What is a calorie and is it important?

Some people say that some diets suits some people better than others, but that is not just true. Humans were designed for a certain way of eating in order to reach our highest potential. We can choose what we want to eat i.e being vegetarian or even vegan, but that is certainly not the most healthy way to eat for anyone. We were definitely not made for pasta, sweet fruit, food from a box and definitely not loafs of bread made from wheat. Humans are not grass eaters, never have been, never will be. We don’t need a, so called, balanced diet. No other animal has to eat a food from a pyramid or a circle in order to get the right amount of nutrition. It has never been necessary for people to count calories before 1940, how on earth did we survive and evolved if we didn’t know that? What did they know, that we don’t? Or maybe they didn’t know and didn’t have to.
What is a calorie? Something that makes you fat, right? Not really. A calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. Example: 4 calories is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of water from 3.5 degrees C to 4.5 degrees C. It does not say anything about the food you eat, what it consists of or how your body will react to it. And still it is used every day to tell people how they’re eating. It is so wrong I don’t know where to start, so I leave that for another post.
Another topic I quickly want to say something are myths about carbohydrates and fat:
Carbohydrates- a must for the brain. Without it we will get tired, get brain fog and our development will stop. False. Your liver will produce enough glucose to cover your brain. There is no reason to eat high sugar food for that sake. In bad times, when we don’t have enough food, our brains still get enough energy to thrive and evolve.
Carbohydrates- a must for endurance, especially during exercise. False. There is enough glucose in your muscles to provide enough energy to keep you going for a v-e-r-y long time. Eventually your body will use the fat as energy. If you don’t have enough, the protein you eat turns into glucose when necessary. If you are involved in explosive sports, you may need a small amount of carbohydrates, but for a normal, non-competitive jog on the treadmill there is no need for anything else than water.
Fat- makes you fat and miserable and it will clog your arteries and you will get a heart attack and then a stroke which will make you paralyzed before you fall down dead when you least expect it. Right? This is most definitely NOT true. Again, how can natural fat be deadly to us? Our bodies consists of saturated fat, we evolved as humans eating no margarine, no low fat cream, no vegetable oils. Instead we ate everything from the animal we hunted and killed ourselves, as well as seasonal fruit and berries, nuts and seeds. The milk we feed our babies are filled with saturated fat, what day in the child’s development does that become dangerous? The truth is that it is crucial we get (the right) fat throughout our lives. New research suggests that Alzheimer’s and other kinds of dementia are due to insulin resistance (and is actually called Diabetes type 3) in the brain, which in turn will stop the fat metabolism. The fat will build up in the brain causing inflammation which in turn will lead to dementia.
How many more people are going to die too early, leaving loved ones behind, thinking they did the right thing? Only because they listened to the official dietary advices. This has to stop and it has to be stopped now.

Platter after a long week

This is just a short post after an awfully busy week which ended right now, this very minute. I am in one sofa, Mr Smorgasbord in the other, between us a bottle of Shiraz, as well as a platter thrown together after a brain freeze in the store earlier today. Young Mr S is in front of the computer after a long first week after the school holidays.
Gotta love Fridays!

The platter has cheeses, kalamata olives, macadamia nuts and prawns with mayo.

Chili-cauliflower pancake

This was the tastiest I have eaten in a long time. We are big fans of cauliflower and even if I am a big promoter of the simple things in life, plain cauliflower can sometimes be a bit..well yeah, a bit plain  :)

Make this instead! It does contain some cheese, but I reckon its just as easy to omit it.

You'll need:
1/2 head cauliflower
1 egg
150 grams grated cheddar cheese
2 tbls psyllium husk
chili powder
salt
olive oil

1. Grate the cauliflower
2. Mix with the rest of the ingredients. Add another egg if necessary.
3. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
4. Make patties and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Serve with you favorite meat and caramelized mayonnaise based dressing. Recipe to come :)

BBQ spiced up chicken with garlic cabbage and mushrooms

I know, I know- another chicken recipe? You betcha ;) Because: 

Chicken is delicious. 

Chicken is good for you.

Chicken is quick.

Chicken is not expensive. 

Chicken does not talk back to you. Unless you have girls in the backyard who is telling you off every time you walk out side and don't bring something to them. Trust me, then they talk back.

