Braised Quails in Wild Mushroom Sauce

Sounds good, eh?

These little tasty birds were on offer, and made a nice change from chicken / beef / chicken / beef.

And then I realised that you usually have to baste these birdies and use quite a lot of fat to keep them moist and make them tender.

But I wasn't going to let a little detail like that deter me, and so here is what I did:

For 2 people

4 quails
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
A small handful of dried wild mushrooms, rehydrated and keep the liquid!
3 tbsp corn flour
1 large glass of cooking wine, in this case Noilly Prat
1 chicken stock cube
8 carrots, cut into batons (optional if you are in PP)

First, brown the quails in a non-stick pan without any fat. Season.

In a casserole which will fit the quails kind of snugly, soften the onions with some water on low heat. Turn up the heat and add the wine. Let it bubble away a bit, then add the garlic, carrots, mushrooms (incl. liquid), stock cube and finally snugly fit the quails into this. Get it to the boil, then leave it on a low-ish simmer for 25-35 minutes (test that the juices are running clear and that you can pretty much tear the leg off easily).

Take the quails out, keep them warm and then add the cornflour mixed with a bit of cold water to the sauce and let it thicken. Season to taste. I added a bit of lemon juice to balance out the sweetness.

Serve and enjoy. And you know what? The birds were tender as can can be! I could not believe it. Ok, when we are done with Dudu, I'll do this again, but brown them in some butter and oil to bring out an even nicer colour.

Spanish Chicken

And... We're back for a short round of Dudu!

Starting with a few PP days, I wanted to try something new to keep me motivated. And it was met with a resounding "I hope you make this soon again".

I made this in 2 stages, just because I had time to prepare it yesterday, but we were going out, and then we would have it all ready for tonight.

In a 180C oven.

In an oven-proof casserole:
- cover bottom of the casserole with sliced onion, sliced garlic, heaped tsp of pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika) and barely cover with tomato passata and tiny bit of water
- on top, place the chicken pieces so that the skin won't get under the sauce

Cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

Now this is where I took the whole thing and placed it outside (it's November, and it wouldn't fit in the fridge) until tonight. If cooking it the same day, just adjust the following cooking time accordingly, since you won't need to bring the whole dish up to temperature first.

So I pre-heated the oven to 200 C and put the casserole in, lid OFF this time and let the sauce bubble down to a thick sticky mess and the chicken skin get crispy (I know, skin is a no no in this diet, but guess what... I can't throw it away!). It took roughly 1 hour

I think this might work well as a technique with all sorts of other flavours. To be continued...

Hainanese Chicken Rice Without the Rice

This is what happens when one is properly disorganised and cannot find ones recipes...

Some time ago (in a pre-Dukan life), I tried a recipe by a recent Masterchef winner, Dhruv Baker, for Hainanese Chicken Rice and it was probably the best chicken stock I have ever made. But try as I might, offline, online, I cannot seem to find the recipe again. But I ploughed on undeterred, and apparently it was worth the effort and general improvisation, just ask my mum...

I hate waste. So when I cook a whole EXPENSIVE chicken, I want to make sure that all is put to good use. And this recipe really allows for that!

In a BIG stockpot, put:

2 onions studded with a few cloves
6 unpeeled garlic cloves
1 cinnamon stick (Chinese cinnanom or Cassia Bark is even better)
1 big tsp black peppercorns
3 whole dried chillies
2 star anise
some coriander stalks, preferably with roots
half tsp coriander seeds
thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thick rounds
1 chicken, breast down

Optional: a few carrots and leeks

Cover as much with water as possible. My pot is not big enough to cover the whole bird, which is why I cook it breast down, otherwise it takes even longer to cook. Also add some chicken stock cubes or powder, how much is up to you, but it really enhances the flavour (and no, it's not cheating).

I try to do the boiling the day before I want to eat the bird, so I can cool down the broth and just scrape off the fat the next day. Obviously, sieve the broth before cooling it (dont't discard the garlic cloves, just press the skins to release the mushy garlicky bits and mix with the broth).

For the picture above, I lifted the 2 chicken breasts off the bird and gently re-heated them in some of the broth, while steaming some pak choy (or other cabbage) on top.

