Made really lovely beef and chorizo burgers, sweet paprika potato wedges and coleslaw.
Blitzed soft chorizo , mixed with beef mince made 3 patties and rested. Boiled wedges then put in oven with paprika, salt and pepper in garlic olive oil. Split sliced cabbage and carrot on mandolin, added mayo for coleslaw.
On griddle, cooked one patty for San and put lime and chilli relish and mature cheddar between two patties for me.
Served in (shop bought) mini wholemeal pittas with sliced tomato and rocket from garden.
Best burgers I've made in ages and I thought the kitchen smelt like a bar in the States, so v happy.
Got up this morning, made a potato and leak soup for breakfast and tomorrow's lunch at work, a carrot cake, and cleaned house.
Made a chilli to go in freezer and just cooking roast chicken for tonight. All smells good, just eating the bacon off the breast now :)
Sunday 7 August 2016
Friday 5 August 2016
Another gap, Dusseldorf etc
Added nothing lately, went to Dusseldorf for long weekend, usual places and a few new new ones, nothing really to add, enjoyed as always, ate pig, drank Altbeer, really enjoyed it.
Nothing new planned for a few weeks, couple of meals out, might report on.
Gym (Flyfit.ie) going great 4 or 5 times a week, mostly Baggot St, Swords occasionally at weekends. Only issue is I am not only not losing weight, am putting it on. About half a stone since back from Mozambique, but do seem to have lost a bit of belly, so not too down.
No big plans for weekend, got some runner beans to harvest and need to think up some structured lunch plans. Cous cous and rice as often as possible, not bored yet.
Nothing new planned for a few weeks, couple of meals out, might report on.
Gym (Flyfit.ie) going great 4 or 5 times a week, mostly Baggot St, Swords occasionally at weekends. Only issue is I am not only not losing weight, am putting it on. About half a stone since back from Mozambique, but do seem to have lost a bit of belly, so not too down.
No big plans for weekend, got some runner beans to harvest and need to think up some structured lunch plans. Cous cous and rice as often as possible, not bored yet.
Sunday 17 July 2016
Gym, food etc
New job going great, joined a new gym as old one was not near job. Very cost effective, great equipment and half way between bus sop and work. Really enjoying it.
Standard roast beef yesterday, not brilliant, but good enough. Made salmon, whiting and chive ravioli with a pinot grigo, chicken stock and finely diced vegetable sauce. Best pasta I've made in ages, made some pesto tagliatelle for lunch with the remainder of the pasta and some frozen pesto I'd made ages ago.
Recipe.
Pasta:
3 eggs
salt
olive oil
water
'00' flour
Not really measured, just thrown into mixer with dough hook, added flour and water as required, rested for 40 minutes.
Blitzed salmon, whiting and cream cheese in blender added chopped chives from garden.
Made 2 dozen ravioli, half went into freezer
Fried garlic and shallots, added large glass of pinot grigio, reduced then added chicken stock, very finely diced carrots, celery, peppers reduced further.
When water came to boil dropped to low simmer and added pasta, then added finely sliced courgettes to sauce. 3 minutes, pasta was cooked - into sauce, added fresh basil and parmesan - very good
Standard roast beef yesterday, not brilliant, but good enough. Made salmon, whiting and chive ravioli with a pinot grigo, chicken stock and finely diced vegetable sauce. Best pasta I've made in ages, made some pesto tagliatelle for lunch with the remainder of the pasta and some frozen pesto I'd made ages ago.
Recipe.
Pasta:
3 eggs
salt
olive oil
water
'00' flour
Not really measured, just thrown into mixer with dough hook, added flour and water as required, rested for 40 minutes.
Blitzed salmon, whiting and cream cheese in blender added chopped chives from garden.
Made 2 dozen ravioli, half went into freezer
Fried garlic and shallots, added large glass of pinot grigio, reduced then added chicken stock, very finely diced carrots, celery, peppers reduced further.
When water came to boil dropped to low simmer and added pasta, then added finely sliced courgettes to sauce. 3 minutes, pasta was cooked - into sauce, added fresh basil and parmesan - very good
Tuesday 28 June 2016
Madrid, new job, lack of exercise
Finished up in my old job at the airport, week off, so went for a 3 day break in Madrid, as usual perfect, weather great, sweating on my morning runs, visited all the usual bars and found a couple of new ones.
New job is in town, so no cycling, too far and too dangerous, also need to get a new gym, as the old one was at airport. Got one sussed out, will aim for mid-next week.
Keeping up food diary, doing reasonable on the meat and a little better on the beer, weight doing OK, Malaga piled it on, but back down to lowest I can remember.
New job is in town, so no cycling, too far and too dangerous, also need to get a new gym, as the old one was at airport. Got one sussed out, will aim for mid-next week.
Keeping up food diary, doing reasonable on the meat and a little better on the beer, weight doing OK, Malaga piled it on, but back down to lowest I can remember.