Chicken does not do the dishes. Or the vacuum. Or the washing.  Sad, so sad.

All of the above is, of course, only applicable to free range, organic happy chucks. Because nothing else is morally right to buy. N-O-T-H-I-N-G.

I got the biggest craving for pasta with garlic and parmesan and since that is out of the question, cabbage it is. And since I have been really good for 98 days, I figured I could have some parmesan. Just a tiny bit.

For 4 people you'll need:
8 chicken thighs
1/4 head cabbage
10 mushrooms
olive oil
1/2 tbls garlic powder
1/2 tbls onion powder
parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

1. Marinate the chicken in olive oil and this spice mix.
2. Bbq or fry the chicken together with the mushrooms.
3. Shred the cabbage
4. Fry the cabbage in the oil, add the spices
5. When soft and a bit caramelized, add the parmesan and remove from heat.
6. Serve with extra cheese on the side and fresh basil.

What is health? What does it mean to you?

My idea about this blog post was to write about health and being healthy. What does that actually mean? What does it mean to you? And what does it mean when people talk about being healthy? It is a very difficult topic and I have gone back and forth with how and what, to write. We all want to be healthy, but in order to be that we first need to establish what healthy is. According to WHO - World Health Organization, health ‘...is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, but a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being’.

In other words, health has different meaning for different people.  We all have different lives, circumstances, dreams and hopes. And the meaning of the word health has different meaning to all of us. My father i.e. has been ill most of his life. He is getting worse by the day and he is slowly losing the function in his hands and feet, he is bound to a wheel chair and have difficulties to use the computer. But his mind and his will to be the best he can be have never left him. For instance, he took his electrical wheelchair to a meeting and have now signed up to be on the list for his political party during the next election. Having been a full time ex-politician, the engagement and the desire to make a difference has never left him.But according to some people he is not healthy and should be very sad not to function properly. And yes, he is much worse than 1 year ago, 5 years ago he still walked outside and lets not talk about what he did 10 years ago.  But he is present here and now. He makes the best out of the situation he is in today and wont let other people tell him what he can and can not do. Three years ago the doctors told him he was getting worse and he should take it very easy and he did listened to them and he did take it easy. After he and Mum traveled from Sweden to us in Australia. 

But what is really interesting is that many people have no idea about their own health, they have been told what and how to feel and thats the way they live their lives. They have a tad high blood pressure and the doctor give them pills. The cholesterol is a bit over the limit, they are prescribed statins. They are on the verge of becoming diabetic, the dietician puts them on a low-fat, high carb diet. They are fat and the same dietician tell them to run more and eat less. But does this work? Do the person taking these pills, feel a true difference in their health? Do they actually feel better? Or do they only fell better because someone else is telling them they should?

Or am I just patronizing people I don’t know and people who have decided to eat and live differently? Who am I to say, MY way is the best way? I really don’t know. I look at my father and are confused. How would I react if my body failed me so tremendously? We can’t tell people how to live, we can’t tell people what’s best for them, it needs to come from within, its our own journey. No one can make that trip, but you.

I dont drink Rekorderlig cider since its full of sugar and other crap, but...

...we just had to stop at the buss top to take some photos.
Me in all my glory :)

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a recipe I have wanted to try for a very long time, I just needed to get in the right mode for it.  And when I found asparagus dead cheap I fell in that mode when I came across  this recipe.  This girl's  got a very inspiring blog and I have linked to her many times :) Thanks Åse for your inspiration!

It does contain cheese, ham and pork rinds, so if you are totally dairy and cured meat free, this is probably not the dish for you.

The photos are taken with my iPhone and it was getting dark outside, hence the not-so good quality photos.

Chicken or veal- Cordon Blue is a piece of flat meat which is rolled around slices of ham and a slice of cheese, preferably Swiss and often served with a mustard sauce.  But instead of making a sauce I had the mustard on top of the cheese, and that was so delicious!  Its tender and juicy and with so much flavour its bound to be a success.

