Diet Osso Bucco

I love cooking and in particular, I love braising, especially in the colder months. So we had a cold spell last week in Melbourne and I saw some Osso Bucco at the Butchers pre-diet commencement. I couldn't help myself and had to buy some. My freezer was out of space and I had to use it up... what to do?

Well, some innovation and renovation and I came up with my own version of a diet Osso Bucco.

Diet Osso Bucco

(6 servings)
2 tablespoons of flour
1.2kg veal shanks, trimmed of fat
Oil spray
4 carrots (medium)
1 large onion
2 pieces of celery
1 can of chopped tomatoes
200ml white wine
250ml beef stock (from 1 cube)
1 tablespoon fresh sage
1 tsp dried thyme


Add salt and pepper to flour and coat shanks with the flour.

Spray non-stick pan with oil and brown shanks over med-high heat. Remove shanks

Dice all the raw vegetables in similar sizes while shanks are braising and then fry them in the same pan over med-low heat. When veggies soften, pour in wine and evaporate the alcohol.

Add canned tomatoes and stock to softened veggies with juice included. Add herbs. Salt and pepper to taste .

Place shanks with the veggies and sauce in slow cooker. Liquid should almost cover shanks. If insufficient, add extra water.

Cook on high for 4 h and low for 4h (Or low for 10h). It is ready when shanks are soft enough to break apart with a fork.

Voila!

Calories (per serve): 300
Fat: 2.5g
Protein: 45.8g
Carbs: 18.8g

Day 2 - Spanish style chicken breasts with green beans

I must have been overeating for a long time but I don't remember being so hungry when on a 1300 calorie diet. Yikes. Went through a bunch of calorieking blogs today for inspiration and listened in to a Jillian Michaels podcast (she has some interesting ideas!).

Oh, and I bidded on some bathroom scales from ebay. Must soldier on!

I've come to realise that alcohol was the big calorie killer for me, started drinking so much more in the last year++. Am contemplating an alcohol free 3 months... shall see!

Anyway, made a yummy dinner tonight with some chicken boobies and beans. Happy with the result, definitely will make again.

Spanish-style chicken breasts with green beans
Serves 1
200g chicken breasts cut into 3 pieces lengthwise
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp fresh sage
1 tsp smoked salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Juice from 1/4 lemon
250g fresh green beans
1/2 cup chicken stock

Mix paprika, sage, salt and pepper with lemon juice into a paste. Rub chicken with paste and marinate for around 30 min.

Turn over to 200C and make a foil envelope to hold green beans and chicken stock. Stick it in the oven for 30 min or so (from a cold oven).

Spray non-stick pan with oil. Pan-fry chicken breasts on medium high heat for about 3 minutes each side.

Serve!

Day 1 - Cantonese style fish en papillote

Aye, its always tough to make a start. I made myself accountable by counting calories on Calorieking.com.au. Counting calories is always depressing business, so is eating clean. Bah!

So I'm trying to adopt a Body for Life style diet. I have never been terribly impressed with the recipes in the book due to their excessive use of processed Americanised ingredients and sweetener.

The principles are good though, so I am using the principles but altering the recipes in a healthier manner using fresh, non-processed ingredients commonly found in Australia.

First night is always a bit of a shock to the system. Tonight, I did a modified Cantonese style steamed fish using the en papillote method.

Cantonese style fish en papillote

One piece 200g white fish fillet (I used a frozen piece and thawed it overnight in the foil envelope)
2 tsp light soy
1 tsp tablespoon dark soy
2 tbsp chicken stock
1 tbsp spring onion thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 clove garlic chopped finely
1 tsp sesame oil

Mixed all the ingredients, dump it in a folded aluminium foil envelope, put in fish fillet and seal packet.

Bake at 180C for 20 min.

Calories: 243
Fat: 9.9g
Protein: 33.3g
Carb: 5.8g