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Rapid Responses: Rapid Responses published:
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A French "polymeal"
- Pascale Barberger-Gateau (17 December 2004)
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Polymeal The Ideal 1 Day Menu
- Bill D. Misner Ph.D. (17 December 2004)
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Your Inner Physician-Chef, Even Long-Distance
- John La Puma MD (18 December 2004)
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RxM Beverage Measurement System
- Mark R Holloway (20 December 2004)
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POSH POLYMEAL
- Wilma R Renfrew, Barr Street., Glasgow G20 7LR. (20 December 2004)
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The Polymeal and 2PD Approach dovetailed.
- Andrew B. Chung (21 December 2004)
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New Year resolution - suggestion
- Adrian S. Blaj (21 December 2004)
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Poly-diet!
- Dr Eleni Linos (22 December 2004)
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Polymeal Competition
- Katharine M Morrison (22 December 2004)
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A winning Polymeal
- Ben Shaw (22 December 2004)
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Pacific Island meets the West
- Mary w Lyons (23 December 2004)
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THE AUSSIE POLY
- Roberta Zekic (24 December 2004)
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Polymeal by Ian to be enjoyed
- Ian R Sykes (29 December 2004)
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Poly-Yum-Saturated
- Catherine J Sykes (29 December 2004)
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Polymeal Menu
- Bettina Lieske (29 December 2004)
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Polymeals for a working doctor
- Jane C Sterling (3 January 2005)
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A romantic polymeal
- Chin T Ong (4 January 2005)
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A Veggie Polymeal
- Debbie A Lawlor (4 January 2005)
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Re: A romantic polymeal
- susanne mccabe (4 January 2005)
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polymeal
- Helen M Falvey (5 January 2005)
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Bon viveur
- Sophia Hendy (10 January 2005)
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A polymeal
- Christopher Bell (10 January 2005)
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yummy in my tummy
- Ignasi Agell-Argiles (10 January 2005)
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Healthy people know how to eat well
- Robert K. Gleeson (10 January 2005)
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Polymeal a Tasty Daily meal
- Rani. T Sebastian, Philip J (13 January 2005)
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Wild King Salmon inChipotle Mole PolySauce and Som Tum Polymeal
- William A. Schaffer, John La Puma, MD, FACP (13 January 2005)
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Christmas Competition Polymeal Recipe
- Catherine M Fraher (13 January 2005)
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Correction: Som Tum Polymeal
- John La Puma, W. Allen Schaffer (13 January 2005)
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A polymeal for saturday night with friends
- Siobhan Ni Bhriain (13 January 2005)
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Polymeal by E. & M. Engelhardt
- Monika Martha Engelhardt, Elisabeth Engelhardt (13 January 2005)
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The Gastronomical Polymeal
- Ne-Siang Chew (13 January 2005)
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A Chinese Polymeal
- Kit Wu (13 January 2005)
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Christmas Competition Menu
- Heather A Haywood (13 January 2005)
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Menu for Polymeal Contest
- George Mateljan (14 January 2005)
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A Gourmet High Satiety Polymeal
- Nick Wilson, Anne Tucker (14 January 2005)
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Roasted Wild Salmon from British Columbia
- José Morais (14 January 2005)
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Re: A Chinese Polymeal
- Chin T Ong (14 January 2005)
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2 course Italian Polymeal
- Helen Stafford, Ne-Siang Chew, The Radiology Suite, Kent & Canterbury Hospital (14 January 2005)
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Tipsy polymeal
- Kate Ginty (14 January 2005)
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Tasty Spanish polymeal from Murcia
- jeronimo.m rueda (14 January 2005)
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GCP Polymeal Menu
- Lajos Matos MD, Margit Lengyel-Matos MD, General Manager, (14 January 2005)
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Mediterranean Meal
- Eleni Linos, Peter Li (14 January 2005)
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Polymeal
- Ulla Balslev (15 January 2005)
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THE PATH TO BUDDHA'S HEART.
- Gill E. Johnstone (15 January 2005)
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The way to a man's heart is through his polymeal
- Toral Shah (15 January 2005)
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Spicy chicken lougon and choclate and nut fondu
- rachel J Stitt (25 November 2006)
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Pascale Barberger-Gateau, senior lecturer University Bordeaux 2, 33076 Bordeaux Cedex, France
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Polymeal For six persons (sharing a good meal is good for your mind if not for cardiovascular health) Menu Raw salmon marinated in lemon juice with lamb’s lettuce, tomato and kiwi slices, dressing with olive and canola oil, garlic and balsamic vinegar from Modena Fresh roasted cod back in garlic scales, surrounded with tomato and potato slices, fresh spinach leaves Chocolate cake with almonds White Bordeaux wine : for instance Pessac Léognan 2000 Since cuisine looks better in French : Menu Salade composée de saumon cru mariné au citron sur lit de mâche, rondelles de tomate et kiwi, sauce à l’huile d’olive et de colza, ail et vinaigre balsamique de Modène Dos de cabillaud rôti en écailles d’ail, entouré de lamelles de tomates et pommes de terre, lit d’épinards frais Reine de Saba au chocolat et aux amandes Vin de Bordeaux blanc : par exemple un Pessac Léognan 2000 Scientific background : In addition to the ingredients recommended for the « polymeal », the presence of canola oil and lamb’s lettuce will contribute to an optimal intake of alpha-linolenic acid. This menu is rich in omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (fish, lamb’s lettuce, canola oil) and anti- oxidant vitamins and polyphenols (fruit, vegetables, olive oil, almonds…). It is also poor in saturated fat (if you don’t use butter in the recipe of the chocolate cake !) and rich in some B vitamins (almonds). Thus it might be expected to contribute to the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease (1), in addition to its cardiovascular properties. However, randomized controlled trials are needed before giving such nutritional recommendations. Have a nice meal ! Bon appetit ! Reference 1 Luchsinger JA, Mayeux R. Dietary factors and Alzheimer's disease. Lancet Neurol 2004; 3:579-87 Competing interests: I live in Bordeaux |
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Bill D. Misner Ph.D., Director Research & Product Development EMG
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Choices from a whole food menu rarely meets multiple recommended nutritional requirements as based on gender, age, height and weight, and activity level. Unlike a random selection of healthy foods this unique menu meets a host of specific requirements. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE "IDEAL" MENU The "ideal" meal plan provides 50-55% calories from carbohydrates, 30% from healthy fatty acid foods, and 15-16% from protein sources. Dietary fiber in foods should exceed 30 g/day. Aerobic exercise is a requirement compatible with calorie effects on Body Mass Index (BMI) for optimal health (20-25 BMI). Highly active persons require more protein on exercise days as high as 1.5 g per kg body weight if intense exercise lasts 1-2 hours. On days when not exercising, 1 whole grain starch bread entry is substituted for 1 meat entry in order to reduce protein intake. (Addendum: This menu is the high protein exercise day edition.) Total fat intake should be 1.3 grams per kilogram bodyweight resulting in a ratio of 4:1 polyunsaturated/monunsaturated to saturated fatty acid. Mineral electrolytes potassium:sodium should be 2:1 ratio and calcium:magnesium should be 1.5-2.0:1. Total daily sodium should be less than 2400 mg, while the daily requirement for calcium should be a minimum of 1000 mg/d. Total simple sugar intake should not exceed 80 g, and cholesterol intake should not exceed 300 g. Total calorie intake should be responsibly meet 80-100% of the daily estimated total, but never more than 100%. Intake of food should supply 100% Reference Daily Intake value for Vitamins B-complex, A, C, D, E, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Phosphorous, Manganese, and Molybdenum. THE "IDEAL" MEAL (70 kg male 60 kg female BMI 20-25) This unique 1 day menu specifically meets the dietary requirements as indicated for a 5'9" 70 kg male age 25-50 y (This menu may be adapted for a 5'6" 60 kg female age 25-50 by reducing serving sizes 20% each). This food composite meets the criteria set forth and has been confirmed by First Data Bank Nutrition Analysis Software. Breakfast: 1 ounce Almonds 1 cup All Bran cereal 1 cup Skim Milk 1 cup Orange Juice AM Snack - 1 Apple Lunch: 10 fluid ounces Cranberry Apple Juice 1 x 100 gram (water pack) Sardine Whole Wheat Sandwich* 1 Slice Banana Cream Pie PM Snack - 1 ounce Sunflower Seeds Supper: 2 ounces Brook Trout* Whole Salad from 2 cups Broccoli, 1 cup Spinach, 1 cup Brussel Sprouts with 2 fluid ounces Vinegar-Oil Salad Dressing 9 fluid ounces Apricot Nectar Juice *1 whole grain starch bread entry is substituted for 1 meat entry on day when/if not exercising. Competing interests: None declared |
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John La Puma MD, Medical Director, Santa Barbara Institute for Medical Nutrition and Healthy Weight Santa Barbara Institute for Medical Nutrition and Healthy Weight, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
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In response to the request for submission of recipes in the spirit of and using the ingredients of the Polymeal: I use what I learned in medical school and in cooking school (an American Cordon Bleu, the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, in Chicago) daily in my practice as a practicing physician specializing in nutrition. I find what works well for my patients (even those seen once in person and then by phone, e-mail and fax) are simple, easy, well-tested plans. Recipes, especially for weight loss, and cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension control, play an important role in knowing what to eat and how. I taught the first cooking course for medical students in the U.S. at State University of New York (SUNY)-Syracuse in March 2003 with my colleague Michael Roizen, M.D.: it is again oversubscribed this year. So, as a teacher of both medical students and of culinary students, I can say that the more they know about fish, chocolate, wine, garlic, fruits, vegetables and almonds, the better. Below are 3 of my original recipes, published in modified form in The RealAge Diet (HarperCollins, 2001) and Cooking the RealAge Way (HarperCollins, 2003), both of which I was pleased to co-author with Dr. Roizen. More of my recipes are available free on our websites, www.drjohnlapuma.com and www.realage.com, and by e-mail, johnlapuma@gmail.com. Tuscan Tuna with Garlic, Olives and Wine over Pasta with Fresh Basil Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes 4 servings 572 calories per serving; 24 percent from fat 12 ounces (5 cups) whole wheat rotini pasta, uncooked 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided ½ cup chopped red onion 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced 2 tablespoons minced garlic ½ cup dry red wine (optional) 4 cups bottled spaghetti sauce 2 (6 ounce) cans white tuna in water, drained, broken into chunks 12 kalamata olives ¼ cup chopped fresh basil Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon onion. Cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bell pepper and mushrooms. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds. If desired, add wine; cook, stirring constantly, until liquid evaporates. Reduce heat; stir in spaghetti sauce. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Stir in tuna, olives; heat through. Drain pasta; transfer to serving plates; top with sauce and basil. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over all. Warm Spinach Salad With Chicken, Apples and Toasted Almonds (4 servings) Preparation time: Ten minutes. Cooking time: Five minutes. 290 calories per serving, 28 percent from fat. 1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) sliced almonds 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons apple juice, preferably unfiltered 12 ounces (about 3 cups, shredded or chopped) cooked, skinless chicken breast 1 teaspoon canola or olive oil 1/3 cup sliced shallots or chopped sweet onion 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 cups (about 10 ounces) packed torn spinach leaves 1 apple, preferably Fuji or Gala, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes Freshly ground black pepper (optional) Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven; set aside. In a very large bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the apple juice and the chicken and toss to coat; set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and shallots or onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup apple juice, sugar, cinnamon and salt and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, add the spinach, apple and almonds to the chicken mixture. Add the hot shallot mixture, toss well and immediately divide among 4 serving plates. If desired, serve with black pepper. Roasted Pears with Raspberry Coulis, Chocolate & Pistachios Preparation time: 3 minutes Cooking time: 27 minutes 4 servings 172 calories per serving, 27.3% fat 2 large Bartlett, Comice or Anjou pears, preferably red 1 cup white grape juice, such as Welch’s brand 1 (12 ounce) package frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed, or 2 cups fresh raspberries 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips (dark only, not milk) 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pistachios, toasted Mint springs (optional) Heat oven to 400º F. Cut each pear in half; cut out core with a melon baller or metal measuring teaspoon. Arrange pears, cut side down in a shallow baking dish. Pour grape juice over the pears. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. Meanwhile, puree raspberries in food processor; strain and discard seeds. Transfer the roasted pears to serving plates, cut sides up; sprinkle chocolate chips over the pears (the heat of the pears will melt the chips.) Combine pureed raspberries and liquid remaining in baking dish in a small saucepan. Cook over high heat until sauce has reduced to 3/4 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Spoon sauce over and around pears; sprinkle with pistachios and garnish with mint sprigs, if desired. Competing interests: I am co-author of The RealAge Diet, and Cooking the RealAge Way, both of which highlight these same ingredients for improving health. |
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Mark R Holloway, Aged Care GP/Vigneron Hollywood Village, Nedlands, Western Australia, 6009
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Medical practitioners past and present are responsible for at least 30% of Australian wine production. Though inspired by many current and past colleagues I was always baffled at the lack of medical input in the design, marketing and sale of the most widely consumed drug in the world. Torn by the knowledge that the therapeutic benefit of wine consumption lies within a narrow range; that sales and marketing virtually paid lip service to this; the need to sell my own wine; ethical and medical conflicts. I developed the Beverage Measurement System. Take 5 acres of prime Austalian vineyard terroir. Use 30 years of Australian winemaking experience. Make a damned good red wine with high quality merlot grapes and french oak. If the quantity must be limited the quality should not! Age for 15 months. Ensure the alcohol content is precisely controlled to 12.5%. Import stylish clear glass 500 ml bottles from France. Adapt wine bottling plant to suit. Design a vertical measurement label to precisely measure 5 standard 10g/100 ml servings. Attach unique swing tag to provide individual advice on healthy consumption of beverage. Use specialist labeller to apply to bottle. Consume, enjoy and prosper! Competing interests: 5 acre vineyard Geographe Western Australia, 700 cases of Merlot. Patent pending: Beverage measurement system |
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Wilma R Renfrew, GP Woodside Health Centre, Barr Street., Glasgow G20 7LR.