This is what you need:
4 serves

4 chicken fillets
8 slices of the best smoked ham you can get your hands on
8 slices of a tasty cheese, like swiss or a good cheddar
dijon mustard

2 bags of pork rinds
2 eggs

oil or lard for the pan

Do like this:
1. Place the chicken fillets on your cutting board and smash away. Either with your meat beater or the rolling pin. The idea is to make the meat as thin as possible without tearing it.
2. When you're happy with the thickness (or should I say thinness :) place 2 slices of ham, on the chicken. Follow with the cheese and finish off with the mustard, a couple of teaspoons worth. We love mustard in this house :)
3. Roll the chicken tight. It will be messy, but in order for everything to be kept in place it needs to be tight. Secure with tooth picks, I used four or five for each roll.
4. Dip the roll in the beaten up eggs
5. Roll in the mixed pork rinds
6. Melt the lard or oil, and fry the rolls until golden and crispy.

We had it with asparagus and plain mayonnaise. And it went straight to the top 10 of favorites in this house :)

A bread or a cracker, you decide.

I found this recipe on a FB page about lchf and had to try it. Even despite the fact it does contain some cheese, with lots of butter and a sprinkle of river Murray salt it was a treat. Thanks Veronica :)

2 eggs
100 ml pumpkin seeds
100 ml sunflower seeds
100 ml sesame seeds
2 tbls psyllium husk
150 mls grated cheese, I used mozzarella

1. Mix everything to a dough
2. Flatten it on a baking sheet and sprinkle sea salt on top. I always use river Murray salt- sooo good!
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes in 180 degrees celsius. Make sure not to burn, the cheese will taste like crap if you do. On the below photo it looks like it is burned, but its not. I've tried to edit it away bit with no luck.
4. Cut in likable pieces. It is supposed to be a bit soft and a bit crunchy.

Non-bake cookies

This kind of sweet treat is something a Swedish child learn to make at a very young age. The original recipe is with sugar and rolled oats, but for some obvious reasons we don't eat that any more :)
But once in a while we want something sweet and this is the perfect treat. I made a log, instead of the original which is rolled balls, it's quicker this way, but for the kids, it's much more fun to dig in there and roll away.
The original recipe is from this blog.

100 gr soft butter
100 gr desiccated, unsweetened coconut
1 cup almond meal
2 tbls cocoa powder, unsweetened
2 tbls strong coffee
a pinch of pure vanilla powder
50 mls natvia, or any other sweetener. Honey will work wonders in this :)

1. Mix everything, with the electric hand mixer.
2. Roll a log and place in fridge for an hour.
3. Roll the log in coconut.
4. Slice.
5. Place in fridge.
I6. Indulge, preferably with a cup of coffee and a good friend.

A four letter dish this is- love, time & meat

I found a piece of slow cooker meat (don't ask me what cut, because i have NO idea and I threw out the container. Sorry)  on special and wasn't sure what to make of it. That is, until I got an e-mail from this fabulous Paleo blog. I was literally standing with the meat in my hand and new instantly I had to do this recipe. As usual I did omit a few things and also changed it around a bit, to make it me :)

My piece was a bit larger than 1 kg and therefore I added the rest of the ingredients to match. It is now been cooking for 40 minutes and holy moly the aroma! If I could give some to you, I would, but you just have to take my word for it.

It seems like a very long list of stuff, but what I always do is to place everything I need on the kitchen counter and start to cut and measure up in different bowls. That way I can totally see if something is missing. Today I was lucky, I had everything at home except sherry, but Mr Smorgasbord was on his way to the store and he grabbed a bottle of tawny for me. It seems that you can replace sherry with port,   I have no idea about the truth in that, but apparently tawny is better than sherry, tawny it was :)
Tawny is a port wine and according to the great know-it-all-site it is '...made from red grapes, that are aged in wooden barrels, exposing them to gradual oxidation and evaporation. As a result, they gradually mellow to a golden-brown colour. The exposure to oxygen imparts "nutty" flavours to the wine, which is blended to match the house style'. It is claimed the tawny (or sherry in the original recipe) adds a nice flavor. And tawny being a sweet dessert wine I don't doubt that at all, even if I don't drink it myself.

