Kezia introduces us to Meat Free Mondays!

Why Meat Free Mondays (MFM)?

MFM has started as a global movement to encourage people to have one day in the week free of meat.  There are a few factors behind this movement as to encourage those to try it out

1)       The environment – Eating less meat can help minimize the ecological footprint that livestock have on the earth. Less people eating meat will result in less stock breeding therefore less greenhouse gas emissions.  Other ‘livestock’ factors which drain the earth’s resources include vast amounts of water involved in the production of meat, deforestation to make pastures, as well as pesticides, antibiotics accumulation on the earth.

2)       Animals – Meat production has lead to the development of commercial methods of farming.  Ignoring the ‘rights of animals’ as such.

It may be getting colder but in my opinion, it's always the right weather for ice cream!
I have an ice cream machine, which I love to use to make low fat ice creams, but even if you don't have one you can still make your own. This frozen yoghurt is my latest that I've made and it is really lovely, light and refreshing!

Makes approx 2 litres ice cream

1 cup serving =  1 milk + 1/2 fruit + 1/2 starch

Ingredients:

500g watermelon, chopped
1 cup fat-free vanilla yoghurt
375 ml fat-free milk
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
30g flour
½ tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1. Scald the milk until almost boiling point. 
2. Beat sugar, egg yolks and flour until light and creamy. 
3. Add the milk to the egg mixture then return it to the saucepan and bring to boil, stirring continuously to form a custard. 
4. When thick remove from the heat, add vanilla and set aside to cool to room temperature
5. Blend the watermelon using a food processor or stick blender and then push through a sieve to remove seeds
6. Mix the watermelon puree and the yoghurt into the mixture
7. If you have an ice cream machine put it into the machine and churn as per manufacturer’s instructions.

If you don’t have an ice cream machine, pour the ice cream mixture in a shallow dish and place in the freezer. Then stir the mixture every 30 min and place back in the freezer. Repeat this stirring and freezing process 4 times. Alternatively, click here for more ways to make ice cream without a machine.

Adapted from tasteofhome.com

Serves 4

1 serving = 2 starches + 2 proteins + 1 fat

Ingredients:

1 cup fat-free milk
1 1/4 cup grated reduced-fat cheddar
125g (1/2 tub) fat-free chunky cottage cheese
125g (1/2 tub) fat-free smooth cottage cheese
3 tblsp flour
2 1/2 cups cooked macaroni pasta
3 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 grated onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika

Method:

1. Mix the milk, cheeses, flour and pepper
2. Stir in the macaroni and onion
3. Place half mixture in a baking dish, top with sliced tomatoes.
4. Place the rest of the mixture in and top with the remaining tomatoes
5. Sprinkle with paprika
6. Bake uncovered at 180ºC
7. Serve with a fresh green salad

Cauliflower is not only rich in fibre and antioxidants, but also makes this excellent creamy, low-calorie and "free" soup!

Serves 10

Ingredients

1.5kg cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
1 tblsp olive oil
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3 leeks, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 - 3 tblsp powdered chicken stock
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Get creative with veggies
 
Having a green salad every day or the same steamed broccoli every night can get very boring. Fortunately, there are many interesting ways one can prepare vegetables to create a whole new taste experience: 
 

• Mushroom burger. Try using a large grilled mushroom as a burger patty. Just be sure to use a low GI seed roll rather than a normal white burger bun.
• Grilled vegetable kebabs. Brush a “lite” Italian dressing over baby tomatoes, mushrooms, sliced baby marrow and red peppers. Push the pieces of vegetables onto skewers and grill until the vegetables are tender (i.e. about 6 to 8 minutes).
  

Click here to see the Vegetarian Eating Plan that Lila did for Slimtrack

Hi all!

If you feel like you are constantly forgetting where you left your keys, or forever finding your colleagues' names are at the tip of your tongue but not quite close enough, perhaps you could do with eating the right foods to boost your memory.

Click here to see the Destiny Man article about memory-enhancing foods that I was quoted in

For those vegetarians among you, who are pregnant, or planning for a family, see this Beeld article that I was quoted in

And lastly, here is some info on the immune-boosting properties of mushrooms from a Sunday World article I was quoted in