A Self Confessed Workaholic - The Dietitian?

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Feeling stressed?  Burnt out?  I know the feeling.  Health professionals like dietitians juggle responsibilities, whilst promoting evidence based practice.  We nurture a never ending expansive list of skills in barely enough hours of the day.  Yet we keep going, and going; and do our best to retain the picture of health.

They say there's a story behind every book and there's definitely a story behind every dietitian.  A dietitian can be based in a clinical hospital, run a business, work in the food or fitness industry or as a lecturer at a university.  Just like Cinderella, as the clock strikes a certain hour, some of us transform into bloggers, to bring to you the very latest updates in nutrition.  

It's been a little while since I've published a blog post, so I thought that it was only fair that you knew what I have been up to.  I am passionate about evidence based practice, so it should come as no surprise to you that I also work in the area of research.  I have currently completed a research study in vitamin A and am in the process of writing up the findings of this study.  As soon as I publish these results, I will share the study findings with you.  

My daily routine therefore comprises of clinical work in a children's hospital, where I will either review children's growth and nutritional requirements, or work on my research project.  I may have private clients to see later in the day or teaching material to prepare for the multidisciplinary team and patients.

For example, during the past week, I have been slaving away on a power point to update the renal team on vitamin A.  After all, clean slides with messages in bullet points or via images help convey key messages clearly. But really, the biggest influences for a powerful and successful presentation are the content itself and how well you have revised your notes, don't you think?

The role of the dietitian is not as straight forward as it appears.  I rarely work the typical 9-5 either.  Behind the scenes I can recall the countless times when I have comforted mums when they first learn about their child's diagnosis.  I may even lend a caring ear when she simply needs to vent or talk about her impossible non-compliant teenager.  I chat to food companies for further details on food ingredients or lately have been studying metabolic disorders very closely.

When I am not bordering on 'workaholism', I enjoy running or spending time with friends.  Here are photos below from my Friday girly night out.  These nights out in London really help melt away any stress that may have accumulated over the week.

This was a delicious strawberry cocktail that was topped with champagne.

The creator of the cocktail Ervy from How To Host An Italian Themed Dinner Party had us green with envy over this delicious raspberry cocktail.

This is last night’s dinner – Japanese seafood Udon noodles with mango & papaya salad on the side.  

We also shared pieces of sushi that were filled with avocado and salmon.  Delicious!

I am feeling re-energised (though the thought of working tomorrow makes me a little sad), but here's to more blog posts from A Light Perspective.

How do you cope with stress?  Do share and comment below.  I do love hearing from you!

How To Exercise A Little Portion Control - St Jacques With Coriander & Peanut Pesto

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Seafood, pesto, portion control.  For this week's Weekend Dinner Party themed post, I've chosen a gorgeous French number that has drawn flavours from the Asian world.  The coriander, lime and peanut based pesto sauce is phenomenal, zesty and absolutely delish.

Scallops are one of my favourite things in the world but it's always a good idea to check with your guests to make sure that they like seafood!  I've also chosen this recipe as it illustrates the essential steps every good host should bear in mind for the weight-conscious diner; portion control.

If you dread hosting dinner parties because you are worried about over-eating, let me assure you that its impossible to do so with this fabulous recipe.  Firstly, it is a tiny bit labour intensive but don't let that put you off.  It's so tasty that you will savour every mouthful when you finally do sit down to enjoy it.  Eating slowly allows you to recognise early when you are full.

I realise that everyone wants to please their guests with plenty to eat, but the health conscious diner may resent you afterwards for the extra indulgent mouthfuls eaten.

Life's just too short for regrets.  Show no signs of slowing down, there's no reason why you cannot attend or host dinner parties if you are trying to eat healthy and lose weight.  Simply exercise a little portion control, choose ingredients that boast flavour but without the weight of added calories.

And of course, this recipe is milk, egg, wheat, gluten and soy free.  It does however, contain peanuts, therefore is not nut free.  

Expecting a vegetarian diner?  No problem, simply substitute the scallops for tofu.  It will work 
beautifully with the pesto sauce.



Saint-Jacques With Coriander & Peanut Pesto Sauce


INGREDIENTS

500ml vegetable stock
2 tablespoons mirin*
1 tablespoon lemon grass
2 kaffir lime leaves
3 rounded teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon fish sauce (check thickeners to ensure gluten / wheat free)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, chopped finely
4 red onions, chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
2 tablespoons ginger, chopped finely
1 teaspoon ground white pepper

140g risotto rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon gluten and wheat free flour
16 large scallops
1 lime, sliced


For the pesto
2 tablespoons, dry roasted and unsalted peanuts
50g coriander leaves, chopped using scissors
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger
Pinch of white pepper
Juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Serves 4


Purple Tip - The rice requires 3 hours of cool time in the fridge.  If you are expecting guests in the evening, I would prepare the rice earlier in the day.


DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan, add the vegetable stock, *mirin (this is a type of Japanese rice wine which I did not have, so I used wine and added a little sugar), lemon grass, kiffir leaves, ground coriander, fish sauce and allow to boil for a few minutes, then simmer.
2.  In a casserole dish, add olive oil, shallot, onions, garlic, ginger and white pepper.  Temper for a few minutes and enjoy the aromas released.
3. Add the rice and coat each grain in the oil.
4. Remove lemon grass from the stock then pour this into the rice in 100ml aliquots and only when the rice has absorbed the liquid.  Add up to an extra 200ml of water if necessary.
5. The rice is done when all of the liquid has been absorbed.  Now allow to cool then keep in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
6. To prepare the pesto, first add the peanuts into a grinder.  Grind till you have a paste but with 'bits' in it.
7. In a blender, add the peanuts, coriander leaves, garlic, ginger and white pepper.  Blend for a couple of minutes or until you have a green paste.  Now add the freshly squeezed lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce and vegetable oil.  Mix well then set aside.
8. To make the risotto galettes, shape into 4 balls then press gentle with your hands to flatten.  Cover with cling film and return them to cool in the fridge for 10 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a saucepan.  When the galettes are ready, dust with a little bit of flour then fry evenly on both sides for 2 minutes each side.  Repeat this step a few times so that the galettes are crispy on the outside.
10. Place the galettes on paper towel to remove excess oil.
11. Now temper the scallops or tofu in a saucepan with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  You will need to cook evenly on both sides.
12. Serve immediately with the galette, scallops, a generous serve of the pesto and lime slices on the side.  

Purple Tip - Don't forget a little salad or portion of vegetables on the side

Now remember, the 3 steps to a successful dieter's dinner party are:

• Go for pre-portioned meals to reduce the temptation for seconds.
• Choose tasty dishes that promote use of herbs or spices with focus on quality rather than quantity.
• Engage your guests in conversation to allow your guests to eat slowly and savour every mouthful.

Have a great week lovely readers!  What are your tips for successful dining when also trying to shed pounds?

If you enjoyed this post, then why not SHARE with a TWEET or a LIKE on facebook?  Thank you so much!

A Busy Mum's Guide To Supper

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Would you rather hit the couch and dream of holidays than cook supper?  Tempting thought yes, but the kids are screaming and they need feeding.  Read these recipe suggestions below and before you even have the time to say 'takeaway' you will have dinner ready whether it be made by you or the kids!  Simply get them involved to speed up the process and plan your menu the week ahead.  

For year round easy recipes, pizzas are always a great place to start.  You can purchase pizza bases in advance or prepare your dough ahead of time during the weekend.  A girlfriend prepared her pizza dough two days in advance and the base was crispy and delicious.  To view see How To Host An Italian Themed Dinner Party.  I am not a fan of takeaways it's true  and you probably know this from my outrageous post Naming And Shaming The BurgerPizza, but when prepared at home you can truly have a lot of fun with a very nutritious outcome.

For recipe ideas see DIY: Are You Up For The Health Food Challenge?  What I love about pizzas are that the whole family can get involved.  Toppings can range from lean meat, poultry or seafood with plenty of favourite vegetables that the children can choose.  Don't forget that pita breads can make an excellent pizza base for individual pizzas.  This is a great 'norecipe' way of cooking!

Stuffed vegetables are another fantastic supper idea that the kids will also enjoy preparing.  Think of it as dinner chic presented in the most simple way and yet oh so delicious.  Why not try Seafood Stuffed Peppers With Garlic & Basil Squid.  Once the peppers have been halved you can just about throw in anything you want from cous cous, roasted vegetables, feta cheese, stir fried vegetables or lean mince.  Combine with fresh herbs for flavour and enjoy a well deserved cuppa whilst this cooks in the oven.

I really enjoy reading recipe ideas from An Edible Mosaic.  Faith's Cabbage, Carrot & Chicken Stir Fry sound flavoursome, quick and tasty.  It's totally desirable and perhaps the brave step you need for increasing vegetable intake for your family.

Curries may look scary with their large ingredient list but let me tell you a secret.  Once the ingredients are measured and set aside, it's essentially dinner in a pot as all you really need to do is throw in all the ingredients in a large pot then cover and simmer.  You'll see what I mean when you try Flavoursome Chicken Curry or Sushila's Paneer Explosion.  In fact, dhal or lentils really are the easiest and quickest things in the world to make.  Very appropriate for meatless Monday nights too, don't you think?  See Parippu (lentils) and you'll quickly see that  you will save time whilst preparing nutritious healthy meals for your family.

Are you a fan of rice?  This naturally wheat and gluten free alternative to pasta is done in about 10 minutes so why not combine rice with your favourite ingredients.  Try Prawn and Wild Mushroom Rice.

If you have a little bit more time up your sleeve, the extra effort that goes into preparing risottos are worth it as you will be rewarded with satisfied bellies all around the dinner table.  I especially enjoy eating Creamy Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto With Sundried Tomatoes.  Again these are recipe suggestions only so vary the ingredients to suit what you've got going in your vegetable drawer.

Stay tuned for more quick and easy recipe ideas.  I will be sure to touch on this again in the near future.

In summary quick dinner ideas could range from home made pizzas using pita breads, stir fried dishes, risottos, alternative rice based dishes or curry type dishes if you fancy a bit of heat in your kitchen.  Whatever you choose to make, have fun and involve the kids.  They will appreciate the meal and the quality time that they get to spend with you in the kitchen.

And so my lovely readers, what are you favourite quick and easy family recipe ideas?  

Mine at the moment is this Satay Tofu Recipe but I like to change the base ingredients to salmon, spring onions and broccoli.  Absolutely delicious!


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