Curbing the no-carb: 5 healthy swaps for under £1.

The idea of cutting carbohydrates to promote weight-loss is no stranger to the diet scene, but it definitely gets a bad rep due to the inevitable heavy regain as the price for its betrayal.

Instead of going cold-turkey from the white stuff (bread, rice, pasta), why not wean yourself off it or simply cut down by making a few small changes to your existing diet. Incorporate these swaps into your meal plan at least three times a week and bask in the glory of your guiltless, bulkless satiety.

    1.    COURGHETTI

Sains: 1 x(3 for £1.50) = 50p
Aldi: 1 x(3 for 89p) = 30p

Photo: twopeasandtheirpod

Slice your courgette in half lengthways, then slide your knife across in half again - still lengthways. Cut the courgette into thin strands that somewhat/in no way resemble spaghetti. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the courgette and cook or steam for 3-5 minutes, until tender. This is the healthiest way to cook as it involves no oil. Treat the courghetti as you would pasta - top with pesto, sprinkle with toasted seeds or simply drizzle with olive oil, crushed garlic and black pepper.


         2.    FLICE (CAULIFLOWER RICE)

Sains: 1/2x(1 for £1)=50p
Aldi: 1/2x( 1 for 75p)= 38p

Photo: thekitchn

Halve cauliflower. Grate or finely chop one half (refrigerate the other for later flice meals), put into microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of water, cover with clingfilm or one of those plastic things  and microwave for 2 minutes. Serve as you would normal rice - with curry, grilled chicken and vegetables - or bring to life as an individual dish by adding spices and chickpeas.

     3.   MUSHABON (MUSHROOM BUNS)

Sains:2 caps at( £1/250g) = 70p
Aldi: ( 89p/250g) = 50p

These amalgamations are getting tedious, I know. Gently rinse 2 large (portobello) mushroom heads under cold water, heat a frying pan with olive oil and a tsp of crushed garlic and fry the shrooms til nicely browned. Use in place of burger buns or make a whole other tasty meal by crumbling feta on top and browning under the grill. Best served with hot and crispy fried halloumi, a tomato slice, gherkin, lettuce and carb swap no.4.

         4.       SWEDGES (SWEET POTATO WEDGES)

Sains: 2 small potatoes x(£1.20/kg)= 40p
Aldi: (92p/kg) = 30p

Hm, this might still be a carb but if we start cutting nutritious veg out of our life in the name of health then there is no hope for anyone. Preheat the oven to 200°, place a roasting tin with a drizzle of olive oil in there to heat whilst you slice around 2 small potatoes into wedges. Add the wedges to the hot pan along with spices - think rosemary, paprika, dash of cinnamon - and a restrained sprinkle of salt. Roast for 25-30mins until soft when prodded with a fork and looking irresistible. Skin on or off down to preference. I prefer on.

          5.      BOODLES  (BEANSPROUT NOODLES)

1/2 pack x(60p /400g) = 30p
Aldi don't seem to stock these, but 60p at sains? Can't argue.

Photo: acouplecooks

When you come to make a stir fry, just add more beansprouts instead of noodles. That's literally it. Be sure to add substantial amounts of protein (chicken, pumpkin seeds, peanut butter) and crunchy veg so that you're sufficiently full up. The best thing? Half a pack is 100cals, so you can have oodles of boodles if you're in the moodle.

This loaf is bananas.

B.A.N.A.N.A.S

Having recently seen a lot of recipes using yoghurt in place of fat in cake mixtures, I wanted to create my own version of banana bread which combines healthier cooking substitutes with the original ingredients. By subtly changing half of the ingredients, the difference in taste is unnoticeable unlike those fat free/low calorie recipes where your 'cake' tastes like a piece of dry sponge. As a general rule in attempting to make recipes healthier, think about the nutritional value of ingredients rather than the calorie content. Here's the recipe for my first attempt, next time I'm trying it with 100% wholemeal flour and oats so will keep you updated!