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POSH POLYMEAL Serves 4 Starter Warm chilli crab cakes in fresh garlic dressing Salad leaves (Rocket, Lamb's lettuce, Radiccio) Fine red pepper slides Fine green pepper slices 70ml glass Beaujolais Main Course Fresh trout with almond crust, poached in red wine Courgettes with garlic butter Baby carrot batons Mange tout Jersey Royal new potatoes, roasted in olive oil 70ml glass Beaujolais Dessert Rich dark chocolate mousse Fresh strawberries dipped in dark chocolate Physallis to garnish (Chinese gooseberry) Dark chocolate petit fours & cream truffles with coffee to finish Recipe for starter******* Chilli crab cakes Ingredients: 12oz fresh white crab meat 1 egg (large) 1 clove garlic (crushed) Large chilli pepper de-seeded & chopped Black pepper/salt Vegetable oil for deep frying Lemon wedges Flat leaf parsley sprigs Method: Mix above ingredients, except lemon & parsley Use egg to combine Form round crab patties (3 per person, makes 12 cakes) Deep fry until golden Drain on kitchen paper Serve warm Garnish with 2 lemon wedges & fresh parsley Garlic dressing Ingredients: 1 pint home-made mayonnaise 4 cloves of garlic (crushed) Black pepper & salt Method: Mix above together Chill & serve with warm crab cakes and dressed salad leaves Main course ******* Fresh trout with almond crust, poached in white wine Ingredients: 4 Medium sized trout washed & gutted 12 Whole toasted almonds 6oz Crushed almonds 6oz Brown breadcrumbs Black pepper & salt 100ml Dry white wine 2oz Butter Lemon wedges Flat leaf parsley 4 Chives Method: Dry the trout Gently poach in white wine until pink (do not overcook) Remove & press firmly (skin side down) into combined crushed almonds & breadcrumbs Top each trout with knob of butter Place in buttered dish and bake at gas mark 5 until golden Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley Sprinkle with toasted almonds Vegetables: Boil for 5 minutes until tender, in boiling salted water Take courgettes and toss in garlic butter Baby carrots & mange tout - toss in some butter Add black pepper Blanch 4 long chives in boiling salted water Use chives to tie carrots in bundles Baby Jersey Royal potatoes Scrub, leave skins on Rub with sea salt Place in tin foil Sprinkle liberally with extra virgin olive oil Make a loose parcel with tin foil Place in oven, gas mark 6 to roast until tender Dessert: Dark chocolate mousse with chocolate, dipped strawberries and physallis Ingredients: 16oz Cadbury's Bourneville chocolate (or any other good quality dark chocolate - the higher the cocoa solids the better - aim for 70%) 4 Egg yolks 6oz Icing sugar 1 Large carton of double cream 12 Toasted almonds 1 Large punnet of strawberries 12 Physallis in papery skins to garnish Method for mousse: Break chocolate bars into pieces Melt over hot water Stir Combine chocolate, icing sugar, beaten egg yolks Whip double cream & fold into mousse mixture Pour into long-stemmed champagne glasses Allow to set in fridge Dust with icing sugar Garnish with mint leaves & 3 toasted almonds Dip fresh strawberries (green stalks left on) in melted chocolate half way up the fruit Allow to set Serve each chocolate mousse glass with chocolate, strawberries and fresh physallis on separate plate Competing interests: None declared |
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Andrew B. Chung, Cardiologist and Advisor to the Wellness Foundation, Inc. see body of response
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Any of the recipes submitted in this competition PLUS the 2PD Approach as described here: http://www.heartmdphd.com/wtloss.asp Benefits: Without curing obesity there can be no cure for atherosclerotic heart disease. Sincerely, Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD Board-certified Cardiologist Atlanta, Georgia, USA For place of work see: http://www.thewellnessfoundation.com Competing interests: None declared |
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Adrian S. Blaj, Psychiatrist London, London
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For the sake of simplicity I would recommend mixing in a blender: 100 g dark chocolate, 400 g of fruit and vegetables, 68 g of almonds together with 114 g of fish (four times a week only) and 150 ml (only!) of wine. Think that anyway this is actually the content of your stomach after finishing the meal (no longer need for teeth and expensive dental bills). Note - 2.7g of garlic should be taken as tablets (as fresh as possible - in the morning). Disclaimer: You may or may not be able to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by more than 75% Happy Christmas everyone! Competing interests: None declared |
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Dr Eleni Linos, House Officer Paediatric Surgery John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK OX3 9DU
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As the authors wisely point out, it is not about a pill that combines the essentials, it is not even about a meal that combines the daily requirements. The health benefits mentioned come from diversity of ingredients and a balanced diet over a lifetime. Designing a single menu is not a long term solution, especially for families, those who don’t cook regularly and those who can not afford the fancy ingredients. Instead, here are a few practical suggestions on how to incorporate the 7 ingredients into your own and your patients’ daily diet. 1. Add chopped almonds to cereal packets. Just pour in 200g chopped almonds to every new packet of cereal you open, shake it around. (While you’re at it, add some chopped dried fruit there too!) 2. Buy fish. Chose different types of fish. (Why not buy enough for 4 meals one week?!) Try cooking it: steam it, fry it, bake it. Keep it simple: salt, lemon, olive oil and a little bit of heat are more than enough for starters. It’s the fear of cooking fish that stops most people, not the taste. Once you’ve bought it, you’ll use it. Experimenting will show you how easy it is to cook fish well. 3. Learn a few garlic rules:
4. Dark chocolate melts in the microwave (or in a bowl sitting over just-boiled water) Melt 100g, chop any fruit you like: 2 bowls, clean hands, dip and enjoy! 5. Make hot chocolate with dark chocolate, milk and honey instead of tea or coffee. 6. Add almonds everywhere: Replace ground almonds for ½ flour when making pastry or cakes, add whole to yogurt, tagines, curries, breads and sprinkle over salads. Wrap a handful of almonds with some dried figs, apricots, dark chocolate bits ;) in foil, stick in your pocket, nibble whenever you get hungry. These parcels keep for days, make some in advance and pick them up in the morning! Again, BUY almonds and have them visible in your kitchen (big packs are cheaper and will encourage you to use them faster). 7. Encourage your children to cook! This is extremely important. The more involved children are with cooking, the more adventurous they will be with trying food. Ask for their help in choosing the best vegetables from the supermarket shelf, get them mixing, melting and adding. Ask them to taste sauces for you, choose between toasted or blanched almonds, compare raw to baked fruit. You will be impressed! elenilinos@doctors.org.uk Competing interests: None declared |
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Katharine M Morrison, GP Mauchline KA5 6AJ
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Garlic Prawns Trout Almondine Mixed Salad Strawberries and Melon Chocolate Chip Vanilla Ice Cream optionally served in meringue nests. Red wine of choice with starter/main meal. This recipe has been designed for people following a low glycaemic/carbohydrate diet. It can be modified for those wishing to reduce fat intake but the taste will be somewhat compromised by doing this. Caster Sugar can be used in the merigues and ice cream for those who are not low carbing. 1. Fresh or previously frozen King or Dublin Bay Prawns, Chopped Garlic, Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper. Allow 4-6 big prawns per person. Grill or oven bake the above in a hot oven till ready. (10 minutes approx ) 2. Trout Almondine Use fresh or previously frozen whole trout filleted. Fill centres with mixture of chopped blanched almonds, pepper, salt and butter and put more of this on top. Wrap loosely in aluminium foil and bake in a medium oven till ready. (20 minutes approx )One trout per person. 3. Mixed Salad: Cut up whatever salad ingredients you have lying about the fridge, put in a bowl and dress with walnut or extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I recommend: Romaine Lettuce,rocket, spring onions, cucumber, ripe vine tomatoes, mozzarella cheese cubed, basil and basil. 4. Strawberries and melon Cut fresh strawberries and canteloupe or galia melon into balls or cubes. A little fresh mint or ground black pepper can be added to taste. Eating this will cleanse the palate after the garlicky meal in anticipation of the delights ahead. 5. Choc/chip vanilla ice cream with (optional )low carb meringues. The Ice Cream Custard: For one pint of ice cream which will provide four medium portions you will need half a pint of full cream milk and half a pint of double cream. Boil this gently with a vanilla pod or two. Once it has come to the boil take it off the heat and let the vanilla infuse a little. Whisk up four egg yolks and four tablespoons of Splenda to taste( or normal sugar if you are not low carbing )and whisk them into the custard mixture. Whisk constantly under a very low heat until the mixture thickens a little. A double boiler can be used for this part of the process. Then leave the mixture to cool completely before adding it to your ice cream making machine. Meanwhile take out the vanilla pods and scrape out the seeds inside. Add these to the custard mixture. While the mixture is cooling you can make low carb or ordinary meringues with your spare egg whites or you can retain these for making eg macaroons or scrambled eggs. I recommend using clean and ungarlicky/fishy fingers to separate the eggs. Although this is the dessert it is prepared the day before or several hours before dinner whereas the fish stuff is all done quickly before serving. Chop up the chocolate into small pieces. This can be low carb chocolate but the glycaemic index of good quality dark chocolate with 70% of cocoa solids is so low it is perfectly acceptable to use this. Add the cold custard mixture into the bowl of your ice cream maker and immediately add the choc chips to mix. Mix until the ice cream is of the desired texture. This will take 20-40 minutes for the machine I use. (Philips Comfort Ice cream maker which cost £28). Ice cream is best if freshly made but it could be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer although the consistency will be harder. 6. Meringues can be optional but if you want to make good use of your egg whites the recipe for low carb meringues is as follows: (This is modified from Ursula Solom's Low carb baking and dessert cook book) 4 egg whites, trace of salt, pinch of cream of tartar, one cup (american size) fine xylitol. ( available on the net from Channel Islands ) one teaspoon of vanilla essence. Set your oven to 150 degrees fahrenheit or its lowest setting. Whisk your egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt in a completely clean metal bowl preferably with an electic mixer till in stiff peaks. Add the vanilla essence and fold in the xylitol. Spoon this mixture with a metal tablespoon onto silone parchment covering a flat baking tray and put a little depression in the middle of each circle. Bake for two or three hours. The mixture is really just drying out in the oven. A good strategy is to switch off the oven after the meringues are hardened and leave them in overnight. The custard can also be made the night before but not added to the ice cream machine until the garlic prawns are on the table. The ice cream can be served in the mergingue nests. Finish with a nice cup of tea. Competing interests: None declared |
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Ben Shaw, Consultant in neonatal and respiratory paediatrics Liverpool Womens Hospital L8 7SS
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Polymeal recipe STARTER Courgette, pea and baby leek splash in orange sauce with Irish wheaten bread. MAIN COURSE Crispy fillet of seabream with garlic potatoes and beetroot, onion and red wine drizzly puree. DESSERT Chocolate, almond and raspberry dessert pie. Ingredients (serves 4) Starter: 2 courgettes, 200g fresh or frozen peas, 4 baby leeks, juice of 2 large oranges, 2 teaspoons of sugar, proprietary-made Irish wheaten bread. Main: 1 kilogram of potatoes, 120g butter, 200ml milk, 8 cloves of garlic, 4 thin fillets of seabream (approx 114g each – boned, skin left on), 4 beetroots, 2 onions, 600ml Cotes du Rhone red wine. Dessert: 400g dark chocolate (70% cocoa minimum), 100ml single cream, 280g almonds grated, 400g fresh raspberries. TO COOK Starter Shave courgettes with a cheese slicer lengthways to obtain thin ribbons. Wash, then cut up baby leeks into 0.5 cm pieces. Fry leeks in a little olive oil for 4-5 minutes then add peas and courgettes and season lightly. Continue frying until peas are softening. Transfer to oven-proof dish and keep warm. Heat juice of oranges with sugar until dissolved. To serve: arrange vegetables in center of plate and drizzle orange sauce around. Serve with wheaten bread. Main Peel potatoes and boil in lightly salted water until soft. Fry garlic for 1-2 minutes in olive oil in saucepan, add 200ml of water and boil until garlic is soft. Add garlic liquid to drained potatoes with butter, and milk and coarsely mash and mix with a sturdy fork. Peel, coarsely chop and boil beetroot until tender. Fry onion in a small amount of olive oil until browning then add all red wine and simmer for a few minutes to reduce a little. Add to liquidizer with drained beetroot and liquidize until smooth. In a very hot frying pan with hot olive oil cook seabream skin down for 1-2 minutes then turn and cook through. To serve: Place fish on a bed of potatoes in center of plate, add ‘puree’ to one side allowing it to run around and into the potatoes. Dessert Wash raspberries and pack them into a shallow heat-proof dish. Finely chop the almonds. Heat the chocolate and cream in a bowl above simmering water until melted and then mix in almonds. Pour over raspberries, allow to cool and refridgerate overnight. To serve: Dollop some of the ‘pie’ on a plate and pour on a little single cream. Competing interests: None declared |
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Mary w Lyons, Principal Lecturer Liverpool John Moores University L3 2AP
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Menu Main Course Tuna with nutty garlic spinach. Dessert Baked fruit with hot chocolate sauce Main course Take one tuna steak per person. Grill tuna steak with a little olive oil and pepper to taste. Clean 150g spinach (or other dark green leafy vegetable, such as hibiscus leaf) per person. Grind 100g nuts per person (Almonds or Ngali nuts) into a paste with the 2.7g of garlic. You may add a little - up to 50ml water to aid this process. Put spinach in a pan and heat - You may add up to 50ml additional water if required to stop spinach sticking to pan. (Not usually needed). As soon as spinach is boiling add the nut and garlic paste and stir into the spinach. Turn heat to very low and continue to cook for a few minutes until leaves are soft. Stir constantly and take care not to burn. Serve with grilled tuna and either potatoes or pasta as required and a glass of good red wine. Dessert Clean and prepare 250g pear, apple or other fruit per person. Bake in a medium oven. Prepare hot chocolate sauce using 100g dark chocolate per person. In a pan, slowly melt 150g butter, add 150g sugar and then add the choclate. Add sugar or sweetener to taste if needed and enough milk or cream to produce a soft consistency. Serve hot over baked fruit. Competing interests: None declared |
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Roberta Zekic, School Teacher Brunswick, Australia
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A story about the poly diet was screened a few weeks ago here in Melbourne, Australia. My sister saw it and immediately wanted more information. I devised 'The Aussie Poly' for my sister with the objective primarily to be quick and easy to prepare and also tasty and enjoyable to eat! BREAKFAST 1 Kiwi fruit 7 strawberries 2 apricots 7 almonds 1 plain yogurt Method: Cut up all fruit and almonds. Mix in with yogurt. LUNCH : VEGE-RICE DELIGHT Method: : Lightly steam 3 brocoli florets, 4 brussel sprouts, 1 zuchinni, half of one red capsicum, 4 asparagus spears. Boil one cup of wholemeal rice. Add the steamed vegetables to the cooked rice. Add 3 chopped almonds. Add 2 teaspoons of soy sauce( or preferred sauce). DINNER: FISH TREAT Cut in half, 3 capsicums, 1 onion. Sprinke with virgin olive oil. Grill until golden brown. Fish: Use tuna, flounder, snapper. Place in baking tray, smear with olive oil, add crushed garlic. Cover and bake until tender. Serve fish with roasted vegetables and glass of wine. DESSERT: POACHED PEAR Peal two pears and boil until tender. Melt chocolate in separate saucepan. Remove pears from water and cover with the melted chocolate. Add 3 chopped almonds on top. It can't get mush easier and tastier than this!! Competing interests: None declared |
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Ian R Sykes, General practitioner Oakham Surgery B69 1RZ
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To Start: TOMATO AND ANCHOVY SALAD For each person slice 2 fresh tomatoes, and cover with 3 or 4 anchovies, and then drizzle with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil. This can be served with a slice of freshly baked walnut bread. A simple to serve delicious appetiser. Main Course: IAN'S VICTORIAN CHICKEN For each person 1 skinless free range chicken breast firstly gently fried in olive oil to seal the meat, then cooked until tender in 50-100ml white wine, chopped oinions,approx 25g of almond halves, and 25-50g halved green grapes. 25-50 ml of single cream to be added with the grapes about 5 mins before serving. The chicken and sauce to be served on a bed of wilted spinach with 1 portion of new potatoes, and sliced carrots. Pudding: FRESH FRUIT SALAD Fresh fruit salad comprising a selection of fresh fruits available at time of preparation, sliced prior to serving. Again simple and healthy. Coffee and Dark Chocolate mints to finish the meal A 150ml glass of good white wine (I suggest Pouilly-Fume) can be drunk with the meal as most of the alcohol used to cook the chicken will have evaporated during cooking. Enjoy! Competing interests: None declared |
