What have you eaten today?

There's very gew things I've never cooked.... and artichokes is one of them

 

And there was me thinking you were going to be fallible, like the rest of us, but no, it was a no sugar cake! I should have known!

 

I don’t like really sweet things any more - they still look good to the eye, but my taste buds have changed. That’s a big advantage.

 

I've seen videos on how to cook them, but it's always looked so complicated that I haven't bothered. Usually the results don't look very impressive either.

Here's one site:

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_cook_and_eat_an_artichoke/

If you're concerned about your teeth, it strikes me it might be a bit difficult to eat the leaves.

Edit: I don't mean you should actually eat the leaves - I gather you just kind of strip the insides out of the leaves with your teeth.

 

@Antje77 love artichokes but I’m another one who has never cooked them myself I’ve just bought them ready cooked will be interested to see your results and how you go about it.
My cooking today was more pedestrian than artichokes- cooking chicken liver pate, see photo of pate just before put in fridge to set, I used:
Waitrose frozen chicken livers 80p for 250g and less than 1g of carb per 100g see but all supermarkets seem to offer them cheaply:
https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/essential-british-chicken-livers/599951-85053-85054
Defrosted chicken livers overnight. Melted about 20g of butter in heavy bottomed frying pan this morning and added livers cooked on medium heat until cooked through.chopped roughly to check cooked. Added flavours when cooked - cooking took about 10mins- - I used dried onion granules, garlic, pepper, and celery salt plus a splash of red wine - you can season to suit your taste. I then put in cylindrical jug and used stick blender to make a smooth pate. Meanwhile melted another bit of butter about 20g. Put puréed pate into dish topped with melted butter and decorated with a dried basil leaf and a few whole peppercorns. Set in fridge.
Lunch about a fifth of the set pate with a few sticks of celery and a hm lc roll followed by yoghurt and a few raspberries
Mid pm 30gof mixed nuts and 10g of 85% chocolate
Dinner salmon in lemon butter with green beans and a glass of dry white wine followed by lc chocolate brownie heated and served with cream.

 

B: full fat greek with berries and seeds
L: hm lc broccoli soup with added cream, gouda and half a sad looking avocado.
3 sqs berry cake
Mid afternoon walk to deliver something to the other end of the village. It's about 20 minutes there and 20 minutes back but was straight into a very bitter wind so very fast walking indeed.
Lc hot chocolate and a packet of Cheesies
Which seems to have taken edge off appetite so no dinner, yet.
Off to a "social" tonight, not expecting anything low carb. Will i be able to resist I wonder?

 

@Antje77 I’ve never cooked artichokes either, I’m looking forward to your verdict.
@Goonergal wow! Cake looks fab. How many carbs per slice was it? And did it affect your BG?

Very busy day today, food was-
B- cheese omelette ( should have had ham too but I didn’t have any)
Mid morning - Postie delivered a parcel containing Lindt 90% choc. A lovely surprise gift, so had a small square with my coffee.
L- didn’t have time.
D- sirloin steak, mushrooms and creamed spinach. Followed a bit later by DGF cake &cream which wasn’t part of the plan but I made a conscious decision to have a treat and not stress about it.

 

@Antje77 Just spotted this. Cut-off the very tough leaves at the base then remove the stalk so they sit flat in the pot. Pop them into plenty salted, boiling water with a slice of lemon if you have it. Depending on the size and how fresh the artichoke it, it can take anything from 15 to 30 mins to cook.
The easy check is, from about 15mins, lift the artichoke out on a spoon and, if a central leaf comes out easily it's ready.

Once cooked you have to get into the centre to remove the choke. There's no mistaking it - it's rather "hairy"! Comes out easily with a spoon.

I always liked them just with hollandaise. Remember with the outer leaves just to pull them off and use your teeth to "scrape" off the soft bottom bit DO NOT eat the tops as they'll make a heck of a mess of your mouth.

 

It didn’t say, but was described as keto, so I’d guess 5 or less. No discernible impact on BG - peaked at an 0.9mmol rise at the 2 hour mark and below that before and after the 2 hour mark.

 

Now I have the important reply on artichokes out of the way. Can I add, to drain them when cooked, stand them upside down.

Another way I liked artichoke (stripped down to the hearts and No choke, was with spaghetti & anchovies (but obviously pasta is a no no).
You can have the cooked hearts with burrata (a very creamy mozzarella). You can make a dressing with olive oil, balsamic, lemon juice and a tiny amount of honey. Add chopped anchovies & capers and toasted pine nuts on the burrata & artichoke. It's cold dish obviously.

 

How long to your pre op @Annb ?

 

Bed 6.5 FBG 6.7. Once again I've made minor change/swaps to the DD reset plan. First was on breakfast.

B. TAG and a little later smoked salmon but with scrambled egg rather than avocado & watercress.
L. Nothing but I did have another TAG and a DGF lemon cookie late afternoon as BGs were at 5 and still going down.
D. The DD pork chop with asparagus. (This is the Sunday dinner @DJC3 but I switched it to today as it's haggis on Sunday). I altered the recipe a little too. The "sauce" rather than boil like mad to thicken, I added a little cream and 3 mini mozzarella balls. Thickened very quickly. Had tenderstem broccoli with it.

Currently on a vodka and diet coke to celebrate Friday!

 

Brunch - 2 slices slc toasted and buttered and filled with corned beef & a little tomato. Mug of earl grey. 2 squares 90% Lindtt

Dinner - Large mushroom & onion omlette with side salad

 

That belly pork looks wonderful. It's ages since we've had belly...........

 

10 days to go. After that, of course, we wait to see what Raigmore does with the result.