Keep all the 'solids' warm, while you mix the dipping broth:
the broth you have just used to heat the meat
chili sauce (I like Sriracha Chili and Ginger)
oyster sauce
lime juice
soy sauce
finely chopped / grated ginger
finely chopped / grated garlic
mirin or other rice wine (just a dash, if you are ok with that on Dukan)

Serve the dipping broth in a small bowl along the meat and vegetables, with some chopped spring onion.

Now, for the other uses...

For lunch yesterday, I had one cup of the lovely broth to bulk up my otherwise meagre PP lunch (forgot to shop).

Last night I picked the rest of the meat off the chicken (except 1 drumstick) and I made a lovely Asian broth with some finely chopped vegetables and I added some of the same ingredients as for the dipping broth but in a less intense version. Serve with lots of lime to squeeze over. For our toddler, the chicken was just re-heated and served with some boiled potatoes (and ketchup, sshhh)

Today I had the remaining meat with steamed leeks and a hard boiled egg in a bechamel sauce (mix 250 ml of skimmed milk and 1 tbsp corn flour with 1/2 stock cube and 1 tsp mustard. Heat the whole thing until it thickens and pour over the other elements. Place under the hot grill for 10-15 minutes and enjoy!)

PS: I understand that in the original version, all the goodness of the broth is mixed with the rice and the chicken is served skin-on
PPS: I still felt guilty throwing the very neatly picked carcass and the scraps of skin away...

Hot and Sour Salmon with Green Veg

I always struggle with PP days. I just love vegetables too much. So every other day, I make sure that we get LOTS of the green stuff. That was my inspiration for this.

For 2 people.

2 salmon steaks
1 courgette, cut into thick slices
2 baby pak choi, quartered (or other cabbage which cooks quickly)
2-3 handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves

Marinade:
1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (or grated, in my case)
2 cm of fresh ginger, grated
juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp Thai tom yam paste, if you have some
2-3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Preheat the oven to 200 C

Mix all the marinade ingredients, then pour half into an oven-proof dish which will fit snugly around the ingredients.

On the marinade, rest the pak choi, then the courgettes. Put the salmon steaks on top, and pour the remaining marinade on them. Then cover the whole thing with spinach leaves. Finally wrap the whole dish tightly in aluminium foil, so no steam can escape while cooking (I thought about making a papillotte, but it seems too fiddly with so many layers).

Cook in the oven for approx 20-30 minutes. Since it's steaming, the fish won't overcook as easily, so don't panic.

When I made this last night, I had just been using the oven for a slow-cook stew, cooked on 150C, and I forgot to increase the temperature until 20 mins into the cooking, so I'm not quite sure how long it would have taken if done correctly...

Tip: make extra marinade, pour over some chicken breasts and cook alongside the fish (in a different dish, obviously) since the oven is already on. I now have a PP lunch for today, quite effortlessly ;-)

Moussaka a la Duka(n)

Ok, bad pun for a title, but I'm in a hurry ;-)

A fellow Dukanian suggested that I make moussaka one day, even though to most people that is quite a heavy dish what with the lamb mince, the olive-oil sponges (aka aubergines) and the bechamel. But I remembered having made a lighter version already some time ago, and decided to see whether I could lighten the load even more.

For 2 people, I used:
2 medium sized aubergines (the big ones are too bitter)
500 g mince (I used veal)
1 tin of tomatoes
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
Pinch of chilli flakes
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 stock cube
6 tbsp Quark (if in France, use Faisselle 0%)
1 egg

Slice the aubergines VERY thinly, spread on an oven shelf and grill on highest setting until slices begin to brown. There is a very thin line between still raw (and YUCK) and already burnt, so don't go anywhere while this is going on. Turn them over halfway through, and then keep to one side once they are done.

With that step out of the way, finely blend all the other ingredients (except tomatoes, Quark and egg).

Fry the blended and seasoned mince in a lightly oiled pan until light brown (and any remaining moisture has come out), then add the tinned tomatoes. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and let it bubble away until it has all come together and is not too wet.

You can do these 2 steps ahead of time, then just assemble the dish 45 min before eating.