 Ingredients:

60g wholemeal flour

60 plain flour

40g oats

pinch salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

50g twice-as-sweet sugar

50g melted butter

80g yogurt

capful vanilla extract

shot of freshly brewed coffee, cooled

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs, beaten

Optional: pumpkin seeds, for topping

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

If your bananas are not already ripe, put them into the oven now while you prepare your other ingredients. After around 20 mins, the skins will go black and they will be perfectly ripe. Unless your bananas are at the peak of ripeness I recommend doing this anyway for maximum flavour. When they are cooled, the flesh should scoop out effortlessly.

Combine all of the dry ingredients apart from the oats in a large mixing bowl.

In a blender/liquidizer/food processer, whiz the oats with the eggs until fine. Alternatively, use oat flour in place to save this step. Add the rest of the liquids to the mix and combine thoroughly. 

Fold in the mashed banana and scrape mixture into a greased and lined loaf tin. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds if using and bake for around an hour and a half. This loaf takes a while. Test if it's ready by ensuring that the top is nicely browned and a knife comes out clean when plunged into the middle.

This bread is delicious warm or cooled then toasted and spread with nutella or any nut butter. Serve for breakfast with coffee or as a not-so-naughty dessert.

 

What Challah Make For Breakfast?

Ha ha.

To continue with my breadventures I decided to make a plaited Challah loaf. I was really excited about the plaiting part cos so far I've only really made flatbreads, which don't come in overly exciting shapes (although that might be an idea). I'm not honestly sure how tasty this bread is on its own, but it really shines when used in dessert, as I will get to later. The lack of a distinct flavour is probably because I used wholewheat flour, so it just tastes like quite simple brown bread. Although the crustiness of the plait does make it infinitely more exciting.

Let's weave

I'm giving the recipe I used here but recommending that for a tastier bread, go with white/any other interesting flour. 

Simple Wholewheat Challah Bread.

2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
1 cup/230ml lukewarm water
400g wholewheat bread flour
200gish white flour
40g white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk (reserve the white for the egg wash)
60ml vegetable oil

On writing up this recipe I now realise that I think I forgot to add the sugar, which is probably why the bread tasted just like wholemeal. Lol. Excuse to retry I suppose.

How to: I got this recipe directly from the kitchn and the directions are really well laid out, so there is no point in me trying to do it justice.

Minor changes: I used a mixture of white and wholewheat flour, and proved the dough overnight in the fridge.

Doughn't forget the sugar

You knead to make this bread

I can prove it

I mean, it's the yeast you could do

I'm on a roll with these puns

Don't be abraid to get it wrong

It takes some willflour

But rise to the challenge

Go on, you'll loaf it

Get a slice of the action

This bread is perfect for use in desserts as-is (the wholewheat recipe). I used it for peanut butter and banana French toast, which was delicious. The simple flavour and robust crust makes it the perfect topping carrier.

For PB French toast for two:

Toast 4 slices bread, soak one side of each in 2 whisked eggs with a splash of vanilla. Spread un-soaked sides with peanut butter then fry egg side in butter, place slices of banana on the peanut butter, stick together, butter with a thin layer of golden syrup or honey and sprinkle with cinnamon.

It's also perfect to use the last few stale-ish slices in cinnamon bread and butter pudding.

Hola Granola

Wouldn't that be a great name for a Spanish granola company?! You saw it here first. 

All of the best breakfast flavours

As you may have guessed from previous posts (PB Pad Thai, the many ways with porridge), I'm a big fan of all things peanut butter. Combine it with banana, cinnamon and some other healthy stuff and that has to be a winner. 