Tuesday 7 June 2016
Malaga
So Malaga again, landed early on Sunday, dropped into La Cuevo 1900 for beers and their really lovely pate / bologna / ham with bread free tapas. Dropped bags at apartment, headed for La Taberna de Faille, cos MES said it was great, but jammers, so went 2 doors down to Restaurante de Sancha, very, very good mixed salad, gambas al pil-pil and calamari, excellent digestifs to finish for free! Went to a favorite Cortijo de Pete for dinner, San and Jack gushed over the avocado salad and I love the kefta sandwich. Met owner of Tapeo de Cervantes on way past and booked for Friday.
Monday and Tuesday ate in ham, cheese sandwiches for breakfast, Salad Nicosia for lunch, Monday I fried prawns with tomato and onion salad, Tuesday chicken fajitas with guacamole. Couple of tapas in dive bars thrown in - all grand. Heading for Nerja, Thursday, happy!
Exercise going great, running each morning and using the free open air free gyms and a tiny bit of sea swimming
Monday and Tuesday ate in ham, cheese sandwiches for breakfast, Salad Nicosia for lunch, Monday I fried prawns with tomato and onion salad, Tuesday chicken fajitas with guacamole. Couple of tapas in dive bars thrown in - all grand. Heading for Nerja, Thursday, happy!
Exercise going great, running each morning and using the free open air free gyms and a tiny bit of sea swimming
Monday 30 May 2016
Progress
Made a great keema curry yesterday with potato and lamb patties, road shoulder of lamb on Saturday, ate out at Sagamartha kitchen again on Friday, OK. Really enjoying running at weekends, going to Malaga for a week on Sunday, so hopefully will be running in the heat, will have to get up early. New job starting in two weeks so will have to see how I can fit a new gym into that routine, would hate to skip daily cycle, but too far away, so need a new plan.
Friday 22 April 2016
On course
Boring update, going well
Exercise - Bike every day except one when I had an offsite meeting, also the only day I didn't go to gym after work, run on weekend days. Sugar going really well, one muffins and a couple of slices of cake in three weeks! Beer not so well, averaging 2 dry days a week instead of the 4 or 5 that was my target. Not really feeling any different, always hungry, fruit, nuts and meat snacks, so not great on the meat reduction, but about have my lunches are meat free, so that is good. No wiedth change, but maybe a little less tubby and chin-y.
Good weather certainly helping on the exercise front and more likely to go for salads and light food. Then again, planning on Cologne and Dusseldorf next weekend, so pig on pig action
Exercise - Bike every day except one when I had an offsite meeting, also the only day I didn't go to gym after work, run on weekend days. Sugar going really well, one muffins and a couple of slices of cake in three weeks! Beer not so well, averaging 2 dry days a week instead of the 4 or 5 that was my target. Not really feeling any different, always hungry, fruit, nuts and meat snacks, so not great on the meat reduction, but about have my lunches are meat free, so that is good. No wiedth change, but maybe a little less tubby and chin-y.
Good weather certainly helping on the exercise front and more likely to go for salads and light food. Then again, planning on Cologne and Dusseldorf next weekend, so pig on pig action
Monday 11 April 2016
Health and excercise
So all going quite well, have a food / exercise diary, since last Monday cycled each day to work went to the gym after work each day last week. Cycled today, no gym, as it was raining. Ran for the first time in year Saturday and Sunday (15 & 25 minutes respectively).
Had 2 can of pop in the fridge at work, finished them and only had water, peppermint and redbush teas at work since. At home had 2 pints of squash in a week, rest either redbush or water. Except Friday, Saturday and Sunday (beer and wine).
Would have run tonight, but really raining hard and wet enough from cycle, aim to not drink until Thursday - social event in Town, but in the medium term only Friday, Sat & Sun. One bar of chocolate in the week as well.
Pleased with myself, but it is tough and making work even more miserable, as I've no sugar / caffeine hits to get me through the bad bits, but I guess that means I need to put more effort into finding a new job.
Made hummus, butter bean and spinach stew and salads for lunch, trying to stay meat free in the day time, but have a leftover from Saturday and Sunday that need to be eaten and will not waste
Had 2 can of pop in the fridge at work, finished them and only had water, peppermint and redbush teas at work since. At home had 2 pints of squash in a week, rest either redbush or water. Except Friday, Saturday and Sunday (beer and wine).
Would have run tonight, but really raining hard and wet enough from cycle, aim to not drink until Thursday - social event in Town, but in the medium term only Friday, Sat & Sun. One bar of chocolate in the week as well.
Pleased with myself, but it is tough and making work even more miserable, as I've no sugar / caffeine hits to get me through the bad bits, but I guess that means I need to put more effort into finding a new job.
Made hummus, butter bean and spinach stew and salads for lunch, trying to stay meat free in the day time, but have a leftover from Saturday and Sunday that need to be eaten and will not waste
Tuesday 29 March 2016
Long gap
So obviously this has been dormant for months, no real reason, yes work was busy, but just lazy and unfocused I guess. So had many good meals out, cooked stuff, quick précis then reassessment.