Preheat the oven to 200C and layer mince - aubergines - mince - aubergines. Whisk the Quark / Faisselle and the egg and spread out on top of the aubergines. Put in the oven until it looks like this:

Yes, that is a heart-shaped dish and according to my dear husband, the litmus test of a moussaka is whether a portion can stand on a plate on its own or flops out (a recognised gastronomical term). This one stood proudly until we devoured it!

Oven Baked Dukan Bread

Yep, it worked!

The usual Dukan bread I have seen everywhere is cooked in the microwave, and although it's ok and edible, it barely tastes better than my pre-Dukan gluten-free bread (and that is saying something!).

So here goes:

The recipe is an adaptation of the Dukan Diet Recipe Book. The following makes 2 portions oat bran-wise, but the photo above shows a bread with 4 portions. I made it in a disposable foil tray (the kind you use to save leftovers), lined with baking parchment (essential!) or buy a small non-stick loaf tin and lightly oil it with some kitchen paper.

2 eggs (or 3 egg whites)
4 tbsp fromage frais 0% (or half fromage frais/yoghurt and half quark)
2 tsp cornflour
2 tsp dried yeast
4 tbsp oat bran
2 tbsp wheat bran
optional: salt and 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
Mix all the ingredients together and pour into the lined tray.

Preheat oven to 200C, and bake for 45-55 min (check doneness by inserting a skewer which should come out dry). Take out of the tin straight away and leave to cool on a rack. It keeps really well in the fridge in a plastic bag, and this also makes it easier to slice.

It's probably delicious freshly baked (actually, having tested since, it's not, it just smells as if), but I made it last night, so we had 2 slices each - toasted - this morning. Yummy: the taste of crusty and yeasty bread!

The first batch (in an unlined tray and therefore not very photogenic) was served for Sunday breakfast with salmon baked eggs:



Clam Chowder a la Dukan

This is a family favourite in its original form, but I thought I'd see if it could be adapted to our current eating habits.

1 tin / jar of clams or mussels in brine (keep the brine!)
2 onions, finely chopped
5 cloves
1 l skimmed milk
4 thin slices of smoked ham, trimmed of all fat

Fry the onions in a lightly oiled pan with a bit of water, until they are softened (takes about 15-20 min on a low heat). Then turn up the heat and add the ham. After 1-2 minutes, add the clams / mussels, the brine, the cloves and the milk. Bring to boiling point (watch it, it's milk after all!) and then turn down the heat to let it gently simmer away for 15-20 minutes. Then  switch off heat and leave it to stand for as long as possible, ideally 1 hour before eating. Then gently reheat it before serving.

It's very good, but I did miss the bacon and the potatoes which are in the original recipe :-(

Beef Gullasch and Cheat's Mash

Honestly, I think this is a work in progress, but bear with me to get a general idea and if / when you improve on it, please let me know.

Preheat oven to 150C

In a casserole with a tight-fitting lid, put:

Small chunks of lean beef
Finely chopped onion
Finely chopped leek
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
3-4 whole unpeeled garlic cloves
1 tbsp paprika
Optional: 1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton)
Optional: carrot chunks
Beef stock - about 1/2 glass of liquid, you can always add more if it's too dry

Let it simmer for about 2-3 hours, checking once in a while that it's not drying out (I made the mistake of putting too much liquid yesterday (1 big glass), so I had to take some out - not a good idea!)

For the mash, I steamed (but boiling is probably fine as well) some small chunks of celeriac and swede, until tender enough to mash. Before mashing them, I heated some skimmed milk with 2 tbsp fat free soft cheese and mixed everything together before mashing. It might be fine to blend in a magimix, which I think I'll try next time (you can't do that with potato mash, but since there is no starch in celeriac and swede, I'm thinking the result will be smoother than what I obtained).

Serve with some fat-free fromage frais / yogurt. Oh the pleasure of having something to soak up the yummy gravy! Real Friday night comfort food, and another case of food not needing much attention, just lots of time in the oven while doing other nice and / or practical things :-)

Again, I'll be having the left-over meat on a PP day and probably use some of it for a pasta sauce for our wee one.