1.3 kg meat for stews in cubes
2 red onions in chunks
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1.5 big red chillies, chopped
6 normal sized mushrooms in slices

1.5 tsp sea salt (I use river Murray salt)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1.5 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp allspice

2.5 tsp gluten free Worcester sauce
175 mls white wine
50 mls tawny
1 liter stock ( I use my own)

lard or coconut oil (I used both)

How to:
1. Melt the coconut oil and lard and fry the onions, garlic, chilies and mushrooms in an heavy pot
2. Add the meat and let it brown for about 5 minutes
3. Add the dry spices and stir
4. Add the wet ingredients
5. Cook on low under the lid, for 1.5-2 hours, either in the casserole or 5-6 hrs in your slow cooker.
6. Serve with a nice dollop of sour creme if you can tolerate that, I myself had home made mayonnaise to go with it, yum-mie!

Hot chili chicken

As with so much else I cook, this is something I made up as I went along. And yowsah, that was good!

First make the sauce:
Grab a piece of fresh ginger, the size of thumb. Grate or finely chop it.
Chop up enough garlic cloves, enough to equal the ginger
3-4 red chilies, roughly chopped, with seeds and everything
Around 200 mls of wheat and gluten free soy sauce.
Sweetener of your choice.

Let this cook for about 20 minutes, on low. If its cooking on too high it will get bitter.

In the meantime, bbq the chopped up chicken thighs you already marinated in  olive oil and onion-, garlic- and sweet paprika powder. I used about 2 kilos for this recipe.

Grab a head of bok choy, cut off the bottom part of the stem, rinse and either cook on low or steam it. It takes, literally, just seconds so be careful not to overcook it.

I had a some green beans lying around and I threw them in with the bok choy, I like them crunchy :)

Pour enough sauce (put the rest in the fridge and use later in the week) over the chicken to cover it, plate up with the greens and sprinkle sesame seeds over it. Serve immediately.

If you feel there is not enough fat in there, mix a teaspoon of the sauce in almost a cup of mayonnaise. That tasted awesome :)

I am one of the writers for an awesome new site and are sooo happy to be part of it!

I am so happy to be part of this brand new site!

lowcarbhealthyfat.com

It is a Swedish based low carb forum and it will be a great success. I am sure of it!

Pia, the founder, started the Swedish site kostrådgivarna.se a while back and are now spreading the word in English!

Fun with eggs

Before Easter I scanned the net for things to cook for my Easter buffet and, inevitable, ended up on Pinterest :) Which I always do, it it is a great site and I can waste hours just for fun.

Well, I found, amongst a lot of other stuff, a really corny way to pop up those eggs we love as low carbers. Because, you know, have fun with eggs is not just for Easter :)

Ok, grab your hardboiled eggs and peel them, cut them in halves and remove the yolk and put aside. You maybe have to rinse the whites to remove all of the yolk.

Fill a glass with cold water and a few drops of your favourite food colouring (I used red, yellow and green) and pop the egg whites in it. The more drops, the stronger the colour on the eggs.

Like so:

And after a few minutes, you'll have fun eggs eggs you can fill with whatever your heart desire.

Easter decorations

Easter back home is the time of year where the light is coming back and winter clothes are stored away. It's spring with everything that means ;) So when we decorate for Easter we go bananas in order to bring nature indoors.
We put twigs (preferably from a Birch tree) and place in a vase. Eggs of different materials are hanged together with colored feathers.

And instead of eggs of chocolate we give the kids paper mâché eggs filled with lollies. The most fun part is to find the egg, for that I usually draw a treasure map and leave clues all over the house and garden. The Smorgasbord kids love it!

Happy Easter everyone!

Lime cheese cake

This recipe is a development from this site, a Swedish blog about low carb. Since we don't have cream or sour cream  in this household anymore I had to rearrange, remove and add a few things and it turned out to be really good!

450 mls almond flour

150 gr melted butter

50 mls natvia (or any other sweetener)

Mix and bake in a pie dish for 10 minutes in 175 degrees celsius.

Filling:

2 eggs

250 gr creme cheese

50-100 mls natvia or your preferred  sweetener 

2 lime-juice and zest

Mix thoroughly, it must be lump free, I use the stick blender.

Pour the fill in the crust and bake for another 40 minutes, cover with aluminum foil so it doesn't burn. My oven is really weird and even if I had foil on top it got a bit darker than I prefer, but it was certainly nothing wrong with the taste :)

Let it set and cool down before you serve it.