Ingredients:

   200g mixed unsalted nuts (I get the resealable bags from Lidl, I think £1.89)
   Large handful rolled oats
   Large handful seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, mixed, etc)
   Handful raisins/ chopped dried fruit
   Anything else granola-ey (I had toasted flaked almonds from a previous truffle-making session)
   1 heaped tsp cinnamon
   1/2 tsp ground ginger
   A ripe banana, mashed with a fork
   2 tbsp peanut butter
   3 tbsp honey - if you like sweet granola, use more (mine had more of a nutty roasted flavour than standard sugary taste, but less is obviously healthier)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Chop nuts on a board until broken but still nicely chunky. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl.

Separately, mix mashed banana & PB, spoon the honey into a mug and warm on high in microwave for 10 secs, then add to banana mix.

Pour banana-ey goodness over nuts and combine until well coated. 

Spread evenly onto a lightly greased tray and bake for around 20 minutes, till smelling nutty and delicious. Halfway through roasting give the mix a scrape to ensure big clusters don't form. If you like big clusters in your granola, leave this part til the end of cooking. 

Remove from oven, restrain from eating entire tray of granola. Cool and store in a sealed container. Serve on top of yoghurt, porridge, smoothies etc.

I think this would make a lovely homemade gift if packaged in an old jam jar and sealed with a pretty piece of fabric, some string and a handwritten label. 

Photo: veggiegrettie

The best gifts are those that you'd be happy to receive!

Review: Artisan

So the customer uniform is a sleek mix of grey, black, gold, generally swanky attire and as usual I'm in my plaid shirt.

Perhaps this is less of a student hangout and more of an I-have-a-career-and-money-to-spend kinda deal. WHICH IS FINE. Just new for me, and not quite right for me. However, this doesn't rule out the possibility of students fitting in here. It's more of a date location or a sophisticated drinks with the girls thing.

Photo: Artisan

It's located in Spinningfields, so definitely fits in with the whole vibe around that area - post-work drinks, living for the weekend, business people letting their hair down after work??

If you know Spinningfields you'll know what I mean.

Atmosphere aside, I am here to talk about the food, and the food I shall talk about:

I'd had a look at the website prior to my visit, and as it claims that 'fire is at the literal heart of Artisan; handmade, rustic dishes served straight from the flames.' I veered towards dishes that would hopefully show off the use of the acclaimed wood oven. To start we ordered Mussels Marinière: 'mussels baked in bread'. This was quite an exciting starter, as it arrived in a cast-iron dish behatted with a warm and doughy flatbread. I liked this as a sharing plate, the presentation made it feel slightly special and upmarket, although the simple garlic cream sauce was nothing I hadn't tried before. Even so, the dish was well executed and ideal for a light sharing starter.

Thank goodness for high exposure

 From scouring the menu in advance I'd had my eye on the skillet of smoked salmon, poached eggs, green vegetables, hollandaise and crushed potatoes. This is the kind of thing I would make for myself at home so I was interested to see how others approached it. Its manifestation was a little underwhelming. I'd imagined the skillet to be of a similar to size to the mussels' cradle, with Jamie Oliver-style pan fried and crushed potatoes - crispy and soft. (As in the ones from 30 minute meals, they're 'squashed' potatoes but potato potato). However, they were crushed into more of a mash, and a mush. The whole thing was a bit of a mush really due to the amount of oil and liquid going on. Smoked salmon is soft and moist, so coupled with a soft poached egg, mashed potatoes and hollandaise sauce, the dish leaves you desperately savouring the crunchier pieces of broccoli just to balance your mouthful. I also feel that the addition of the hollandaise with the egg made this reminiscent of a breakfast; swap the veg for an English muffin and it's basically eggs benedict.

I think this dish could work with more rigid carbohydrates and without the rich sauce. At £11.50, it also feels a little steep for something that can be compared with a morning meal.

A further opportunity to sample the wood-fired offerings, we opted for the mushroom pizza. Topped with rosemary, thyme and truffle oil, this was an authentic version of an Italian classic. The thin, soft yet crisp base was perfect for folding into quarters to make each slice into a calzone (it's the way to eat fresh pizza). My only criticism is perhaps it's over-authenticity - it really felt like we were sat outside the Colosseum - in that it was over a tenner for a reasonably small and scarcely topped pizza.