Lemon Chilli Broth with Turkey Meatballs

Turkey mince doesn't taste of much, but it's lean, it's cheap and it's a variation on the ubiquitous beef and chicken. So with lots of herbs and spices, a PP meal can become a very tasty treat! I kept thinking of the Italian holiday dish Tortellini in Brodo when I made this, although I've never tasted it, but this is what I imagine it could taste like.

I use a magimix for this because I like my mince to be chopped alot finer than it is when I buy it. It means it cooks faster and the resulting texture is more moist.

In a blender, put:
Turkey mince (but chicken or beef would work as well, I guess)
1 onion
2 finely chopped cloves of garlic
lots of finely chopped herbs (I recommend rosemary or sage)
1 egg
Salt & Pepper

Mix well and form into small meatballs and leave to rest (ideally in the fridge, as this firms them up and prevents them breaking apart during cooking).

Meanwhile, make a strong broth with a some beef or chicken stock, more chopped rosemary and garlic, LOTS of lemon juice and a tsp of dried chilli flakes. Leave to bubble away on low/medium heat.

While the broth is bubbling, cook the meatballs 2 min on each side in a lightly oiled frying pan. When they are brown on both sides, but you can still tell they are raw in the middle, transfer them one by one to the broth to finish cooking. The broth should only be simmering, as any more boiling would break up the meat balls. Serve in plates/bowls that are flat enough to use the bottom to break up the balls, in case you have made them slightly too big for one mouthful, like I did. I'm having the leftovers for lunch today: WEHE!

Chicken Snacks

No, not FOR chicken. Made WITH chicken ;-)

I had to do 7 days of Attack phase, and I found it very hard going. What did help me was always having a plastic container of this in the fridge for those energy slumps I would get during the day. But the recipe works equally well for a meal.

Marinate some chicken breasts in your choice of:

• soy sauce, chopped garlic, lime juice and chilli
• yogurt mixed with chilli sauce
• lemon juice, herbes de provence
• yogurt mixed with tandoori spices or garam masala

Marinate for at least the time is takes to preheat the oven to 200C, but overnight is even better.

Put the chicken breasts and all the marinade in a tight-fitting dish so the marinade doesn't evaporate but stays around to cook the meat.

Cook for approx 30 min, turning once, until the meat is cooked through but still tender.

Wait for it too cool a bit before you wolf it down. Make enough every time so you have leftovers which you can slice and heat in the microwave with some of the sauce for a quick pick-me-up.

Salmon Pate

Our 3-year old is crazy about fish pate, so I prepared this version one weekend in order for us to be able to share. It works equally well with tuna or smoked mackerel, or even left-over crab or cooked shrimp / prawns

Blend or hand mix:
Smoked fish or other protein of your choice
Fromage frais, yogurt or cottage cheese 0%
Dill / fennel fronds, finely chopped
Lemon zest
Dash of lemon juice, but not too much or it will make the whole thing too liquid

Eat with Dukan Pancake or Dukan Bread.

If in PV, you can losen up the pate by adding more of the dairy product and use it as a dip for crudites.

Autumnal Beef Casserole with Warming Spices

Preheat oven to 150C

In a casserole dish (ie with a lid), put:

Big lean beef cubes
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1-2 star anise
3-4 cloves
1 whole chilli
1 cinnamon stick
1 pinch of pepper corns
2 onions cut in quarters
4 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled

If in PV, you can add some carrots in big chunks. I also added some butternut squash during the last 1/2 hour of cooking.

Add lean stock so it comes halfway up the other ingredients.

I cook it for 2 hours early in the day (or the day before), and then depending on the level of tenderness of the meat, I cook it 1/2 - 1 hour before serving. Add some cornflour mixed with cold water for the last 10 min to make the gravy and adjust seasoning.

This dish works in PP and PV, as we had it with some steamed pointy cabbage one night (PV) and the next day for lunch (PP) I just had it without vegetables.

Tip: I think this would work well with any kind of combination of spices/herbs you like and I plan on experimenting with variations

Tip 2: I've discovered that balsamic vinegar replaces wine really well in casserole dishes and gives it a depth of flavour which is difficult to obtain otherwise.