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Catherine J Sykes, Practice Nurse Regis Medical Centre, Blackheath, B65 0BA
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Appetiser: Apple(organic Worcestershire) and Tomato Soup served with a swirl of creme fraiche, accompanied by freshly baked walnut loaf Main Course: Steamed Shetland Salmon fillet served with a white wine and fennel jus, garlic roasted new potatoes (roasted in extra virgin olive oil and a little sea salt), steamed wilted spinach to accompany Dessert: Bite size pieces of fresh fruit (such as strawberries, grapes, banana pieces) dipped in melted dark chocolate and allowed to harden Competing interests: None declared |
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Bettina Lieske, Senior SHO General Surgery Luton & Dunstable Hospital LU4 0DN
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Polymeal (serves 4) Starter Fennel, Orange and Rocket Salad Garlic and Herb Baguette Main Fishsoup with Sauerkraut Dessert Chocolate Cake Hot Chocolate Drinks Red or White Wine in moderation (150mls per person) Sparkling/ Still Water 1. Fennel, Orange and Rocket Salad Ingredients: 2 oranges (400g) 1 fennel bulb (200g) 150g rocket leaves 50g black olives for the dressing 30 ml olive oil 15 ml balsamic vinegar 1 small garlic clove, crushed salt and freshly ground pepper - Peel the oranges and cut the flesh crossways into thin rounds, discarding any pips - Cut the fennel bulb in half lengthways and slice across the bulb as thinly as possible. This task becomes easier with a food processor fitted with a slicing disc. - Combine the oranges and fennel in a serving bowl and toss with the rocket leaves. - Mix together oil, vinegar, garlic and seasoning and pour over the salad. Toss together well and leave to stand for a few minutes. Sprinkle with the black olives before serving. 2. Garlic and Herb Baguette Ingredients: 500g wheat flour 40g fresh yeast 325 ml luke warm milk 1 teaspoon salt 125g butter 1 garlic clove, crushed 20g mixed fresh herbs - Add the yeast to a small amount of milk and stir. Add this mixture and the rest of the milk and salt gradually to the flour in a big bowl. Mix to make a smooth dough. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes until the volume has doubled. - In the meantime stir the butter and mix with the garlic. Wash, dry and cut the herbs and add to the garlic butter. Mix well and put in the fridge. - Pre-heat the oven to 220ºC/ Gas 7. - Knead the dough briefly on a lightly floured surface until smooth, springy and elastic and form a log. - Place the log on an oven tray and treat the surface with milk. Bake for 30 minutes and let cool down. - Cut the surface diagonally every 2 cm. Fill the cuts with the sliced garlic and herb butter from the fridge. - Wrap baguette in aluminium foil and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. - Serve warm 3. Fishsoup with Sauerkraut Ingredients: 1 big onion (150g) 2 red peppers (300g) 400g potatoes 3 tablespoons of oil 1 big tin of Sauerkraut (480g) salt and freshly ground pepper half a teaspoon of caraway seeds 1 litre vegetable stock 480g cod fillet 1 tablespoon of dill 150g sour cream - Peel and cut the onion into small cubes. Wash and cut the peppers into strips. Wash and slice the potatoes (remove skin according to taste). - Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry onions and peppers for a few minutes. Add potatoes and Sauerkraut as well as spices. - Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. - Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. - Wash and dry the fish and cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the soup. Cover again and let simmer for another 15 minutes. - Mix the dill with the sour cream. - Add to the soup before serving. 4. Chocolate Cake Ingredients: 300g dark (plain) chocolate 250g butter 250g sugar 5 egg yolk 280g ground almonds 80g flour 5 egg white for the icing: 100g dark chocolate 100 ml double cream - Melt the chocolate in a pan and let cool down. - Add the sugar to the butter and stir well. Add the chocolate, egg yolks and almonds and mix. - Whisk the egg whites until stiff and carefully fold it into the chocolate mixture. Then add the flour and mix until the dough is smooth and creamy. - Spoon into the cake tin and bake for 50 to 60 minutes at 180ºC/ Gas 4. - Cool upside down on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn out and set aside to cool completely. - To make the icing, break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and pour in the cream. Melt over a pan of simmering water. - Cool the icing, stirring it occasionally and chill lightly until it thickens. - Spread the icing on top of the cake and decorate as desired. 5. Hot Chocolate (essential for everybody who doesn’t manage their share of the chocolate cake) Ingredients: 200g dark chocolate 2 pints semi skimmed milk whipped cream - Warm the milk in a saucepan. - Break the chocolate and add to the milk. Stir well until the chocolate has melted completely. - Fill into 4 mugs and top with whipped cream. Sweeten to taste. References: 1. Vegetarian “the best ever recipe collection”, Linda Fraser, Hermes House, 2002 2. The New Vegetarian Cookbook, Roz Denny, Hermes House, 2002 3. Vegetarisch kochen köstlich wie noch nie, Eva Rittinger, Gräfe und Unzer, 1994 4. Für Sie, volume 20, 2001 Bettina Lieske, MD, MRCS Senior SHO General Surgery Luton & Dunstable Hospital Bettina_Lieske@yahoo.co.uk Competing interests: None declared |
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Jane C Sterling, Consultant Dermatologist Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge,CB2 2QQ
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Assuming a) we all work full time b) after racing home from work only want to spend a maximum of 30 to 45 minutes in the kitchen before sitting down and enjoying the meal c) this sort of meal should be eaten four times per week d) accurate quantities are not necessary as everyone likes thing a little bit different ... here are my suggestions: 1)Monday night - Fresh crunchy vegetables with garlic dip - Fish pie - Apple bake Prepare the apple dish the night before: Stew one cooking apple per person with enough brown sugar to taste. Stew until completely soft or still a bit firm according to taste. Add a palm-full of ground almonds per person and mix. Put into dish suitable for the oven, cover and leave chilled overnight. On arrival from work:- Put oven onto gas mark 6 or equivalent. Take apple dish out of fridge. Peel and put potatoes on to boil. Prepare sauce for fish pie - melt butter, gently cook garlic and roughly chopped peppers (red and yellow, half each per person), add a little cornflour mixed in water to make a thin paste (approx level teaspoon per person) and add to slightly softened peppers. Add fish (salmon steaks, cod or haddock), cut into chunks. Mash potatoes with some butter and milk. Put fish mixture into an oven-proof dish, cover with a layer of mashed potatoes and put into oven for 20 mins. Now, call the partner / rest of the family and divide labour (hopefully a blood-pressure reducing activity, but not always the case). Pour glass of wine to sip, get team involved in cutting up celery, carrots, baby sweetcorn etc. for dip. Prepare dip - crushed garlic (half clove per person, plus or minus to taste), plus enough Greek-style natural yogurt and a little grated cucumber. By the time you have enjoyed the bonding atmosphere of a dip, plus the wine, the pie will be ready to remove from the oven and eat. When it comes out, pop in the apple puree, topped with a thin layer of more ground almonds, and turn the heat down to Gas mark 4. After 10 to 15 minutes, it should be gently browning on top and ready to remove before topping with a layer of grated chocolate. Serve with single cream only if the polydiet is working! Tuesday - Orange and grapefruit cocktail - Salmon with brocolli and brown rice - Strawberries coated in chocolate First job is to put the brown rice on to boil (it always takes longer than you hope). Whilst it is boiling, put trimmed brocolli into boiling salted water, bring to boil and then turn off the heat and leave to stand while you prepare the fish. Put salmon into a microwavable dish with a little skimmed milk, cover with film and cook in microwave for 10-15 minutes to co-incide with rice being ready. This will not be for a while yet, so prepare orange and grapefruit - peel and slice onto plates and drizzle with honey and ginger dressing. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Before sitting down to eat, put a thin layer of olive oil plus crushed garlic (half to one clove per person according to individual taste) and sliced almonds into a saucepan. In another saucepan, boil water and put broken chocolate into a basin over the water to sit and melt while you eat. After the starter, as the microwave pings, and the rice is ready, bring the brocolli up to boil again and heat up the garlic and almonds in the oil to brown (be careful, it can go from brown to black very quickly). Dish up the salmon, rice and brocolli and pour the garlic and almonds over the brocolli. Enjoy a glass of wine with this course. For pudding, serve fresh strawberries (should just about be OK after the weekend shop) with melted chocolate to dip and coat. If feeling that you have done enough already, fresh raspberries for pudding with squares of chocolate with coffee would be just as tasty. Wednesday Something non-polymeal Thursday (not much left in the fridge by now and a very busy day at work, so needs to be simple) - Prawns with garlic and almonds - Pears and chocolate sauce On arrival home from work, take bag of prawns from freezer (ideally smallish prawns). Prepare large mixed salad with plenty of cherry tomatoes, celery, peppers etc as well as lettuce (iceberg keeps best for a week in the fridge). Melt 2-4 oz butter according to number of people (or if being very strict olive oil, but not as nice) in wide pan, add crushed garlic and frozen prawns. Cook gently with lid on until garlic cooked and prawns all hot. Serve in bowls with plenty of crust brown bread (if necessary cooked from the part-cooked bread which can be bought in advance) and the mixed salad. For dessert, peel, quarter and core pears (1-2 per person) and serve with a chocolate sauce made just before by melting chocolate with enough warmed creme fraiche to make a pouring consistency sauce. Save today's wine ration for Saturday. Friday Hope to be taken out for delicious polymeal elsewhere. Saturday (guests coming to share the polymeal experience) - Spiced almonds with aperitif - Salad of tomatoes and basil with italian mozarella - Marinaded salmon with beans, sweetcorn and potato - Pears in red wine - Coffee with chocolates Today will be a bit more of an effort. In the morning: a) Prepare marinade of olive oil, crushed garlic (approx half to one clove per person), thin rings of red chilli (quarter chilli each), and thin slices of fresh root ginger. Mix well and add to fish pieces (salmon steaks). Leave to marinade all day in fridge. b) cook peeled pears (not fully ripe) gently in red wine with an equal volume of water and a tablespoon of brown sugar until they feel just soft when poked with a fork. Allow to cool in the wine juice and chill until evening. In the evening, peel potatoes and leave in cold water and prepare french beans and baby sweetcorn in same way. Just before the guests arrive, coat whole skinned almonds in a little olive oil, dust with paprika pepper and grill under a low heat, turning occasionally until just beginning to brown. This will only be a matter of minutes so do not leave them. Remove excess oil on kitchen paper and serve with a small glass of wine. As your guests relax, prepare the starter salad; slice pomodorino tomatoes lengthwise (at least 10 tomatoes each), sprinkle with torn fresh basil leaves, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and top with a few chunks of mozarella. Allow the flavours to mix for 5-10 minutes before eating. This will give you time to put the vegetables (french beans and baby sweetcorn) on to boil. Bring to the boil and then turn off and leave to stand. Boil potatoes until soft enough for mashing and leave to stand in the hot water. Serve the tomato salad. For the main course, the fish must be pan fried just before serving. As it cooks, there is just enough time to drain and mash the potatoes, reheat the beans and sweetcorn, drain and serve. Put the fish on top of a little mound of mashed potato and spoon over a little of the marinade juices. After the last-minute fish cooking, you can relax. The pears in red wine are all ready to be served. Finish the meal with coffee and some high-quality dark chocolates. No more wine with this meal after the aperitif, but everyone will be able to drive home safely. Sunday Suggestions welcome! Competing interests: None declared |
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Chin T Ong, SHO ophthalmology The Eye Clinic, The Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, Salterhebble, Halifax, HX3 0PW
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In response to the BMJ Christmas competition, I wish to share with you one of my best recipes. This recipe is perfect for a romantic dinner. Starter: Cherry tomatoes with mozzarella cheese
Main course: Fantastic Monkfish with Mediterranean Style Filling
Desserts: Fragrant banana with rich chocolate sauce
After dinner beverage: Cinnamon flavoured hot chocolate Wine: 150ml Good Quality red wine of your choice Methods: Starter: Cheery tomatoes with mozzarella cheese
Method:
Main Course: Fantastic Monkfish with Mediterranean Style Filling
Method:
Dessert: Fragrant banana with rich chocolate sauce
Method: Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt the chocolate in a pyrex bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Add golden syrup and the grand marnier into the chocolate and stir well. Drizzle the warm chocolate on the banana and sprinkle the almond
slices on top.
After dinner beverage:
Method: Add a 5cm long cinnamon stick in 150ml of milk and boil it for 5 minutes in a saucepan. Remove the cinnamon stick and add 2-3 large tablespoons of the chocolate sauce used in the dessert. Stir and serve. Finally, this romantic polymeal is best served in a candle lit dining room with calming background music to aid digestion. The enjoyment of the meal will be enhanced even more with a glass (150ml only) of good quality red wine. Competing interests: None declared |
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Debbie A Lawlor, Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, BS8 2PR
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Menu: Garlic & Pea Soup Almond Matapa
Very very dark chocolate fruit Some bottles of a nice red wine (your favourite of course) This menu is really easy to make an very nice. Most vegetarians dont eat fish but I think we can get the same benefit from seeds so the carrot & pumpkin seed salad replaces the fish. Matapa is a traditional Mocambique dish made there with cashew nuts but almonds are a good substitute. A similar dish is eaten throughout Uganda & many other East African countries but groundnuts are more commonly used there. Garlic & Pea Soup: 6 BULBS (not cloves; you do need lots & lots) of garlic
Cover the garlic bulbs with olive oil, salt & pepper. Wrap the in tin foil and slowly bake in oven for 1-1.5 hours until completely soft Cook peas as per instructions, keeping some of the cooking water (how much depends on how runny or thick you like your soup). Squeeze the baked garlic from each clove into the peas, add more salt and pepper if required & then wiz in food mix to make a smooth soup. Stir in cream and slowly heat through Serve with warm crusty bread. Matapa: 2kg spring greens (cassava leaves should be used but not readily
available in UK)
1. Roast almonds and them pound in pestle & motar or use food mix
Serve with simple basmati rice (or maize meal or matooke [boiled matooke banana] or sweet potatoe or cassava) Carrot and pumpkin seed salad 4 large carrots grated
mix carrots / seeds / sultanas and cinamon together make a dressing of remaining ingredients and mix into salad when ready to serve EAT starter and main course with a glass or 2 or your favourite red wine (too good to cook with) Very dark chocolate & Fruit Good quality 80% dark chocolate (amount depends on you and your guests) pieces of your favourite fruits arranged nicely on a big plate When everyone is ready to eat melt the chocolate very gently and then invite guests (& yourself) to dip pieces of fruit into melted chocolate & eat :-)) Competing interests: None declared |
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susanne mccabe, retired cf 24 3pf
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Can we vote for the meal we like best? Or which one we actually make the effort to cook. This one is a dream ..just popping out to the shops. Competing interests: None declared |
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Helen M Falvey, student trinity college dublin, dublin 2.
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starter: garlic soup main course: fresh seared tuna fillet with guacamole and roast red and yellow peppers wine: small glass of pinot noir(this grape variety contains twice the amount of antioxidant thought to lower risk of heart disease as other wines) dessert: chocolate and almond torte. Garlic soup:
simmer the stock, bay and garlic in a pan for 40 minutes. Remove the garlic and mash, serve spread on thinly sliced granary bread with the soup. Chocolate and almond torte:
To serve:
Preheat oven 170 c/gas 3. grease and line a springform tin. Melt chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of steaming water. Stir in oil, almonds and egg yolks. whisk egg whites, add sugar and whisk until stiff. Fold into chocolate mixture and bake for 35 minutes. When torte has cooled sieve a thick layer of cocoa over it to raise the cocoa content of each serving. Serve with a little greek yogurt and a handful of berries. Competing interests: None declared |
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Sophia Hendy, GP Totnes, Devon TQ9 7NN
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Watercress soup
400gm boiled potatoes mashed
Preparation.
Monk Fish Jullian.