Satisfied, but not quite full up (I wonder whether this is the purpose of the serving sizes), we chose from the dessert menu. It was no contest to choose a winner as chocolate fondant took place on the list, a personal favourite. With fond memories of this dessert from a very special meal with my Mother in Casa Marieta, Girona, I think perhaps my hopes were too high. The pudding was hot and gooey with unarguably good vanilla ice cream, but it lacked that rich depth of cocoa that one desires from a chocolate dessert.

This being said, the service was faultless and Artisan did demonstrate everything their menu maintains to be. However, with the dim lighting not bright enough to capture the food *sob* and clubby music at a similar volume to the venue its designed for, I get the feeling that Artisan's philosophy is not all about the food. As the bitter-from-the-bill couple next to us aptly remarked, "you're paying for the ambience".

Artisan strikes me as the place you should go to with people that you don't know very well: the volume ensures there'll be no awkward silences, and the elaborate cocktail menu is a great conversation starter in more ways than one.

People want to show off that they've been there, take an insta and tag it. There's even a 'bitchin' lounge' otherwise known as photo opportunity, as well as a booth to print snaps of you and your mates looking all pretty. Personal comments aside, the restaurant was buzzing and every table booked, people were enjoying themselves - Artisan is doing it just right for their demographic and I'm not recommending they change. 

Artisan 
Avenue North,
18-22 Bridge Street, 
Manchester
http://www.artisan.uk.com/

Peanut Butter Pad Thai

I'm not going to pretend that this is even close to the traditional form of Pad Thai, because I've seen the youtube comments towards those professing to create the dish, and it seems to be a controversial subject.

For those who have no opinion, let alone awareness of the delicacy, wikipedia declares that Pad Thai is a combination of rice noodles, shrimp and tofu stir-fried in tamarind, egg, beansprouts and chopped peanuts.

My version contains the key ingredients of rice noodles (vermicelli) and egg, but I have swapped the seafood for chicken and added a few extra things I had in the fridge.

Authentic or not, it worked out well and the recipe was worth remembering. As usual the ingredients are interchangeable and open to interpretation, I'd love to hear about your attempts!

Serves 2:

1.Noodles
150g Rice Noodles

Add nest to bowl of boiling water, set aside

2.Sauce
60 ml fish sauce
60 ml toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp tamarind paste
3 splashes soy sauce
Cap full cider vinegar
1 tsp each minced garlic, ginger, chilli
Pinch hot chilli powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp peanut butter

Add all ingredients to mug, microwave for 20 secs to melt PB, stir and set aside.

3.Chicken
Splash toasted sesame oil
1/2 chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced chilli
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Few mills black pepper
2 eggs

Bring wok to high heat with oil and add chicken and seasonings. Fry until white and push to side of the wok. Crack eggs into center and let cook for around one minute. Scramble for another minute and add:

4.Veg
1/4 savoy cabbage, shredded
8 baby button mushrooms, halved
1 carrot, julienned or chopped thinly
1/2 chopped romaine lettuce
Small handful pumpkin seeds

Continue to fry in wok for around 5 mins until veg is softened but not mushy. Keep eggs to the side to prevent overcooking.

5.Garnish

Add sauce to wok and heat for around 2 mins. Serve into bowls with extra black pepper, a pinch of fresh coriander and a wedge of lime.