Went to Nerja and Malaga in January, nothing special food-wise, San was not well, so stuck to simple stuff, Madrid for a weekend, similar. Ate out in Sangamartha Kitchen and Fratelli - both decent.
Bit of a break, San better now and I wasn't cooking much for a few weeks, as I had a sling on!
In Mozambique currently, was in South Africa last week, Maputo bloody expensive, SA not. Best food in Chez Vincent in Nelspruit, SA, Dhow in Maputo good, mostly decent pub / restaurant / Indian apart from that, staying with San's daughter, who does not really do food, so not a focus here. Back to Mordor on Monday, loving the heat.
So what next?
I've kind of decided to stop reviewing restaurants, will mention anything good or interesting, but really, I have no skills in reviewing and many are much better than me, I am crap at photos and should probably use TripAdvisor for reviewing, as that is what I use to find places...
I need to make health changes, lots less beer and wine, reduce starch (pasta and potatoes especially) much more vegetables, do not need as much meat and stop with the chocolate. Although all these will be hard, especially beer and beef, bot could lose a stone or three and with not being on bike or gym due to arm injury, feeling fat and old. With retirement on the horizon need to get fitter and healthier.
When back from holiday going to try for something like:
No alcohol Monday - Thursday
Vegetarian 2 days a week
Fish at least one day a week
Fruit / dried fruit only as snacks at work
Proper breakfast - cereal, porridge, fruit etc not fried
Back on bike and gym at least 4 days a week, coming into summer with daylight coming and going from work, so no Winter excuses
This will be tough, it is part of a long list of betterments (Spanish and a different job other priorities I am not hitting), but have about two years left or should give up and die - cheery sod!
One night out in Dun Laoghaire next month, then Malaga in June planned, so they should be markers for how I am (or not) getting on with changes, I might do some more updates if I start cooking a bit more veggie, as it will be new for me - I don't want to just make the usual without meat or "substitute" I want something I like or it won't be worth it
Went to Nerja and Malaga in January, nothing special food-wise, San was not well, so stuck to simple stuff, Madrid for a weekend, similar. Ate out in Sangamartha Kitchen and Fratelli - both decent.
Bit of a break, San better now and I wasn't cooking much for a few weeks, as I had a sling on!
In Mozambique currently, was in South Africa last week, Maputo bloody expensive, SA not. Best food in Chez Vincent in Nelspruit, SA, Dhow in Maputo good, mostly decent pub / restaurant / Indian apart from that, staying with San's daughter, who does not really do food, so not a focus here. Back to Mordor on Monday, loving the heat.
So what next?
I've kind of decided to stop reviewing restaurants, will mention anything good or interesting, but really, I have no skills in reviewing and many are much better than me, I am crap at photos and should probably use TripAdvisor for reviewing, as that is what I use to find places...
I need to make health changes, lots less beer and wine, reduce starch (pasta and potatoes especially) much more vegetables, do not need as much meat and stop with the chocolate. Although all these will be hard, especially beer and beef, bot could lose a stone or three and with not being on bike or gym due to arm injury, feeling fat and old. With retirement on the horizon need to get fitter and healthier.
When back from holiday going to try for something like:
No alcohol Monday - Thursday
Vegetarian 2 days a week
Fish at least one day a week
Fruit / dried fruit only as snacks at work
Proper breakfast - cereal, porridge, fruit etc not fried
Back on bike and gym at least 4 days a week, coming into summer with daylight coming and going from work, so no Winter excuses
This will be tough, it is part of a long list of betterments (Spanish and a different job other priorities I am not hitting), but have about two years left or should give up and die - cheery sod!
One night out in Dun Laoghaire next month, then Malaga in June planned, so they should be markers for how I am (or not) getting on with changes, I might do some more updates if I start cooking a bit more veggie, as it will be new for me - I don't want to just make the usual without meat or "substitute" I want something I like or it won't be worth it
Tuesday 5 January 2016
Bon appetit and holiday wrap up
Ciara's 30th, large family (about 30) do in Bon Appetit in Malahide, menu was:
Sweet Potato Soup
Carpaccio
Rib Eye
Chicken
Mushroom tagliatelli
Strawberry panna cota
Cheese board
All was great, rib eye especially, I had carpaccio, tagliatelli and cheese, really enjoyed it all, staff were great, good wine apparently - I was driving
All kids home now, had a few standards over the fortnight, ragu - normal beef and turkey (obv), risottos pizzas - roasted red pepper done with new blow torch and a couple of pub meals out.
Nothing planned for the next few days, but Nerja / Malaga next Wednesday, so looking forward to it
Sweet Potato Soup
Carpaccio
Rib Eye
Chicken
Mushroom tagliatelli
Strawberry panna cota
Cheese board
All was great, rib eye especially, I had carpaccio, tagliatelli and cheese, really enjoyed it all, staff were great, good wine apparently - I was driving
All kids home now, had a few standards over the fortnight, ragu - normal beef and turkey (obv), risottos pizzas - roasted red pepper done with new blow torch and a couple of pub meals out.
Nothing planned for the next few days, but Nerja / Malaga next Wednesday, so looking forward to it
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