Sweat monkfish in butter and a covered saucepan until cooked add the
fresh
garlic and the almonds.
serve with a few freshly cooked potato chips,steamed carrot battons and a
rosso salad.
and finally Chocolate pots
melt the chocolate in a bain marie and remove from the heat when smooth. beat the egg yolks (full of sulphur and good for joints) and add while warm before adding stiff egg white and pouring into ramekins. decorate with rasberries and serve with a smidgen of single cream. A Sancerre pudding wine of 25ml per person is a wonderful addition. This is a polymeal for your competition it is a whole days fruit and veg in one meal or the soup could be had for lunch ! Bon appetite Sophia Hendy Competing interests: None declared |
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Christopher Bell, Professor of Physiology Trinity College Dublin
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Menu: *Smoked salmon cornets with juniper and cucumber salad *Fish baked with molé sauce
*Almond flan and marinaded berries **Wine: the same low-tannin red as used in the pudding would be suitable to drink with the fish course. Preparation (4 servings): Smoked salmon cornets with juniper and cucumber salad 12 large slices wild oak-smoked salmon (preferably Irish), 1/2 cucumber or more depending on size, 10ml white Modena balsamic vinegar, 150 ml Greek-style yoghurt, 8 juniper berries, 12 black pepper corns. Peel and core the cucumber; shave lengthways using a mandolin or food slicer, sprinkle with white balsamic vinegar. Pulverize juniper berries and pepper corns in mortar or spice grinder and mix with cucumber. Leave for 10 minutes and then fold in yoghurt. Spoon some of mixture onto one side of each salmon slice and roll into cone. Serve with lemon quarters and Melba toast. Fish baked with molé sauce (see note 1) - 1 large onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp light olive oil, 1 dried chipotle chile (optional, see note 2), 600 gm tinned Italian organic chopped tomatoes, 100 gm dark cooking chocolate, 1 tbsp sweet paprika, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp dried oregano, 10 ml white wine vinegar, 2 tsp demarara sugar, 8 pimento-stuffed green olives, 1 tbsp capers in vinegar (drained), 1 handful coriander leaves, boneless swordfish or tuna steaks or skin-free cod fillets, 2 tbsp toasted slivered almonds. Soak chile in hot water for 30 minutes, remove seeds and chop. Chop onion and garlic and saute in oil over low heat until cooked but not coloured. Coarsely crush sesame, cumin and coriander in mortar and add to pan along with paprika and oregano; continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and chile and bring back to gentle simmer. Add chopped chocolate, vinegar and sugar and simmer very gently, covered, for at least 1 hour, then add chopped olives, capers and coriander leaves and remove from heat. Lightly oil a baking dish and heat in a 180 degree oven. Rub light olive oil into the fish. Pour a thin layer of hot molé sauce into the dish, add the fish in a single layer and cover with the rest of the sauce. Bake uncovered for around 15 min (test with fork for doneness). Sprinkle toasted slivered almonds over and serve with Capsicum rice 400 gm long grain rice, equal volume of boiling water, 1 tbsp light olive oil, 1 red and 1 yellow capsicum (seeded and diced) 2 cloves garlic, 100 gm frozen petit pois (thawed). Heat oil in heavy pot with close-fitting lid and saute capsicums until lightly coloured. Fold in garlic and rice and continue to cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add boiling water (take care with the spluttering), stir, cover and immediately reduce heat to very low. Cook for 10 minutes, then stir in peas, immediately re-cover and remove from heat (see note 3). Sauted zucchini 2-2 small zucchini per person, 1 tsp light olive oil, 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper, 2 sprigs of savory (optional), 20 ml cider or white wine vinegar. Top and tail zucchini and cut into batons about 5 cm long. Place pot containing oil and pepper on moderate heat and saute zucchini until wilted and beginning to colour. Stir in vinegar and savory, cover and remove from heat. Almond flan and marinaded berries (see note 4) 500 ml whole milk, 2 tbsp golden syrup, 100 gm almond meal, 3 free-range eggs, 1/2 tsp vanilla essence, 1/2 tsp almond essence, 1/2 bottle good tannin-free red wine (preferably pinot noir, gamay or grenache), 2 tsp demarara sugar, 400 gm raspberries, 200 gm blueberries. Combine milk and golden syrup and bring gently to simmer, then add almond meal and simmer very gently for 5 minutes, stirring. Using a blender, beat eggs with vanilla and almond essences and add milk mixture while continuing to blend. Coat insides of individual flan dishes with cooking or almond oil and fill with the custard. Place dishes in a preheated baking pan filled with boiling water and cook at 175 degrees for around 30 minutes, covered loosely with foil. The flans are cooked when a knife can be inserted and withdrawn without any custard sticking to it. Remove the pan from the oven and allow tthe flans to cool in the water bath, then refrigerate. Bring the wine to a gentle simmer and dissolve the sugar. Add the fruit and immediately remove from the heat and allow to cool. To serve, run a smooth knife around the sides of the flan dish and shake it so the flan wobbles. Invert over a plate and shake out. Serve with berries beside. Notes: 1. Best prepared at least one day before use for optimal flavour. Reheat before use. 2. The smoked flavour of the chipotle is important; however if you cannot tolerate chile, omit and substitute garlic with smoked garlic. 3. The rice can be cooked before the fish if necessary, and kept in its covered pot on a warming plate. Depending on the control of your hob cooking time for the rice may be slightly more than 10 minutes but provided the pot is heavy and lid-off times have been minimal it will continue cooking after removal from the heat. 4. In winter when berries are unavailable they can be replaced by dried cranberries and morello cherries. In this case, gently poach the fruit in the wine for 20 minutes rather than adding it just before cooling. Competing interests: The author thinks these recipes work well. |
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Ignasi Agell-Argiles, consultant psychiatrist Cherry Orchard house, 35 Hospital Street, Tamworth B79 7EE
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Hi: Don't expect a menu as a psychiatrist (oily fish, serotonin loaded food...) but as a food lover. The following menu will cater for about 4 people, and remember that they (your guests) are the most important ingredient in a great dinner. Notice the unusual use of chocolate but trust me, it is great and used in Catalonia and other parts of the world. trust me as well with the combination of fish, seafood and chicken. Starter: Leek, almonds and yogurt soup
Leek soup:
Soften the finely chopped onions with the butter and a little olive oil. Once soft, add the leeks, sliced and the potato, also sliced. Heat for a few minutes then add the stock. Simmer for about 20 min. Toast the sliced almonds in the oven (medium to low for a few minutes). put the soup in the food processor and pass it through a sieve (otherwise the fibre of the leek will affect the texture). Add the yogurts, mix well, pass through the sieve again and then season to taste. When servingpu the almonds in the middle. Chicken, monkfish and langoustines:
Brown the chicken in a casserole with a bit of olive oil, add the onion finely chopped and when golden, lower the heat and add the tomato that should have been grated (yes, grated). Simmer for five minutes then add the langoustines (whole), and the monkfish cut in big chuncks. Mix in a pestle and mortar the garlic, almonds, bread and chocolate and add to the casserole. Put the wine on top and then put water to almost cover everything, cover with a lid and simmer for about half an hour. Leave to rest before serving. Fruit salad and chocolate ice-cream: Unless you want to do everything I would use a tub of dark organic chocolate for this recipe, otherwise make your own chocolate but remember to do it in advance ( I have prepared it too late more than once). For the salad, use 2 pomegranates and 500gr of strawberries and abot 50ml of rosewater syrup (it makes the whole difference) For the syrup (you will have plenty leftover) 200gr caster sugar, 100ml water, 25ml lemon huice, zest of a lemon, 1 stick of cinnamon, 2 green cardamom pods, cracked, 25 ml rosewater. Bring all the ingredients (except the rosewater) to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes until the syrup is thick. Pass it through a sieve and add the rosewater. Let it cool down. For the salad. Remove the seeds of the pomegranate. reserve half of them for serving and press the other half through a sieve to make a juice. Mix that juice with the rosewater syrup. Hull the strawberrie and slice them. Mix with the pomegranatee seeds and with the syrup and serve along with a ball of chocolate ice-cream. I will then take an espresso coffee, but this is not evidence-based behaviour. Enjoy it. Competing interests: None declared |
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Robert K. Gleeson, Author, Northwesten Mutual Life Insurance Company, 720 East Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53217
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Great health is the culmination of a lifetime of eating good food in moderate portions, exercising moderately, and not smoking. Start the meal by walking the one mile to your market where you will shop for tonight’s fresh fish, and any special fresh fruits or vegetables that are in season. Walk home. You have met the daily criteria for 30 minutes of moderate exercise. Our polymeal will be a simple affair best shared with family and friends. The meal offers great latitude and flexibility. I am extending the meal to include several colorful fruits and vegetables and a whole grain to enhance the flavor and health benefits. Tonight we are having a marinated beet and orange salad, fish dijoinaise with mango salsa, caramelized asparagus, tomato provencal, Ebly wheat, a beautiful wine, and, for dessert, a chocolate cake filled with spiced nuts, and coffee. Substitutions may be made ad lib. Portions are generalized because we do not who will show for dinner but I am starting with four. Salad Beet and orange salad Roast 4 medium beets in the oven until tender and cool (or open and drain 2 cans of beets). Toss sliced beets with zest of one orange and a light vinaigrette of equal parts canola oil, orange juice, and good white wine vinegar. Peel and thinly slice 2 oranges. Arrange the beets and orange slices on mesclun salad. You may add a soft goat cheese and/or roasted almonds or walnuts if you wish. Entrée Caramelized asparagus Cut and discard the tough bottom third of a large bunch of fresh asparagus. Lightly toss the top portion in olive oil and spread to one layer on a cookie sheet. Place into a 350 F oven for 30 to 45 minutes (will vary by diameter of asparagus). You are looking for a caramelized color and texture. Tomato Provencal Mix one cup of bread crumbs with one finely chopped garlic clove, chopped parsley, and a little olive oil. Remove the top of 4 medium tomatoes and scoop out the top third. Fill the tomatoes with the mixture, and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes until golden. Serve warm. Dijoinaise fish Slice a pound of fish, which is fresh in your area, into four individual pieces. Mix equal parts olive oil and dijoin mustard and spread on the fish. Toss lightly with bread crumbs. You may either broil or sautee in a light layer of olive or canola or grapeseed oil. Mango Salsa (totally optional, the dinner will work very well without it) Mix together 3 ripe mangos peeled and chopped, one onion chopped, one clove of garlic finely chopped, one jalopeno pepper finely chopped (use gloves), and the juice of 2 limes. Best made a few hours earlier. Just before serving add chopped mint if available. Ebly wheat (we need a whole grain) Lightly sautee 1/4 cup of chopped onion in canola oil. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and when gently boiling add one cup of Ebly wheat for 15 minutes. Wine Enjoy a wonderful glass of your best wine. Dessert Chocolate cake with Italian meringue icing (Sorry, but baking requires more exact measurements.) Melt 4 ounces (150 grams) of dark chocolate until smooth. While chocolate is cooling, beat together 5 egg yolks and 2 cups of sugar. Add chocolate and 2 teaspoons of vanilla and continue to beat until silky smooth. Mix 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and a pinch of salt and then fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate. Beat the 5 egg whites until stiff and fold into the other ingredients. Pour into two flowered nine- inch round tins and bake at 350 o F for about 30 minutes. To make the icing, boil together 1 ¼ cup of sugar with ½ cup of water to the soft ball (or 238 o F) stage. When the sugar water starts to boil, beat 5 more egg whites until they form soft peaks. When sugar water is at 238 o F carefully pour into the egg whites beating continuously. Continue to beat for 5 to 7 minutes or until cool. Add a teaspoon of vanilla at the end. Spiced almonds Beat together one egg white with ½ cup of sugar, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and pinch of nutmeg. Toss one cup of blanched chopped almonds with the egg mixture. Spread on baking sheet. Bake at 350 o F for 20 minutes. Assemble the cake. Mix all of the nuts and 2 cups f the meringue and spread between the layers. Use remainder of frosting for top and sides of the assembled cake. Serve with rich coffee. This wonderful meal provides a brisk two-mile walk, at least 6 colorful fruits and vegetables with a variety of phytochemicals and flavinoids, a cold water fish with omega 3’s, mono- and polyunsaturated oils, dark chocolate, maybe one egg person (unless you eat the whole cake yourself), a glass of beautiful wine. Enjoy. Eat well to live well. Competing interests: None declared |
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Rani. T Sebastian, SHO Ophthalmology Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Prescot Street, L7 8XP, Philip J
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It will be great to have a menu that serves all the requirements and that is easy to be cooked and served (without many pots to wash) for daily meals, after a rather hectic working day. The polymeal menu does not mention any carbohydrate intake in the design, which is an important part of any diet, unless assuming that it is served with different breads, rice, potato or pasta. A traditional South Indian recipe- Kerala fish molly with healthy
modifications
Start sipping the wine. Builds up the appetite!
Serves 4.
Time to make: 20 minutes
Preparation:
What could be better to cool you taste buds after a spicy fish curry
than a sorbet- If it is Chocolate Sorbet even better!
Serves -6
Finely chop the chocolate in a food processor. In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to boil and remove from heat. Add the hot syrup to the machine and run it till the chocolate is melted into a smooth mixture. Strain the chocolate into a bowl and leave to cool, then chill stirring occasionally or freeze the mixture in an ice cream machine. Competing interests: None declared |
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William A. Schaffer, Chief Clinical Officer CIGNA HealthCare 06152-1217, John La Puma, MD, FACP
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We are submitting a pair of recipes, one hot and one cold dish.