I've split the steps and ingredients up like this to make the dish look less intimidating, As a long list this looks a bit daunting but it really is simple and comes together in less than around half an hour, including chopping time. For an easy-to-refer-to infographic, here is the photo of my plan for this post:

Umami: The Fifth Taste

To finally incorporate a little of my degree - the Linguistics part - into this blog, I'll give you the etymology of the Japanese loanword that takes both the title of this post and the name of the restaurant to follow. 'Umami', pronounced /uːˈmaːmi/ (bonus phonology revision) translates as a 'pleasant savoury taste'. Now included with the four classic taste dimensions: sweet; salty; bitter and sour, it can be recognized largely in Japanese cuisine often found in the additive known as MSG. This flavour is associated with a salty, savoury taste which is why its inclusion in the basic list was in dispute. However, the distinction from the 'salty' category can be made due to the way that Umami can be created through combinations of savoury foods put together. Think Remi with his cheese and strawberry in Ratatouille.

The climax

Umami means adding the intense flavour that you need in order to enjoy your meal to the full extent. Parmesan on spaghetti Bolognese. The little bit of burnt on your roast potatoes. Mustard on ham. Fish and chips with tartar sauce. Soy sauce on sushi?

Umami! You've got it!

It's also the name of a lovely underground noodle bar on Oxford Road (the Manchester version). Having visited on five occasions without a single disappointment, I thought a review of my fifth taste was in order.

On descending the restaurant's steps I first expected to be greeted with a neon-lit counter, hectic atmosphere and claustrophobic but versatile seating - a sort of cross between Archie's Milkshakes and Yo!Sushi. This presumption was only due to a glance at the offer of a £5.95 lunch deal and the coloured sign modestly pointing to 'noodle bar'. What in fact lives at the bottom of those stairs is a sophisticated and authentic Japanese restaurant that is a great meeting place for lunch or dinner, student or superior.

Shiny rectangular wooden tables stand at perfect elbow-resting height, with matching benches and similarly sized Japanese artwork adorning the right wall. Another wall gives home to the half-open kitchen with a tall bar for freshly made orders to wait. Those orders don't wait long as staff are attentive and efficient, in fitting with the place's clean and functional look. Despite the sleek design, the restaurant still holds just the right amount of character, being underground and spacious without feeling confined or empty.

The food itself is similarly simple without being boring. Mostly centred around noodles in various sizes with differing broths and flavourings, the menu also offers fried rice dishes and an appetizing selection of small plates or starters.

Vegetable salad

Gyoza dumplings

From the vast amount that I have tried, I would particularly recommend the crispy salt & pepper tofu - perfect for first time tofu-triers, or those who've had bad experiences with the spongy stuff tasting like well, sponge. The king prawn gyoza dumplings are equally satisfying and when dipped in the sweet sauce really create that UMAMI flavour (how fun learning can be!)

Char siu ramen

Monk's broth

The udon and ramen soups are honestly much of a muchness for me, which doesn't mean to say they are not good. The combination of noodle and broth makes a refreshing lunch and a spicy one is perfect for a cold winter day. Offerings on the lunch menu are a careful selection of the best sellers that the chefs are readily prepared to make in a short time,  it seems  encouraged during this time as a means of practicality for the staff. This means that you're not getting a pared down version of something from the full list, so it's a win-win situation.

Vegetable tempura

The speed of service here means I'll normally go for lunch so I can spend more time doing nothing quickly get back to the library. However, on occasions where I've dined in the evening it has also been a lovely choice, always positively commented upon by the friends I have taken. Although one night we gave in to the temptation of Japanese beer Asahi, a regret after examining the receipt to find it was £3.60 a bottle. I suppose that's just how these restaurants make their money, but as a student it's unlikely that I'd opt to have a drink there again.

Noodle party

To conclude, I'd describe Umami as an up-market and less commercial Wagamamas that guarantees a fulfilling meal. It won't blow your tastebuds, but it'll pleasure them.

Umami
Japanese Sushi Noodle Bar Restaurant
147/153 Oxford Road 
Manchester
M1 1EE
http://www.umami.cc/

Note: you may notice the mention of sushi in the address above, this is something I'm yet to try here but would love to hear any feedback from those who have!