Beef and Bacon Pies

Posted 14 Nov, 2010 in Main Course [ 5 Comments ]

I feel best on a diet of meat and vegetables. Over the last few months, my diet has been more coffee, alcohol, baked almond flour goods, and then meat and vegetables. With the holidays fast approaching, I really need to watch my diet or I know I will be completely burned out by Christmas.

The first step to this is that I stopped drinking coffee. I decided to do so because I was replacing breakfast with flat whites which is good for getting a kick start in the mornings, but not very good for my sleep. Since I stopped drinking coffee, I have been able to get a full 8-9 hours of sleep and I’m waking up without my alarm. This is even on the weekdays when I need to be up around 6:30AM. I feel a hundred times better and I’ve been so much more productive at work. It’s actually pretty amazing to feel so well rested.

So I’m now focusing on cutting every other crap from my diet except meat and vegetables. It will surely prove to be a challenge with the festive season just around the corner but still worth a go. I found this recipe in an old Dish magazine that I found when I was cleaning out my bookshelf. This recipe makes 12 half-cup sized portions which are great to have as breakfast on the go or with a large salad for lunch. Given that I have a crazy schedule during the week, having conveniently ready made foods is the best way for me to stick to a meat and vegetables diet.

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Beef and Bacon Pies

Recipe adapted from Dish magazine

6 slices of middle bacon
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup parsley chopped
1 egg
750 grams beef mince
1 tbs curry paste (I used tandoori)
salt and pepper

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
  2. Cut the bacon into halves so that you have 12 pieces.
  3. Line the muffin tins with the bacon.
  4. Cook the onion, garlic, and grated carrot in a skillet with butter until everything is cooked.
  5. Add in the tomato paste and stir through. Take this mixture off heat and cool.
  6. In another bowl, mix the beef, egg, parsley, curry paste. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Add the onion carrot mixture to the beef mixture. Mix well with hands.
  8. Divide this mixture evenly in the bacon lined muffin tins.
  9. Bake in oven for 40 minutes or until the juices run clear.
  10. Remove from the muffin tins and flip onto a baking tray lined with baking paper so that the bacon side is shown on top. The pies should be easy to remove due to the juices from the beef mince.
  11. Put under the grill for a further 5 minutes so that the bacon gets crisp.

Makes 12 pieces.

Cheats Deviled Eggs

Posted 7 Nov, 2010 in Breakfast [ 1 Comment ]

I’m on a mission to minimize the stress in my life. As part of this decision, I have decided to sell my 49cc scooter and commute to work on the train. Riding a scooter is pretty cool, but it’s also an incredibly stressful way to commute to work, especially when you’re riding in the same lane as buses. And it sucks even more when it’s raining outside.

I’ve been on the train for the last 3 weeks and it’s pretty awesome in that I can just sit there for half and hour listening to music or my favorite podcasts. I’m also walking more as it takes about 10 minutes to get to the train station and then another 1o minutes when I get off the train to my work. It works out to about 40 minutes of extra walking a day. Pretty cool way to add some incidental exercise to my week.

The only drawback to the train is that it only arrives every half an hour meaning that I am on a tight schedule in the mornings to get to work on time. Breakfast at home is no longer an option and I have to get creative about breakfast on the go. I am going back to the basics and focusing more on meat, vegetables, fat, and a little bit of fruit in my diet. I do love baking with almond flour and coconut flour but these should be occasional treats rather than daily indulgences.

Boiled eggs have been my go-to snack for a long time. But it can get quite boring. So I started making these Cheats Devilled Eggs. I’m using store bought pesto and avocado instead of the classic version which uses mayonnaise. I have no issues taking shortcuts as saving time is another way to minimize the stress in my life. These eggs keep well in the fridge when wrapped and stored properly. I use a square glass container that perfectly fits 6 egg halves.

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Cheats Deviled Eggs

6 hardboiled eggs (cooled and peeled)
3 tbs avocado
3 tbs store bought pesto
salt and pepper

  1. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise.
  2. Gently scoop out the cooked yokes into a bowl.
  3. Mash the yokes with the avocado and pesto.
  4. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Add the mixture back to the egg white halves.
  6. Store in a glass

Makes 12 pieces.

Mini Raisin Scones

Posted 26 Oct, 2010 in Breakfast [ 1 Comment ]

I recently changed my morning routine by taking the train to work rather than driving my scooter. After 4 years of riding my scooter into work, rain or shine, it’s refreshing to zone out and just sit on the train. It’s the perfect way to end a crazy day at work- sitting on the train whilst listening to my iPod.

On the downside, it’s a bit of a rush in the mornings to get to work on time. No more sleeping in until 8AM. I have to make sure that I’m organised and ready to leave the house at 7:30AM on the dot. After all the rushing around, all I want when I get into work is my morning coffee and a light breakfast.

I’ve been making these Mini Raisin Scones which are perfect to take to work. I love these scones as they’re bite sized so you can’t go too overboard. It’s a fluffier version of the Low-carb Breakfast Crackers with raisins.

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Mini Raisin Scones

150 grams almond flour (~1.5 cups)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg white
3 tbs raisins

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C.
  2. Mix all ingredients together to form the batter.
  3. Line a baking tray with baking paper and make 8 tablespoon sized scones.
  4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Makes 8.

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