We enjoyed preparing these recipes. W. Allen Schaffer, MD, FACP
Wild King Salmon in Chipotle Mole PolySauce
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Preparations:
Som Tum Polymeal 2 each Serrano chilies, 2 inches, de-stemmed
Preparations:
An alternative to these, if needed, would be to use the wine as a marinade, for fish, and fish sauce in the dish. Contact Dr. W. Allen Schaffer as lead for submissions. Competing interests: None declared |
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Catherine M Fraher, GP Waterfall, Cork, Ireland [no postcode]
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CHRISTMAS COMPETITION - POLYMEAL RECIPE Starter: Almond Soup 200 G blanched almonds; 700 mls water approx.; 100 G, day old, real bread (not sliced pan), soaked in water; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 tablespoons white wine or sherry vinegar; 250 G green grapes, preferably Muscat variety. To blanch the almonds, pour boiling water over them, leave for about one minute and then pour off the water. Repeat the procedure with more boiling water, leave for about 4 minutes and then peel off the brown skin. It is worthwhile to do this, rather than using ready ground almonds as the flavour is far superior. Put the almonds into a food processor, stopping the machine every few minutes and scraping the almonds from the sides. Grind as fine as possible. Add about 6 tablespoons of water. Turn the machine back on and blend water with almonds. Then add bread squeezed of excess water until mixture is smooth. Then add olive oil and rest of water until consistency is that of single cream. Add vinegar to taste and chill well. Just before serving add halved grapes, which have had pips extracted. If feeling energetic, peel grapes, which makes for a more luxurious texture but is time consuming. Main Course: Teriyaki of Salmon or Mackerel with Garlic and olive oil mashed potatoes, Cucumber and Ginger Salad, accompanied by salad of rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes and walnuts. Teriyaki of Salmon or Mackerel 250 Grams of Salmon or Mackerel. [Mackerel is at its best in summer and fish always needs to be very fresh. Salmon should be in steaks and mackerel should be filleted.] Teriyaki Sauce 75mls of Soy Sauce, preferably Kikkoman brand; 75 mls of Sake; 75 mls of Mirin; 1 crushed clove of garlic; One level teaspoon sugar. First make glazing sauce. Combine soy, sake, mirin and sugar in a saucepan and bring to boil. Lower the heat and simmer until sauce turns slightly syrupy, takes about 4 minutes. Leave to cool. If mirin, which is a sweet form of sake, is not available, add 2 level tablespoons of sugar, instead of one teaspoon, to the mixture. Leave teriyaki sauce cool and then pour over fish and leave to marinate for about 2 hours. Grill fish on both sides, using up the marinade to keep the fish moist as it grills. Be careful not to overcook. Serve with: 1. Garlic and olive oil mashed potatoes 250 G peeled potatoes, (preferably Kerr Pink/ Golden Wonder/ King Edward/ Desiree); 3 large garlic cloves, halved lengthways; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; Grated Nutmeg or grated fresh horseradish. Heat garlic and olive oil over a low heat for about 45 minutes until garlic becomes soft. Quarter potatoes into even sized chunks and boil with water just covering them. When soft, drain off water, put potatoes back in saucepan over very low heat and cover with a clean dishcloth to absorb water. Break up the potatoes using an electric hand whisk, adding half the garlic and oil. Continue whisking until the potatoes are lump free, adding the rest of the garlic and oil as needed. Do not overwhisk and depending on the variety of potato used, all the garlic and oil may not be needed. Add grated nutmeg or grated horseradish to taste. A small amount of nutmeg or grated horseradish is enough for most people. 2. Cucumber and Ginger Salad ½ cucumber, coarsely grated and left unpeeled; 50 mls white wine vinegar; 1 level dessertspoon sugar; 2 cm piece of grated fresh ginger; ¼ small red onion, finely chopped. Combine all ingredients and leave for a few hours in the ‘fridge before serving. Can be made the day before. Serve on top of the salmon. 3. Accompanied by Salad of rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes and walnuts 50 G rocket leaves; 4 cherry tomatoes; 8 walnuts (halved). Dressing 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1 crushed garlic clove; ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Put above 4 ingredients into screw top jar and shake well before pouring over rocket, tomatoes and walnuts just before serving. If at all possible grow your own rocket, as it is so easy to grow. Dessert: Poached Pears with Chocolate and Cardamom sauce 4 ripe but firm pears; Half vanilla pod; Juice of a lemon; 150 mls water; 3 level tablespoons sugar. Peel and core pears and pour lemon juice over them. Add sugar and vanilla pod to water and bring to boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes. Put pears into mixture and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes in a covered saucepan until pears are tender. Leave to cool. Chocolate and Cardamom Sauce 200 G Chocolate – must have at least 70% cocoa solids; 3 espresso cups of water; 4 green cardamom pods or to taste. Melt chocolate with water in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Do not allow base of bowl to come in contact with simmering water. When chocolate is melted add cardamom seeds, which have been extracted from pods and then crushed in a pestle and mortar. Add cardamom seeds gradually to the chocolate and water mixture, tasting as added. Serve warm over cooled pears. ALL RECIPES SERVE TWO PEOPLE. Competing interests: None declared |
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John La Puma, Medical Director Santa Barbara Institute for Medical Nutrition and Healthy Weight, W. Allen Schaffer
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Correction: Step 3 of the Preparation of the above Som Tum PolyMeal should include lime juice, and read: "One at a time, add and pound lime juice, chocolate, carrot, peanuts, salt, fish sauce, and molasses for a few seconds each." Competing interests: None declared |
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Siobhan Ni Bhriain, senior registrar in psychiatry Dublin, Eire
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This is a gluten-free polymeal for a Saturday night with friends. Most of it is easy to prepare and a lot can be done in advance. Serves 6 ALMOND AND ANCHOVY DIP served with crudités Ingredients:400gram (g) whole peeled almonds, 400mls olive oil, 6 anchovy fillets, A few leaves of fresh mint (this is optional but delicious), Juice of 1/2 lemon, A selection of raw vegetables, prepared in bite-sized chunks. Broccoli, cauliflower, celery and fennel are particularly good with this dip. Method: Simply put all the ingredients, bar the crudites, into a blender and blend to a fine paste, adding small drops of water if the mixture seems too thick. This can be made a number of hours in advance and kept in the fridge, but remember to take it out about an hour before serving. HAKE WITH TOMATO AND SAFFRON SAUCE, GARLIC AOILI AND PARSLEY MASHED POTATO Ingredients. For the hake and tomato sauce: 6x 150g skinned fillets of hake, 3 tablespooon (tblesp) olive oil, 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped, 1x 400g tin of tomatoes, 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped, 250mls dry white wine, 3x red peppers, Pinch of good Spanish saffron, 1 small fresh red chilli, seeds removed and chopped (or to taste), 1 tsp white sugar. For the aioli: 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 egg yolks, 200mls sunflower oil, 100 good olive oil, Juice of 1/2 lemon, Salt and pepper. For the mashed potato: 8 good-sized floury potatoes, such as King Edwards, A bunch of parsley washed and finely chopped, 50mls olive oil, Butter, Salt and pepper. Method. Aioli: Peel and crush the garlic cloves until they are reduced to a pulp. Add a small amount of salt, the mustard and the egg yolks. I make this with my hand-held electric whisk and start by whisking the eggs with the garlic and mustard. When they are thoroughly amalgamated, add the sunflower drop by drop until the mixture is very thick. Then the oil can be added at a steady but gently stream. When the sunflower oil is finished, continue with 100mls of the olive oil, again added in a slow stream. Stir in the lemon juice gradually and taste for both lemon juice and seasoning. Mashed potato: Peel and chop the potatoes into equal sized chunks. Cook in boiling water until soft, then drain thoroughly. Put them back on a gentle heat to dry out completely. Turn off the heat, pour the oil into the bottom of the pan and mash, adding in parsley, seasoning and a knob of butter at the end. Tomato and saffron sauce: Peel the peppers with a potato peeler, taking a thin layer of the skin. They don’t need to be completely peeled. Slice them thinly. Heat 1 tblesp olive oil in a saucepan and cook the pepper slices at a moderate heat. When they have softened, remove and reserve in a bowl with their juices. Now add another tablesp of olive oil to the same pan and cook the onions and 3/4 of the garlic at a gentle heat. When they have softened and turned golden, add the wine, turn up the heat and simmer until reduced by half. Add in the saffron, allow to simmer for another minute, then add the tinned tomatoes and chopped chilli. Cook at a high heat for 10 minutes, until all the flavours have blended and the sauce has thickened. Allow to cool then puree and add the peppers and salt. Taste for seasoning. This can all be done well in advance. Hake: 15 minutes before you want to serve the meal, turn on the grill. Mix the remaining tblesp of olive oil and garlic and smear over the hake. Cook the hake on a very hot grill for 4-5 minutes. To Serve: Spread the warm sauce on individual plates, or indeed one large serving plate and put the grilled hake on top. Scatter a few black olives around the plate. Serve the aioli and mashed potato on the side. Note: The tomato sauce and aioli can be made earlier in the day, and the sauce gently reheated before you serve. Indeed, I have often made the potatoes earlier as well and reheated them for 15 minutes in a hot oven. Wine Suggestion: We love this with a good full-bodied white burgundy such as a Macon- Villages. MIXED FRUIT AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE Ingredients: A selection of mixed fruit-one pineapple, 400g strawberries and a tangerine or Satsuma per person, 400g dark chocolate, at least 70%, 1 tblesp cointreau. Method: Prepare the fruit in advance by peeling and chopping the pineapple, hulling and chopping the strawberries and peeling the oranges. Put all the prepared fruit in a bowl and cover in cling-film. Before serving, put the chocolate in a pan and very slowly melt on the hob or in the microwave. When it is melted, stir in the cointreau. Serve in a large bowl in the middle of the table or 6 individual bowls and get everybody to dip their pieces of fruit in. Competing interests: None declared |
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Monika Martha Engelhardt, Attending University of Freiburg, Medical Canter, Department of Hematology & Oncology, Hugstetterstr. 55, 7910, Elisabeth Engelhardt
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Christmas Competition for the article "Polymeal by E. & M. Engelhardt" The following menu is for 2 persons: The quantities of the ingredients are mostly in simple measures 1. Carrot and Apple Juice
2. Lamb’s Lettuce Salad
3. Filets of your Favourite Fish (or monkfish or loach) with yellow and red pepper sauces. Take one large yellow pepper and one large red pepper and cut each into quarters. Take one quarter from each pepper and pare off the skin very thinly and put it aside. Finely chop the flesh, keeping the colours separate. Put some onion, preferably spring onions into a pan, add three or more cloves of garlic and lightly fry. Cook the remainder of each pepper together with its reserved skin, keeping the two colours separate. Then puree each with a portion of the onions and garlic. Finally put a splash of "Noilly Prat" into each sauce. Pour the sauces back into their respective saucepans and reheat. Fry the fish filets according to taste, allowing two filets for each person. To serve: pour the red sauce onto one half of the plate and the yellow sauce onto the other. Place two fish filets in the middle and sprinkle the finely chopped red pepper on top of one filet and the finely chopped yellow pepper on top of the other. 4. Dark Chocolate Mousse
To accompany the fish, we recommend a glass or two of 'Grauburgunder' (pinot gris) from the Kaiserstuhl wine producer "Franz Keller". Enjoy your meal! Competing interests: None declared |
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Ne-Siang Chew, Specialist Registrar Radiology Dept of Radiology, Kent & Canterbury Hospital, CT1 3NG
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Dear gastrophiles, The polymeal I’m about to recommend starts with tapas, a main course and follwed by a dessert. The aim of tapas is to tickle your guests tastebuds and to leave them yearning for more. Here is a crowd-pleaser! But remember to hold back for the main dish. Bruschetta with garlic, tomatoes, salt and a pinch of basil. Makes about 6 pieces (for 2-3 persons) 1 loaf of ciabatta 5 garlic cloves (10 g) 2 large tomatoes 1 teaspoon of salt 5g of fresh basil 10 ml of extra virgin olive oil 1. Mix the tomatoes and garlic, blend them (or you can chop them) and add a teaspoonful of salt. Sautee the mixture in extra virgin olive oil for 3 minutes. You will be able to smell the aromatic blend by then. 2. Toast the ciabatta on both sides until golden brown or slightly carbonated for that rustic look, and then when ready, rub one side of each piece with peeled garlic gloves. Smells heavenly! 3. Next, put a tablespoon of the mixture of tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and salt onto the toasted ciabatta. Remember its tapas - go for small portions….. don’t let this mixture overwhelm the piece of toasted ciabattta. Add a small pinch of basil in the middle of the slice of ciabatta for garnishing. The main course Following the short snappy tapas , reveal your gastronomique seafood spaghetti dish- don’t be let down by this modest sounding name. Performed well, it is an easy but killer gastronomical delight. Let me share a secret with you- the wine. Without white wine as part of sauce, the recipe is as good as doomed. With practice, you can actually co-ordinate boiling the spaghetti whilst you make the tapas. Personally, I go for Spaghetti Vecchia maniera “Castiglioni”( which is pasta 50 cm long, wee bit more expensive but worth it. Its available in specialist Italian food shops or in the Specialised food section in Sainsbury’s. Boiling takes 5-7 minutes. I prefer al-dente (this is the desired texture in Italian cooking- literally meaning “to the tooth”. When chewed, the pasta should have a slight resistance in the centre, but not uncooked). 8 cloves of garlic (lots of this) and chopped 40 ml of extra virgin olive oil (lots of this as it is the essence of the sauce) 3 pomodrino tomatoes halved( not too many tomatoes as its taste will mask the natural taste of the seafood) 1 packet of Spaghetti Vecchia maniera “Castiglioni” 20 ml dry white wine 6 tiger prawns- raw and shelled ( the taste of the seafood comes from the shell itself so do not unshell) 120g monkfish sliced into 6 portions ( if I were to choose between monkfish and tiger prawns, I would go for tiger prawns) 1 ½ tablespoon of salt ( according to taste) 20 g of rocket 10 g of coriander 1. Boil the pasta in hot water. Do not break to 50 cm long pasta. Let it submerge slowly as it cooks under the boiling water. Add 5 ml of olive oil into the boiling water. This will prevent the pasta from sticking. Add also 1 tablespoon of salt into the boiling water to hasten the boiling process. 2. Whilst waiting for the spaghetti to boil, its time to make the sauce and cook the seafood. Heat up the olive oil (low heat). Once hot, add in the garlic. 3. When the garlic is about to turn colour, add in the 6 shelled tiger prawns. Simmer until the tiger prawns change colour – the sign they’re cooked. 4. Next, add the white wine. Subsequently add the monk fish. Simmer under low heat for another 4 – 6 minutes. Ensure the fish is cooked. 5. Put in the halved tomatoes. And switch off the heat. There should be a lot of sauce composed of olive oil infused with white wine, garlic, tomatoes and the lovely seafood. 6. You now have the seafood stock and sauce ready to pour onto the spaghetti. 7. Drain spaghetti and add an additional tablespoon of olive oil. Mix. Separate spaghetti into desirable portions. 8. Reheat the sauce slightly if you feel that it has cooled. Then pour sauce over desired portions of spaghetti. Garnish with rocket and coriander. 9. Finally, don’t forget the 150 ml of red wine of your choice and perhaps Frank Sinatra’s Strangers in the Night in the background to accompany the dish! Et voila!, we now have a colourful simple Italian-influenced polymeal encompassing 4 of the 6 major constituents of the ideal polymeal. Dessert By this time, as the host, you may be tired of entertaining. But fear not. This dessert I’ve designed in very “Jamie Oliveresque”- spontaneous, easy yet mouthwatering. 400 g of strawberries ( 1 box exactly from Sainsbury) 200 g of dark chocolate ( 2 bars of thin dark chocolate) 400g short organic bananas (= 4 short bananas) 70g almond (roast for 3 minutes in 180 degree oven, be careful they get burnt easily), then pound them gently. 1. Break the 2 bars of chocolate into pieces. Microwave the chocolate pieces using medium heat for 4 minutes until the chocolate has melted and formed a liquid mixture. 2. Dip half of the banana into the melted chocolate mixture. Do the same for the strawberries. Sprinkle some caster sugar onto the parts of the fruits coated with chocolate ( this mellows the bitter taste of the chocolate) and drizzle some of the roasted almonds onto the parts coated with chocolate. Again not too overwhelming. 3. Serve on a plate. 4. Alternatively, rather than dipping the fruits, drizzle the melted chocolate onto the fruits and sprinkle caster sugar and almonds as previous. Disclaimer: The author highlights the aphrodisiac qualities of garlic (despite its pungent smell) and the abundant use in the recipes described. The author accepts no responsibility of the post-prandial behaviour of the consumers of the recipes mentioned above. Competing interests: None declared |
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Kit Wu, SHO 9 The Oaks, London N12 8AR
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A Chinese Polymeal Starter Prawn Bruschetta a la Shanghainese Main course Sweet & Spicy Salmon Drizzled with Chilli and Honey Dressing, served with Wok-fried summer vegetables and steamed fragrant rice. Dessert Melt in your Mouth Almond Centred Chocolate Truffles
* * * * * Recipes
Prawn Bruschetta a la Shanghainese Ingredients 200g Peeled prawns, chopped into small pieces A few leaves of fresh coriander and basil, washed and finely chopped 2 Plum tomatoes, seeded & finely chopped 2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 stalks of spring onions, finely chopped 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tbsp sesame seeds 1tsp light soy sauce 1 egg yolk, beaten Sliced French bread
1. Mixed prawns with spring onions, tomatoes and garlic in a bowl. Drain off excess juice. 2. Add the lemon juice and coriander, mix well. Season with soy sauce, salt and pepper. 3. Put the bread in the grill until just slightly golden. This will soak up the moisture easier and prevent the bread from going soggy. 4. Evenly spread the prawn mix onto bread, grill with low-medium heat until prawns are cooked and has a slight golden tint. 5. Brush a thin layer of egg yolk on top of prawns and generously sprinkle sesame seed on top. Return to grill for a further 2 min on medium heat. Serve hot with ½ glass of wine.
Sweet & Spicy Salmon Drizzled with Chilli & Honey Dressing This little sweet & spicy number will leave your taste buds tantalising for more.
