Flash back to 2007 and one of our first meals in Greece at a seaside taverna on Antiparos. Check out that spread of meze and our younger selves.

Enjoy my friends.

As always, whenever making lifestyle changes be sure and consult your healthcare team. Under no circumstances should you stop or start taking medication or supplements without their consent.

Informed by science, cooked by you.

Tagliata: Italian Steak and Cannellini Beans

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When I think about Italian food my mind moves first to pasta and then pizza. I rarely ever think of steak. In Italy though tagliata is a staple; a lightly seasoned steak, grilled to perfection and served thinly sliced. This flavoursome dish centers around the quality meat. I like a nice thick scotch fillet, but it works well with the more economical flank or skirt steak. Purists use only a bit of salt, but I like a bit of pepper and rub a clove of smashed garlic over the surface. Migraine-sufferers should avoid the traditional brushing with rosemary during grilling if they want the dish to be trigger-free. If you feel the steak needs some heavy herb flavour, a bunch of marjoram will add a nice lift. Grill rare to medium, thinly slice and it’s ready for some side dishes.

Italian steak

Tagliata over Italian style refried beans is my go to 30 minute pantry to plate summer meal.

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Migraineur’s Garlic Prawns

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The traditional food for me at Christmas is prawns. For Stuart it’s ham and I’ve written about finding a nitrate-free ham previously here. It’s a good Christmas story if you are looking for a light read. But back to me and my need for prawns on the table at Christmas.

Garlic prawns ready to eat

All these prawns need is some crusty bread and a fork.

Growing up we had steamed prawns on Christmas Eve. Small batches were lovingly steamed over beer with healthy lashings of Old Bay Seasoning. They were served up hot with traditional cocktail sauce for dipping. Luckily when I moved to Australia I discovered that prawns are a Christmas tradition here as well. Australians consume a massive 45,000 tonnes of prawns over the festive season.

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Slow Food: A Hedonistic Indulgence that is Good for Your Health

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I read an interesting piece a few months back about the positive effects of hedonism on health that rang so true to me that I simply must share it with you. Now before you go running off we need to get some definitions straight here. When most of us think of hedonism an image of debauchery, the extreme indulgence in physical pleasure, pops into our heads. Hedonism actually has its philosophical roots from the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus. His school of thought promoted the savouring of moderate pleasures, respecting one another and showing <a href="http://Gratitude“>gratitude all while pursuing a harmonious life without riches or glory.

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Lamb Kofta: The Base for a Great Shawarma

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Shawarma. Yiro. Gyro. Kebab. One dish with a dozen names, and pronunciations. But no matter what you call it, there’s nothing like some well spiced kofta served up in a fresh flatbread and dressed just the way you like it to satisfy a late night hunger. It’s an end of night ritual across Australia to stagger towards the kebab truck and tuck straight into the luscious sweetness before getting a cab home. Keep on reading!