Ingredients (serves 4) 4 Salmon steaks Sauce: 3 tbsp honey 2 tbsp hot water 2 tbsp light soy sauce 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 Shallot, finely chopped ½ small chilli, finely chopped (keep the seeds, they give the chilli its true flavour) ½ tsp ginger paste 3 Sprigs of fine asparagus ½ tsp sesame seeds
1. Place salmon steaks in the middle of a large piece of aluminium foil, drizzle a few drops of lemon juice on top. 2. Combine all ingredients for sauce in a bowl, mix well. 3. Brush the salmon with the sauce prepared above, cover with a top coat of light olive oil. This will keep the flavour in and will give the fish a golden tint when cooked. Leave to marinade for 30 mins. 4. Grill on medium heat for 10 minutes until golden. The fish should flake easily if cooked. Place a few sprigs of asparagus onto the grill for the last few minutes. Meanwhile, pour the sauce into a small saucepan and heat until steaming, add 1 tbsp brown sugar, and continue heating until the sauce slightly thickens. 5. Place salmon on serving dish, drizzle sauce onto fish. Dress with asparagus and sparingly sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top.
Wok fried summer vegetables The fresh taste of vegetables and their crunchiness complements the soft salmon perfectly, and their colour combination is also very pleasing to the eye.
Ingredients (serves 4) 2 tbsp of olive oil Your favourite vegetables I used: 1 red pepper, cut into squares 1 green pepper, cut into squares 100g sugar snap peas, trimmed 100g baby sweet corn, cut into half portions 1 medium sized carrot, chopped into long slices 2 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped 2 tbsp of dry white wine 2 tbsp fish sauce (if not available, use light soy sauce) ½ tsp ginger paste ½ tsp brown sugar 1. Heat the oil in wok with medium. Add garlic and ginger paste and heat until sizzling .2. Add all the prepared vegetables in wok, stir frequently. Fry the vegetables until almost cooked (about 5 mins). Add the wine and stir to help the alcohol content to evaporate. 3. Season with fish sauce, this, together with the wine gives the vegetables a full-bodied aroma. Cook the vegetables until desired consistency.
Steamed fragrant rice Using Thai fragrant rice or Basmati rice will bring out the flavour of the fish and vegetables.
Ingredients (serves 4) 200g rice 400ml water ½ tsp of apple vinegar
1. Rinse rice grains well with water. Place in medium sized saucepan with water. 2. Add just a few drops of vinegar. This will give the rice a pearl-like sheen once its cooked. Let stand for 15 minutes. 3. Heat pan over a small-medium fire, cover pan with lid but allow room for evaporation. Cook for 20 minutes until all the water evaporates and rice is soft & chewy. Serve meal with a small glass of fruity red wine.
Melt in your Mouth Chocolate Truffles with Almond Centres These truffles are so easy to make and they taste deliciously addictive.
Ingredients 400g dark chocolate (Use a good quality chocolate with a high cocoa content, or luxury Belgian chocolate for the ultimate indulgence!) 250ml whipping cream 200g Ground almonds
1. Pour the cream into a medium sized saucepan, and heat until it just becomes to steam. Remove from heat. 2. Break the bar of chocolate into small pieces and add to the cream. Stir until all the chocolate has melted. You may need to put the mixture back on the heat for a minute or two. Allow to cool. 3. Once cooled, whip the mixture with an electric mixer on high speed until light. Cool in fridge until firm (usually about 2-3 hours). 4. To form truffles, scoop out 1 Tbsp truffle mixture, place in palm of hand (remember to wash hands, make sure they are cool and dry, if you don¡¥t want to get your hands dirty, put mix in a piece of cling film). Indent the centre with thumb, place ½ tsp of ground almonds into the crater. Roll the mixture into a round ball to seal the centre. 5. Roll the truffle in ground almonds to coat. Keep cool until served. 6. Serve with fresh lychees / mangoes and aromatic jasmine tea for the ultimate feel-good zen-sation.
Cooking suggestions: Prepare the dessert first, as the truffle mix need to be cooled and firmed. When cooking the main meal, chop all the ingredients first. Start preparing and cooking the rice while the salmon is being marinated. Leave the rice in pan once cooked to keep warm. Try frying the vegetables while salmon is in the grill, so all dishes will be warm when served. Competing interests: None declared |
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Heather A Haywood, GP Camelon Medical Practice 3 Baird Street Falkirk FK1 4PP
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Here is my proposal for a Polymeal ! STARTER - fill up with lots of raw vegetables for starters ! ROASTED RED PEPPER AND ALMOND DIP 80g almonds, shelled 285g jar roasted red peppers in olive oil 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil from the jar of peppers salt & freshly ground black pepper 1.Preheat oven to 220'C. Place almonds on a baking tray and roast for 8 minutes until just golden. Allow to cool slightly and then whizz in a blender until fine. 2. Drain the peppers reserving 2 tablespoons oil. 3. Add peppers, garlic and vinegar to blender and whizz until coarse. With machine running pour in the oil. Season. Serve with carrot, cucumber and celery sticks or any other dipping vegetables that come to hand. MAIN COURSE COD WITH RED WINE SAUCE (4) 4 x 275g cod steaks 25g butter 1 tablespoon sunflower oil seasoned flour For the sauce :- 25g butter,diced and chilled 4 shallots, sliced 100g streaky bacon, cut into strips 150mls fruity red wine 150mls chicken stock 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley seasoning 1. Season the cod steaks.Heat oven to 180'C 2. Put first portion of butter & oil in a roasting tin and melt over medium heat. Lightly dust both sides of the fish steaks with the flour then lightly brown in the roasting tin. Remove & set aside. 3. For the sauce gently fry shallots & bacon in remaining oil. Return the cod to the tin, cover with foil and roast for 15-20 minutes. Transfer fish to an ovenproof dish and keep warm. 4. Drain any excess fat from tin.Place over a mediun heat and add the wine to the shallots & bacon. Bring to boil while stirring and scraping in the sediment. Add the stock and boil until reduced by two thirds. Gradually add the chilled butter, swirling it in to thicken the sauce. Add parsley and season. 5.Pour a little sauce onto 4 warmed plates, place cod steaks on top and spoon over remaining sauce. Serve with boiled new potatoes, steamed broccolli and momentarily stir fried mangetout. This recipe allows for 3 people to have a small glass of wine and one driver to enjoy the aroma in the fish ! FINISHERS - A chocolate fondue is a great ending to linger over until someone remembers to make the coffee. Just remember not to put out your best antique tablecloth... MARBLED CHOCOLATE FONDUE 400g plain bitter chocolate -Go for Green & Black fairtrade 100g white chocolate - Ditto ! 4 tablespoons white rum - or something from the cupboard 500g - 1kg fresh fruit eg strawberries, cherries, bananas, pineapple, kiwis, grapes - anything that will go with chocolate and hang onto the end of a fondue fork. 200g nuts 1. Toast nuts in a dry pan or in the oven until lightly browned. Cool and then chop finely - I reckon a machine is superior to fingers here. 2. Prepare the fruit into bite size pieces - get your guests to do this at the table or hanging around your kitchen 3. In 2 separate bowls over hot water melt the plain and white chocolates or in the microwave. Add 3 tablespoons rum to the plain, 1 to the white. Pour the plain chocolate into the fondue and swirl the white in lightly using a skewer. Keep barely warm - a constant candle will singe the bottom. Spear a piece of fruit, dip it into the chocolate without allowing it to be pinched by the opposition, dip into the nuts to coat and devour - or feed whichever guest is pronouncing an opinion with which you are not entirely in agreement. Competing interests: None declared |
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George Mateljan, President, George Mateljan Foundation 207 Heleuma Place, Kihei, HI, 96753
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As a a non-profit foundation dedicated to helping people eat more healthful foods, we were very excited to see your "Polymeal" study and are proud to participate in your "Create a Polymeal Recipe Contest". All our recipes, including those we have developed for the "Polymeal Contest" are made without sugar, and we have made an effort to design our recipes to optimize the foods' nutritional value. For this reason, the garlic in our recipes is very lightly cooked. "Extra virgin olive oil, our oil of choice, is added after cooking, for maximum flavor and minimum free radical damage." This menu contains: 150 ml of red wine 170 grams of fish 100 grams of dark chocolate 528 grams of fruits and vegetables 4.25 g of garlic 71 g of almonds Each dish contains the following: Romaine and Avocado Salad: 213 g vegetables; 24g almonds Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce: 170g fish; 1.25g garlic Pureed Sweet Peas: 171g vegetables; 3g garlic 10 Minute Fresh Berry Dessert and almonds: 112g chocolate; 144g fruit; 47g almonds 1 glass of red wine (150 ml) Romaine & Avocado Salad This salad is a good healthy start for any meal. It is a quick and easy way to add flavor and nutrition to your meal all year round. The light dressing makes this salad lower in fat than most without losing flavor, but provides sufficient fat to ensure optimal carotenoid absorption. Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: 1 large head romaine lettuce, outside leaves discarded (8 cups chopped) (112g vegetables) 1 large tomato chopped (45g vegetables) 1 small red bell pepper cut in thin julienne, 1 inch long (19g vegetables) 1 medium avocado, cut into chunks (37g vegetables) 1 cup sliced almonds Dressing 2 TBS lemon juice 2 tsp balsamic vinegar extra virgin olive oil to taste Salt and cracked black pepper to taste Directions: 1. Remove outer leaves of lettuce heads and discard. Cut off tops of leaves and discard. Tops are bitter. Chop remaining inner leaves. Rinse in cold water, and if you have a salad spinner, spin lettuce to dry. If you don’t have one, remove as much water as possible in a colander and then dry with paper towels. This will keep the flavor of the salad from getting diluted. 2. Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and toss with salad greens and almonds. 3. Top with tomatoes, red bell peppers and avocados. Serves 4 15 Minute Salmon with Mustard, Dill Sauce This salmon recipe has a fresh tasting mustard sauce that is a perfect complement to the rich flavor of salmon. It is very quick and easy to prepare, and is done in 15 minutes from start to finish with very little effort, giving you a tasty way to make a sauce for your salmon that is healthy and zesty. Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 1½ lbs salmon filet cut into 4 pieces, skin and bones removed (170g fish) 2 medium garlic cloves, pressed (1.25g garlic) 1 TBS Dijon mustard 2 + 1 TBS fresh lemon juice ¼ cup chicken broth 1 tsp honey 1 tsp chopped fresh dill salt and white pepper to taste Directions: 1. Prepare all the ingredients and have ready. 2. Preheat a non-stick 12-inch skillet on medium high heat for about 2 minutes. Rub salmon with 1 TBS lemon juice and season with a little salt and white pepper. When pan has gotten hot, place salmon skinned side up in the hot pan, and cook for about 2-3 minutes. (You do not need oil or liquid for this) Turn and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. This is our Stovetop Searing cooking method. Remove salmon from pan, and place on a plate. 3. Wipe hot pan quickly with a paper towel and return to burner. This removes excess oil and burnt particles from the pan while retaining the flavor left in the pan to enhance your sauce. Add garlic and stir for half a minute. Add mustard, and whisk in 2 TBS lemon juice, broth, honey, salt and pepper. Cook on high heat for a minute to reduce slightly and add dill. Pour over salmon and serve. Serves 4 Healthy Cooking Tips: To ensure moistness in your salmon, start by choosing salmon filets that are from the thickest part of the fish. Because the temperature varies in stoves, check your salmon for doneness about half a minute after turning. You can do this by sticking the tip of a sharp knife into the filet. The flesh will separate easily, and it should look pink in the center. You want to cook it slightly less than how you want to eat it, as it continues to cook after you remove it from the heat. For best flavor, use a good quality plain, smooth, Dijon mustard. This sauce may take slightly more or less than 1 minute to reduce depending on your exact heat. You want a slightly thickened sauce that is creamy in texture. Use a whisk for best results for this. The sauce will also intensify in flavor as it reduces. Check for personal preference. Make sure you wait until the end of reducing sauce before adding fresh dill, as it will lose its flavor as it cooks. Puréed Sweet Peas Sweet peas are a favorite vegetable for many. This unique way of serving them makes this healthy vegetable a real treat. Feel free to flavor them with different herbs, depending on what you serve along with them. They are versatile and very quick and easy to prepare. Our Healthy Sauté cooking method brings out the flavor without the use of heated oils, making this an even healthier vegetable side dish. Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups fresh, shelled or frozen peas (144g of vegetables) 1 medium onion chopped (27g of vegetables) 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped (3g garlic) 2 + 1 TBS chicken or vegetable 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 1 TBS minced fresh herbs such as mint, basil, chervil, or parsley depending on what else you are serving with the peas salt and white pepper to taste Directions: 1. If peas are fresh, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Place peas in it with the heat still high and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, no more- just until peas are bright green and tender. If peas are frozen, you do not need to cook ahead. 2. Heat 1 TBS broth in a 10-inch non-stick skillet. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. 3. Add 2 TBS broth, peas, herb and cook until tender, about 3 more minutes. Purée in blender with sunflower seeds, season with salt and pepper, and serve. Serves 2 Healthy Cooking Tips: Make sure you blend peas well, stopping the blender periodically to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula. You want the sunflower seeds to get well ground. They add a lot of body to the purée of peas. You want them to be nice and smooth. 10 Minute Fresh Berry Dessert with Yogurt & Chocolate This 10 minute dessert combines our favorite flavors in a quick and easy way that is rich tasting, yet healthier than many desserts. The chocolate is a great complement to berries and yogurt. It is perfect for those moments when you want to enjoy this wonderful combination of flavors. Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: 1 basket fresh raspberries or strawberries (or 2 cups) (144g of fruit) 8oz low fat vanilla yogurt 8 oz melted dark chocolate (112g chocolate) 2/3C almonds, chopped (47g of almonds) Directions: 1. Fold together yogurt and berries. 2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler with heat on medium. Place berries and yogurt in individual bowls and drizzle with melted chocolate. 3. Chop almonds and sprinkle over strawberries and chocolate. * For a more formal presentation you may want to pour a pool of yogurt on a plate and place berries on top of pool. Drizzle chocolate over berries and sprinkle with almonds. Serves 2 Competing interests: None declared |
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Nick Wilson, Senior Lecturer (Public Health) Wellington School of Medicine, Otago University, Wellington, New Zealand, Anne Tucker
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STARTER: Roasted cherry-tomato soup with chilli. MAIN: Italian flamed fish with fresh herbs accompanied with roasted winter vegetables tossed in caramelised onions, and baby leaf green salad. DESSERT: Chocolate almond torte with berries in a red wine reduction. Nutritional advantages of this particular Polymeal (in addition to the basic Polymeal ingredients [1]) include: (i) its relatively high satiety value (via the soup [2,3], the chilli [4,5], and the two salads); (ii) the relatively low levels of saturated fat [6]; (iii) ingredients such as sucralose to keep the glycaemic index low (a further likely benefit to lipid profiles [7]); (iv) the use of leafy vegetables to maximise cardiovascular benefits [8]; (v) the use of berries which may have specific health benefits [9,10]; and (vi) the use of vegetables with possible cancer prevention value (ie, the onions [11] and tomatoes [12,13]). The total amount of food consumed at such a meal (and therefore total calories) will be influenced by such factors as portion size, plate shape, atmospherics (lighting, music), socialising, and numerous other environmental influences [14]. Those wishing to avoid fish (eg, if it is not from a sustainable fishery [15] or they are vegetarian) might like to have a caramelised onion tart instead of the flamed fish and use flax seed oil in a vinaigrette for their omega-3 fatty acids. ROASTED CHERRY-TOMATO SOUP WITH CHILLI INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4): 1 kilo of cherry-tomatoes; 1 tablespoon olive oil; freshly ground black pepper; salt (minimal is ideal for health); 3 garlic cloves; 2 small red chilli peppers – crushed; peeled small handful of fresh basil sprigs; 4 tablespoons of yoghurt (ideally low fat, unsweetened). METHOD: Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 Fahrenheit / gas 6). Then coat the tomatoes with the oil, pepper and salt. Place these on a baking sheet and then into the hot oven. Take out after 10-15 minutes (or when the skins are beginning to shrivel and char). Tip the tomatoes into a blender and blend until smooth. Then rub through a sieve into a saucepan. Place over a low heat and add the whole garlic cloves, the crushed chilli, and three quarters of the basil. Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes and then remove the garlic and basil. If preferred, the consistency can be thinned by adding up to 100 mls water. Serve in soup bowls and add to each a small sprig of basil, a spoonful of yoghurt, and a sprinkling of black pepper. NOTES: Adapted from a published recipe [16]. Slightly more chilli may be ideal from an appetite control perspective. ITALIAN FLAMED FISH WITH HERBS (PESCE ALLE ERBE) INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4): A whole 1 kilo fish such as snapper, sea bass or terikihi (cleaned but with the head and tail on); course-grained salt; freshly ground black pepper; 15 sprigs of Italian parsley; 1 bunch of fresh dill; 10 fresh sage leaves; 2 springs fresh rosemary (or 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves); 5 sprigs fresh mint; 5 large bay leaves; 5 large fresh basil leaves; ½ cup light rum. METHODS: 1. Clean the fish and soak it in a bowl of cold water with a little coarse-grained salt for 30 minutes. 2. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (375 F). 3. Drain the fish and then pat it dry with paper towels. Place a large sheet of aluminium foil on a board (shiny side up). Then sprinkle the foil with a little pepper and salt and lay the fish on the foil. Wrap the fish completely in the foil and put it in a baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn the fish over and bake for another 15 minutes (and perhaps a little longer for a larger fish). 4. Unwrap the fish and transfer it to a large serving platter. Then add the juice from the foil and place the herbs on the fish. 5. Warm the rum over low heat and then pour it over the fish and flame it (taking the appropriate care by standing back but ideally in full view of any guests). 6. Serve immediately by loosening the flesh with a spatula. Serve each portion of fish with some of the flamed herbs. NOTES: 1. Adapted from a published Italian recipe [17]. 2. If 60% of the mass of a 1 kg fish is eaten by 4 people, this is equivalent to 150 grams (g) of fish per person (ie, 33% of the weekly amount recommended by Franco et al [1]). 3. Accompany with a glass of appropriate wine (150 mls per person). 4. For environmental reasons it is important that all fish comes from sustainably managed fisheries. ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD WITH CARAMELISED ONIONS INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4): 750 g of whole baby beetroot; 750 g of baby carrots; 750 g of thinly sliced onions; 4 cloves of garlic (peeled and crushed or chopped); 80 mls olive oil. METHODS: 1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees C (400 F / gas 6). 2. Spread the beetroot and carrots on a baking sheet and place in the oven. 3. Bake for 45 minutes – or until the vegetables are tender but not too brown. Then transfer the vegetables to a pan. 4. For the caramelised onions: cook the sliced onions gently in the olive oil, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes add the garlic and cook for another 30 minutes or until the onions turn golden. 5. Mix the caramelised onion/garlic with the other vegetables and add (as a garnish) a sprinkling of rosemary, thyme and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the flamed fish. NOTES: This dish supplies all of the garlic recommended by Franco et al [1] (ie, one 3 gram clove per person). MIXED BABY LEAF GREEN SALAD Assemble a mix of baby leaves from a range of leafy green vegetables. Serve with olive oil vinaigrette. CHOCOLATE ALMOND TORTE WITH BERRIES IN A RED WINE REDUCTION INGREDIENTS (TORTE – SERVES 4): 400 g of chopped dark chocolate (the cocoa content should be at least 70%); 3 cups of ground almonds (95 g per cup); 6 large eggs (ideally free range); 3/4 cup of sucralose. EQUIPMENT: Cook in four individual rounds (ideal) or use a single pan for baking (eg, a 20 cm springform or cake pan); parchment paper. METHODS (TORTE): 1. Place the chocolate in a small bowl and heat over a barely simmering water bath. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. 2. With an electric beater whip the eggs with the sucralose until pale and thick. Fold in the ground almonds. Then add the chocolate mixture. The mixture will become stiff. Work quickly and if necessary ease the mixture with a little milk. 3. Place the mixture in greased pan(s) lined with parchment paper. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake at 175 degrees C for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 4. Cool torte(s) on a wire rack and then remove from the pan(s) and peel away the parchment paper. INGREDIENTS (BERRIES IN A WINE REDUCTION – SERVES 4): 1 kilo of mixed fresh berries – excluding strawberries (frozen berries can also be used); 2 cups of sucralose; 1 litre of a red wine. METHODS (BERRIES): Put wine and sucralose in a small saucepan and heat over a moderate heat until boiling. Add the berries and bring back up to simmer. (If berries are fresh remove immediately with a slotted spoon, if berries are frozen remove after 3-5 minutes). Place berries in a sieve over a bowl returning drained liquid to saucepan. Simmer the rest of the liquid until it is a syrup and reduced in quantity to about 1.5-2 cups. Allow the syrup to cool. Glaze the torte with the syrup using a brush and then pile the berries on top of the torte. Serve the torte with some of the syrup with yoghurt or crème fraiche. NOTES: 1. The portions are to meet the quantities specified by Franco et al [1] and are therefore fairly large. An alternative is to have a smaller portion and include some almonds and chocolate in a lunch (or exercise more the next day)! 2. The wine reduction in this recipe is so “reduced” that it is likely to add only a trivial amount to the per-person alcohol intake associated with this overall recipe. Bon appetit! References 1. Franco OH, Bonneux L, de Laet C, et al. The Polymeal: a more natural, safer, and probably tastier (than the Polypill) strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease by more than 75%. BMJ 2004;329:1447-1450. 2. Himaya A, Louis-Sylvestre J. The effect of soup on satiation. Appetite 1998;30:199-210. 3. Rolls BJ, Bell EA, Thorwart ML. Water incorporated into a food but not served with a food decreases energy intake in lean women. Am J Clin Nutr 1999;70:448-55. 4. Yoshioka M, St-Pierre S, Drapeau V, et al. Effects of red pepper on appetite and energy intake. Br J Nutr 1999;82:115-23. 5. Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Smeets A, Lejeune MP. Sensory and gastrointestinal satiety effects of capsaicin on food intake. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2004; [Epub ahead of print] 21 December; doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802862. 6. Hooper L, Summerbell CD, Higgins JP, et al. Reduced or modified dietary fat for preventing cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2001;CD002137. 7. Opperman AM, Venter CS, Oosthuizen W, et al. Meta-analysis of the health effects of using the glycaemic index in meal-planning. Br J Nutr 2004;92:367-81. 8. Hung HC, Joshipura KJ, Jiang R, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of major chronic disease. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004;96:1577-84. 9. Goyarzu P, Malin DH, Lau FC, et al. Blueberry supplemented diet: effects on object recognition memory and nuclear factor-kappa B levels in aged rats. Nutr Neurosci 2004;7:75-83. 10. Joseph JA, Denisova NA, Bielinski D, et al. Oxidative stress protection and vulnerability in aging: putative nutritional implications for intervention. Mech Ageing Dev 2000;116:141-53. 11. Sengupta A, Ghosh S, Bhattacharjee S. Allium vegetables in cancer prevention: an overview. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2004;5:237-45. 12. Giovannucci E, Rimm EB, Liu Y, et al. A prospective study of tomato products, lycopene, and prostate cancer risk. J Natl Cancer Inst 2002;94:391-8. 13. Miller EC, Giovannucci E, Erdman JW Jr, et al. Tomato products, lycopene, and prostate cancer risk. Urol Clin North Am 2002;29:83-93. 14. Wansink B. Environmental factors that increase the food intake and consumption volume of unknowing consumers. Annu Rev Nutr 2004;24:455- 79. 15. Wilson N. But is the fish component of the Polymeal sustainable? BMJ.com electronic letter. 17 December 2004 http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/329/7480/1447#89496 16. Abensur N. Cranks light: 100 recipes for vitality and health. London: Orion Publishing Group, 1998. 17. Bugialli G. The Taste of Italy. London: Book Club Associates, 1984. Competing interests: None declared |
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José Morais, Consultant Vancouver, BC, V6J 5G3
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Onion Soup with Pear Gratin Ingredients:- 2 tblsp Butter 1 tsp Sugar 1 cup Red wine 1/4 tsp Pepper 4 Medium cooking onion sliced 1 tblsp All purpose flour 3 cup Beef broth 1 Pear (can be prepared in advance) 2 tblsp Blue cheese Method:- In heavy pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and sugar. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until onions are tender but not colored. Uncover pan, increase heat slightly and continue to cook, stirring regularly until onions are rich caramel colour (10 to 15 minutes) do not let onions burn. Stir in flour until well blended. Gradually add wine; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in beef broth and pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Ladle soup into 6, 1-1/2 cup oven proof bowls. Top each with pear slice; sprinkle with blue cheese. Broil until cheese melts and bubbles. Preheat oven to 225°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. With a mandoline or other manual slicer cut pear lengthwise into paper- thin slices. Lay pear slices on baking sheet. Bake slices in upper third of oven, for 2 1/4 hours, or until slices are pale golden and starting to crisp. Immediately peel pear chips off parchment and cool on a rack. Pear chips keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks. Roasted Wild Salmon in a Flaxseed Crust Ingredients:- 4 x 4 oz wild salmon fillets Marinade:- 4 tblsp olive oil 1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp Tabasco sauce (optional) 2 tblsp lemon juice Flaxseed:- ½ cup flaxseed Vegetables:- 1 red pepper 1 green pepper 1 red onion 8 broccoli fleurettes 8 cherry tomatoes 1 cloves garlic ½ cup white wine 2 tblsp oil 4 tblsp tomato ketchup Method:- Mix all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl or zip lock bag. Place the salmon fillets in the marinade and thoroughly coat. Store in the refrigerator for 30 mins. Heat the oven to 400° F. Roughly chop (1-inch square) the peppers and red onion. Thinly slice the garlic cloves. Wash the cherry tomatoes and remove any stalks. Heat up the oil in a large frying pan (cast iron if possible).Add the peppers, onion and broccoli and fry for about 5 mins. Add the white wine and tomato ketchup and mix well. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Remove from the heat. Add the cherry tomatoes. Grind the flaxseeds in coffee grinder. Remove the salmon from the marinade and lightly season with salt and pepper. Thoroughly coat with the ground flaxseeds. Place the vegetables in an ovenproof pan or dish. Place the salmon on top of the vegetables. Cook in the oven for 20 mins. Serve the salmon on top of the vegetables. Health Notes:- Salmon and flaxseed are both excellent sources of Omega Fatty acids, which help to reduce the stickiness of the blood and there is evidence that they may reduce the risk of cancers and heart disease. The tomatoes and tomato ketchup are a rich source of Lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that has proven to lower the risk of certain diseases including cancer and heart disease. The whole meal is a good source of Antioxidants, which may help to prevent heart disease. Chocolate Chip and Toasted Almond Parfait Ingredients :- 100g dark chocolate chopped into small pieces 68g flaked almonds lightly toasted 4 eggs 2 yolks 250g sugar 1 litre natural yoghurt (low fat) Method:- In a large metal bowl with a hand held electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs and granulated sugar until combined. Set bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water and beat mixture until light and thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Fold in chocolate chips, flaked almonds and yoghurt. Place in mould saran wrap (clingfilm) and freeze for 3 – 5 hours. Competing interests: None declared |
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Chin T Ong, SHO ophthalmology The Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, Salterhebble, Halifax HX1 2BG
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I am truly impressed with your recipes and stunning photos! I have more polymeal recipes on my website. Please visit www.chin.ong.doctors.org.uk for more recipes and photos. Competing interests: None declared |
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Helen Stafford, House Officer Dept of Surgery, Kent & Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury CT1 3NQ, Ne-Siang Chew, The Radiology Suite, Kent & Canterbury Hospital
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Most of the polymeals described have been 3 course meals. We describe a 2 course meal encompassing all the polymeal ingredients. Main dish: Roast mackerel with Mediterranean Vegetables. Serves 3-4 people Ingredients 4 pieces of mackerel, sliced in the middle 1 aubergine (medium size) 2 courgettes 2 Baking Potatoes 2 Red onions 1 bulb of garlic 250g of pomodrino tomatoes 1 sprig of fresh basil extra virgin olive oil salt pepper Methods: 1. Chop the aubergine, courgettes and potatoes onto cubes. Parboil the potatoes. Put the aubergine, potatoes and courgettes into a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and shake the bowl to coat the vegetables with the oil. 2. Put all the vegetables in a baking tray. Skin the onions and cut the onions into quarters. Add them to the baking tray. Put the bulb of garlic in the middle of the tray. Drizzle further with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. 3. Roast the vegetables at 200 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes. Add the raw tomatoes and the 4 pieces of mackerel on top. Drizzle more olive oil onto the fish. And roast for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with torn basil leaves. Serve with 150 ml of fine wine per person. Dessert: Heavenly Choco-vanilla strawberry cheese dessert. Mascarpone cheese 250 g tub Caster sugar 3 teaspoons 1 Vanilla pod Strawberries 400g halved ( 1 box ) 2 bars of 100g dark chocolate melted in a microwave oven at medium heat for 4 minutes Methods: 1. Extract the vanilla seeds from the vanilla pod and mix with the mascarpone cheese. This will give a heavenly vanilla scent to the cheese. 2. Divide the cheese into 2-3 portions, according to number of servings. Add the halved strawberries into the divided cheese portions. 3. Pour the melted chocolate evenly onto the strawberries and mascarpone cheese in a circular manner. 4. Drizzle the caster sugar onto the chocolate. Post dinner coffee and almond biscuits. 250 g freshly ground almonds 125g caster sugar whites of 3 eggs 1. Whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold in the ground almonds and sugar. 2. Spoon the mixture in biscuit shapes on a baking tray and bake at 180 degree for 10 minutes. 3. Serve with freshly brewed coffee. Enjoy! Competing interests: None declared |
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Kate Ginty, SHO Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
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I propose the following delicious menu and wine suggestions (for maximum health benefits limit wine content to 150ml. For maximum enjoyment share with friends and don't measure the wine!). Starter Steamed Asparagus drizzeled with Vinagrette. Served with a Pouilly Fume such as Didier Dagueneau Main Course Baked Red Snapper with Roasted Orange Peppers, Tomatoes, Anchovies, Garlic and Potatoes. Served with a Pouilly Fuisse such as Verget Desert Mandarin and almond torte with dark chocolate sauce Served with a Sauternes such as Chateau D'yquem (recipes available if required) Competing interests: A secret desire to take a 6 month sabaticle working for Tanners Wine Merchant |
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jeronimo.m rueda, family doctor centro de salud de stª Mª de Gracia, arturo duperier s/n Murcia 30009 Spain
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Begin by opening one bottle of a good Spanish wine, and trying it moderately. Things will seem better. Then fry carefully a fullspoon of marcona almonds jointly with two or three teeth of sliced garlic, until it becomes brown. Sorry I have forgotten one or two spoonsful of extra virgin Spanish olive oil. When this is done, add a coffeespoon of Spanish pimenton (paprika FROM MURCIA) and remove it, avoiding being burnt, and then add a coup of white wine (BOCOPA 2004 ALICANTE) stirring and reducing to half. Then put it over a "open by the spine Gallopedro (ST.Peter Fish)from ALMERIA. Roast it twenty minutes in an oven previously heated to 200ºC. Serve with some fried PADRON pepers and some fried (always in olive oil from SPAIN) potatoes, and some salad made with ruckola, black Spanish olives and vinaigrette. By then you can start to enjoy this polymeal with two coups of the White BOCOPA's wine. A marvellous dessert is waiting for you: some CIEZA's PEACHES cut in cubes to be "fondued" in a fondue of dark chocolate. Enjoy it. Competing interests: competition polymeal |
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Lajos Matos MD, Scientific Director MedrepkeD Kft, Andrassy ut 49, Budapest, Hungary,H-1061, Margit Lengyel-Matos MD, General Manager,
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Polypill and Polymeal are fundamentally similar in decreasing cardiovascular risk, while there are some minor differences as follows:Polypill has the advantage of being a once-a-day tablet, while Polymeal - according to the present dietary guidelines - should be and could be enjoyed five times a day. For both preventive interventions recommended ingredients and dosages are given, and some dangers of overdosage of certain components (e.g.wine in Polymeal) or side effects (e.g. aspirin in Polypill) are well known. Taking into consideration GCP (Good Culinary Practice) and rules of the Christmas competition of BMJ, our proposals for two Polymeal menus are as follows: GP (Generic Polymeal) menu 1. Breakfast 2. Ten-o'-clock snack 3. Lunch 4. Five-o'-clock Polymeal 5. Dinner Ad 1. 1.1. Nice cup of hot chocolate (4 tsp dark cocoa powder or 40 g of dark chocolate, 2 tsp brown sugar, 200 ml milk, pinch of cinnamon powder /optional/.Mix cocoa or melted chocolate, add milk, heat to dissolve, add cinnamon, heat to just under boiling. Served hot). 1.2. 1 slice of whole grain bread (20 g) 1.3. 20 g ricotta cheese, 1.4. 1 slice of turkey-breast ham (20 g) 1.5. 1 tomato (10 g) Ad 2. 1 apple or orange (about 100 g) Ad 3. 3.1. Chicken breast with chocolate sauce (150 g chicken breast fillet /without skin/,2-3 slices fennel, 40 g dark chocolate, 50 g cream.Fennel slices put in the grill,fry till slightly brown.Seasoning chicken fillet with salt and pepper and fry in one tbsp oil with 2-3 cloves of garlic in a skillet. Put chocolate in a saucepan with cream.Seasoning:paprika powder,chili powder, cardamum, ginger, pepper,1 tbsp aceto balsamico.Cook slowly,stirring continuously for a few minutes.Put chicken fillet to plate, surrounded by fennel slices.Pour chocolate sauce). 3.2. Good table wine 0.7 dl (a nice rose wine could be an excellent compromise between white- and red wine) 3.3. Fresh fruit salad (about 100 g) Ad 4. Choco-almond snack (30 g slightly roasted almonds, 20 g dark chocolate. Place chocolate in a bowl on top of water in a small saucepan.Bring water to a low simmer. Stir chocolate until melted. Dip each almond in melted chocolate, let them dry on waxed paper, till cool). Ad 5. 5.1. Almond-scaled fish (120 g fish fillet, 38 g almond flakes, 1 teespoon mustard. Season both sides of fish fillet with mustard. Place in a backing pan.Sprinkle with almond flakes.Place in 200°C oven and bake about 15 min or until almonds are golden brown.[Accompany with hot cooked rice if desired.]) 5.2. Fresh salad (100 g shredded lettuce. Dressing:juice of 1/2 lemon,1 tbsp sugar or sweetener well mixed, cover lettuce and season with fresh ground pepper) 5.3. Wine or sparkling wine (0.8 dl) This Polymeal menu makes about 2100 kcal: 21% protein, 52% carbohydrates, 27% fat (mainly polyunsaturated). BP (Brand-POSH) version Exactly the same as that of GP Polymeal menu, however, instead of the nearest market or supermarket, all ingredients should be obtained from the Food Hall of Harrods (or Fortnum&Mason). In the BP version wine or sparkling wine is advised to be replaced by champagne... Have a nice (Poly)meal! Competing interests: None declared |
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Eleni Linos, House Officer Paediatric Surgery Oxford OX3 9DU, Peter Li
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Grilled aubergine and courgette stack topped with goats cheese ___________________ Saltcrust baked Sea Bass Fennel, red onion and pear salad lemon thyme dressing ___________________ Crisp almond tart filled with chocolate mouse _____________________ Fresh figs and Roquefort Slice 1 aubergine and 1 courgette into thin strips and brush with olive oil. Grill or fry in gridle pan turning 90 degrees half way through cooking. Marinate slices in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and 1 clove crushed garlic until service. Arrange stack on a plate or inside a ring or cup that you can then turn upside down. Top with fresh basil leaves and goats cheese. Grill for 10 minutes just before serving. Finely slice 1 fennel bulb, 1 red onion and 1 pear. Toss with lime juice, oil, lemon thyme leaves. Clean and scale a large sea bass, pat dry. Slice 3 garlic cloves and place in belly. Rub skin with pepper and olive oil. Fill a roasting pan with a thick layer of coarse sea salt, place fish on top, and completely cover with salt. It is essential to cover the fish entirely as this will ensure even cooking and moisture. Preheat the oven to 200 C. Combine 250g ground almonds with 50-100 g softened butter, 2 big tablespoons of flour and a pinch of salt until a firm dough is formed. Roll this out onto a tart tin and chill. Make the mouse by melting 400g dark 70% cocoa chocolate with 200g cream. Bake the base for 10 minutes. Whisk 5 egg yolks with 250 g caster sugar until fluffy. Pour the chocolate mixture in slowly. Whisk the 5 egg whites until soft peaks form, gently folding the whites into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the tart shell and bake for 15 minutes until fluffy and soft inside. Serve warm. Competing interests: None declared |
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Ulla Balslev, consultant Department of internal Medicine B, Frederiksberg Hospital, DK-2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
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400 grammes (aprox 1 pound) of cod filet, 1 clove of garlic, 1 chili, 5 cm (2 inches) of fresh ginger, 1 bundle of spring onions (or 2 large leaks), 1 tin of coconut milk, olive oil, white wine, 1 lime fruit. Chop garlic, chili and ginger finely. Fry in olive oil. Add chopped spring onions/leaks. When tender, add coconut milk, white wine and the juice of 1 lime fruit. Heat for a few minutes and then enjoy with jasmin rice, a green salad and more white wine! To end the meal -and complete the polymeal!- have chocolate mousse! 100 grammes of good dark chocolate, 1/4 liter of full cream, 1 egg yolk (pasteurised), plenty of skinned, roasted chopped almonds, fresh oranges. Melt the chocolate over a water bath (English term??). Stir in the egg yolk. Leave to cool a bit. Mix very gently with the whipped cream. Serve with the chopped almonds springled on top and fresh filletted oranges on the side. Bon appetite!! Competing interests: None declared |
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Gill E. Johnstone, GP Pershore health centre,Priest Lane,Pershore,WR10 3HB
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POLYMEAL MENU; Allow your culinary self to achieve enlightenment!The main course comes from a nepalse cookbook I picked up in Kathmandu and is a firm favourite in our house.The pudding incorporating chocolate,pears,red wine and almonds is to die for!I would also serve toasted almonds with drinks initially and red wine goes well with the goats cheese starter and the spicy fish.I think your guests as well as BUDDHA would be complimenting the chef. CRUMBLED GOATS CHEESE SALAD. ------- NEPALESE SPICY FISH. ------- CLAFOUTIS WITH CHOCOLATE AND PEARS IN RED WINE. CRUMBLED GOATS CHEESE SALAD; 200GMS firm goats cheese(in round or log form) 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 3tbsp fine,dry breadcrumbs, 4 medium beetroot cooked, 200gms baby rocket/spinach leaves. Cut the goats cheese into 4 slices,around 1cm thick.Coat each slice in olive oil,then in the breadcrumbs,and chill until required. Peel the cooked beetroot by rubbing off the skin(ar alternatively use preprepared beetroot) and slice into paperthin rounds and arrange in an overlapping ring on each dinner plate. Whisk dressing ingredients together; 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp white wine vinegar or if preferred balsamic vineger 1 tbsp finely snipped chives sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Toss the salad leaves lightly in the dressing and arrange in the centre of the beetroot. Heat a non-stick frying pan and dry fry each slice of goats cheese until golden brown,carefully turning once.Gently lift the goats cheese onto the leaves and drizzle any remaining dressing over and around.The goats cheese may crumble but it will still look and taste fantastic! NEPALESE SPICY FISH; 800GMS/1 1/2lbs White fish(cod cheeks are really good in this dish) 1 bunch spring onions chopped 2 garlic cloves(to make 1 tsp approx) 1 inch piece of fresh ginger 3 fresh green chillies deseeded and chopped 1 ripe tomato,peeled and chopped juice and rind of 1 lime 6 bay leaves 5 cardamon pods,bruised 1 small cinnamon stick 1 medium onion,finely sliced 1 tin coconut milk sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Some extra-virgin olive oil. Place the fish in the bottom of a suitable dish so the fish is not overlapping too much.Sprinkle the diced sping onion,garlic,ginger,chillies,tomato and lime rind over the top.Season with salt and pepper and pour over the lime juice.Marinade for 15minutes whilst turning the oven on to 220 degrees C or this can be cooked in the top rt hand oven of an AGA.Cook for 10-15 minutes so the fish is just becoming cooked and no more. Whilst the fish is cooking take a frying pan and heat some oil.Into this add the bay leaves,cardamon,cinnamon and sliced onion.Heat gently until golden brown.When the fish is ready scatter the contents from the pan over the top of the fish. Pour over the coconut milk(you can use yoghurt if preferred) and put back in the oven until heated through/cooked(approx 15minutes). Serve with freshly boiled rice.Spinach is a good accompaniment with this dish. CLAFOUTIS WITH CHOCOLATE AND PEARS IN RED WINE 6 pears just ripe 1/4-1/2 bottle of red wine(depends on size of pan you are poaching the pears in) juice of 1 lemon 225gms/8oz castor sugar 100gms/3 1/2oz dark chocolate,min 70%cocoa solids,broken into pieces 75gms/3oz unsalted butter 110gms/4oz self raising flour 100gms/3 1/2oz ground almonds pinch of salt 2 large eggs 1 large egg yolk 175ml/6floz full cream milk creme fraiche to serve Peel the pears but leave the stalks and place them in a saucepan with the red wine,lemon juice and half of the sugar.Bring slowly to the boil,then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and poach the pears for about 10mins.Turn the pears in the poaching liquid and leave them in the liquid to cool for about 2 hrs.When cool slice the pears in half and remove the cores with a knife. Heat the oven to 200 C/400 F/Gas mark 6(or hot oven of an AGA using the cold shelf above.) Melt the chocolate in a bowl(microwave, or over a pan of simmering water)and in another bowl melt the butter. Sift the flour into a bowl and then add the almonds,the remaining sugar and the salt. Whisk together the eggs, egg yolk and milk and add to the dry ingredients, whisking until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and butter and stir until fully incorporated. Use a dish that will take the pears fanned in one layer and firstly place half the chocolate mixture on the bottom. Place the pears halves with the thinner ends facing inwards around the dish,with some pears face down and some face up.Pour over the rest of the chocolate mixture. Bake for about 20minutes..IT IS IMPORTANT THAT IT REMAINS SLIGHTLY GOOEY! Serve hot or cold with creme fraiche.Delicious! Competing interests: None declared |
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Toral Shah, MSc student - Nutritional Medicine Mayfair and Surrey, W1
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If music be the food of love, then what place has food in relation to the heart? Feed your man the polymeal and ensure that you don't help to break his heart! Mediterranean swordfish kebabs with spicy paprika pesto Swordfish is full of omega-3 fatty acids and being a meaty fish, it is not overwhelmed by this spicy nutty pesto. Pesto is basically another name for a sauce and this version ensures that you have your daily intake of almonds. Ingredients (serves 4) For pesto 300g shelled almonds, toasted 6 cloves of garlic, peeled 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley 1 handful of mint leaves 1 handful of coriander leaves 2 tablespoons smoked paprika 300ml extra virgin olive oil, extra if needed Juice and zest of half a lemon Salt to taste Add the first six ingredients to a food processor and pulse to form a coarse paste. Add the olive and lemon juice and zest and pulse until fully combined. If the mixture is too thick, add some olive oil until it reaches the desired consistency. Season to taste and place in a bowl for serving. For fish kebabs 750g swordfish, cut into 2.5cm cubes Juice of 1 lemon 50ml olive oil 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon mustard seeds ½ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes Mix ingredients for swordfish marinade in shallow dish and add swordfish to marinade. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and leave for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, stirring the fish twice. Preheat the grill to medium. Thread 6 cubes of fish onto soaked wooden skewers. Cook the kebabs for 15 minutes, turning them every 3-4 minutes and basting the fish frequently with the marinade. Serve straight from the grill with the paprika pesto and roasted pepper salad. Turkish roasted red pepper and orange salad with pomegranate dressing This unusual salad is full of antioxidant nutrients as well as being full of colour and flavour. The salad may be eaten warm in the winter or at room temperature when the weather is warmer. Ingredients (serves 4 as an accompaniment) For salad 4 red peppers 1 orange, peeled and cut into segments 1 pomegranate, seeds only 1 tablespoon olive oil For dressing 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoons pomegranate molasses 2 teaspoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped ¼ teaspoons sumac ¼ teaspoons ground all-spice Freshly ground salt and pepper Preheat the oven to 180ºc/ 350ºF/Gas mark 4. Place the peppers on a roasting dish and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the hot oven for 30 minutes until peppers are soft. Place in a plastic or paper bag for 10 minutes and allow to cool. Peel the peppers when cool and discard skins. Puree half the peppers in a food processor and add to the place. Chop half the roasted peppers into strips and place in the bowl with the pureed peppers, orange segments and pomegranate seeds. Add all the ingredients for the dressing into a screw-top jar and shake well until thoroughly mixed. Pour dressing over salad and mix thoroughly before serving. Spicy poached pear with chilli chocolate sauce and Greek yoghurt This spicy dessert is not too high in fat and combines the antioxidant properties of the fruit, wine and chocolate. Ingredients For pears 4 firm cooking pears 2 star anise 2 sticks of cinnamon 5 cloves Zest and juice of 1 large lemon 250g caster sugar 4 tablespoons honey 600ml good red wine, pinot noir as if has more antioxidants Add all the ingredients except the pears to a pan in which the pears can stand upright and do not fall over. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Peel the pears and add to the spicy poaching stock. Cover with a circle of greaseproof paper and simmer for at least half an hour or until the pears are cooked. Remove the pears from the liquid and place in a bowl. Reduce the remaining stock down to half by boiling. Strain the sauce and pour over the pears. Serve with chocolate chilli sauce and thick Greek yoghurt (Rachel’s Yard is a good make) Chilli chocolate sauce 300g dark chocolate, at least 70% solids – try Green and Blacks 300ml hot water, not boiling 1 dried red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 100ml single cream Break the chocolate into small pieces and add to 200ml hot water, stirring until melted. When melted, whisk in hot water and chilli until smooth. Whisk in the cream over the heat until silky and smooth. Remove from the heat before it boils and serve with the pears. Chocolate dipped Brazil nuts These petit-fours combine the selenium packed Brazil nuts with the dark chocolate to complete the intake of Polymeal nutrients Ingredients 100g good quality dark chocolate as before 20 Brazil nuts, shelled Melt the chocolate in a pan over a bain-marie and when melted, dip the Brazil nuts into the chocolate until fully coated. Place on a tray lined with greased parchment paper and allow to cool and harden before serving. Competing interests: None declared |
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rachel J Stitt, at high school td9 9lu
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melt the dark choclate but leave 50g and mix the nuts then get some flour and add the flour, chocolate, fruit and marge then put in little tubs for baking. Bake for 290mins and then take out and melt 20g of the left over choclate and pour some wine in then mix and pour over the cakes add the nuts and grate the left over chocolate. With the salad add some chicken then have a simple chicken salad or stir fry the chicken until golden brown then put over the salad make a quick sauce with the wine, crushed garlic and add some spice of any sort. Competing interests: None declared |
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