Chicken Tikka Masala from Jamie Oliver

(SCD Diet compliant!)

Ingredients

• ½ fresh red chilli, de-seeded
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled
• 15g fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• a pinch of paprika
• ½ tablespoon garam  masala
• a teaspoon of tomato puree
• 3 sprigs of fresh coriander, leaves picked and chopped, stalks reserved
• 400g chicken breast, preferably free-range or organic, diced into 2.5cm pieces
• 1 small onion, peeled and sliced
• ½ red pepper, deseeded and sliced
• ½ green pepper, deseeded and sliced
• a pinch of ground cinnamon
• a pinch of ground coriander
• a pinch of turmeric
• 1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes
• 100ml plain yoghurt
• 100ml double cream  (laxtose free).

Method

For the marinade
Blitz the chilli, garlic, ginger and vegetable oil in the food processor. Add the paprika, garam masala and tomato puree, plus the coriander stalks, and blitz again to form a paste. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, coat them with the marinade and leave in the fridge overnight.

The next day…
In a little vegetable oil, on a medium heat, fry the onion, peppers and spices in a large saucepan. Cook gently for 10 minutes then add the tin of tomatoes and the yoghurt. Add the chicken pieces and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked. Just before serving, stir through the double cream and chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with fluffy boiled rice and a mixed leaf salad.

The day after IV

Feeling a bit yuk today but I've got nothing to except potter around and keep in the warm.  Ian has got the multi-fuel burner going and it's very cosy in the sitting room - so here I shall stay. 

Jasper, being a cat, knows the best place to be on a cold, wet day too!

IV today

Had my fifth IV today at Broomfield Hospital.  Anna came with me for some of the time at the end to make drinks, put my shoes and coat on etc.  It felt like she was the 'mummy' and I was the little 'child'!  I am now at home feeling a bit off-colour but still doing things.  I feel better if I move around doing simple domestic tasks, even though I feel like just lying on the sofa.  Still, it won't last and by the end of the week I will feeling a lot better.  I told the doctor that I was on a diet that excluded carbohydrates and sugar and she did not seem to approve.  She said we should be eating a wide diet.  I said that I had been on the diet for six months and was feeling fine on it.  In the end we agreed that she would contact my doctor to arrange for me to visit a dietician, which sounded good to me.  It will be interesting to see what the dietician says about the SCD diet!

A day out

We went to Orford Castle (English Heritage) just over the border into Suffolk.  We had the audio guide to listen to as we went round the castle and learned quite a lot.  In its day it was very luxurious and King Henry II spent a fortune on building it.  What is there now is only the keep, the rest of the castle having been destroyed and the stone taken by local people to build houses.  We had quite an insight into how the people lived there in the middle ages.  They even had a chapel and three separate toilets, or latrines, as they called them, two kitchens, and a bakery on the roof. 
When we came out it was raining and we were cold from being in the castle, so went straight into the nearest pub for coffee.  It was a very nice pub with modern furnishings and dog-friendly.  The manager brought a blanket for one of the dogs there to sit on!  I said to him that the English should be more dog-friendly, like the French, and he agreed.  Orford village is absolutely charming.  Went down to the quay to eat our lunch and watch the boats bobbing on the water. 
We then went to Faringham Castle which I thought was going to be better but turned out not to be as good as Orford.  Ian made me walk on the ramparts and it was terrifying, especially if you don't like heights!  Afterwards we walked in the town and bought some haddock in the market.  Then tea at a quaint little tea shop.  Ian had a cream tea with two homemade scones, jam and lashings of cream.  I just had a cup of tea - that's what comes of being on the SCD diet!  Oh well - its all for the best!!

A new day

Today is a new day!  The sun is shining, the birds are singing - it actually feels like spring is in the air!  The amaryllis I got for Christmas has bloomed.  It looks very exotic - probably needs to go into a bigger pot so it doesn't topple over.
This morning our neighbours from No.14, June and Paul came for coffee.  We had a nice chat with them.  Paul was interested to see our newly installed solar panels on the garage and how it works.  At the moment they are not generating much electricity being winter but enough to power a couple of light bulbs!
Ian is still working on the welsh side of Mum's family tree, namely her grandfather Merredydd Rees.  She is going to Wales in April with Lindy and Chris to investigate her welsh family tree.
This afternoon I am going to the hospital for a blood test to check that everything is OK to do the intravenous chemo on Monday.  I will drop Ian off at B&Q so that he can buy paint for our en-suite.

Does your blood group identify foods that are not good for you?

http://www.netfit.co.uk/members_newc_cms/diets_weight_loss/different_diets/blood_group_diet.htm

Follow this link to find out more.  Apparently people with O type blood do not do very well eating dairy and wheat and tend to put on a lot of weight and also the stomach secretes lots of mucous as dairy and wheat cannot be digested properly.  They are meat eaters, but must also exercise a lot to keep healthy.  Its an interesting theory and is certainly true for me as I am type O.  Ian is also type O.

Helen Rollason Cancer Support Charity

Went to the Helen Rollason Centre at Springfield Hospital today.  They do therapy treatments for cancer patients such as aromatherapy massage and reflexology.  I had the reflexology (on the feet).  It was brilliant, and I went to sleep.  Anyway I am booked in to go once a week.  It doesn't cost anything, although you can make a contribution to the charity if you wish.  It was a really good experience, very professional and very relaxing.  Looking forward to my next one next week!

Country terrine with black pepper and thyme

750g/1lb10oz streaky pork rashers
1 tablsp dried thyme
1 teasp. black peppercorns
2 x 225g tubs frozen chicken livers, thawed
4 tablesp. red or white wine
5 rashers smoked streaky bacon
cocktail gerkins or chutney to serve

Heat oven to 180c.  Butter 1kg loaf tin.  Roughly chop 3 of the pork rashers and mix with thyme and pepercorns.  Set aside. 
Put remaining pork rashers into  food processor with two-thirds of the chicken livers, the wine, 1 teasp salt and blend to a smooth pate.
Spoon half the pate into the tin then top with the chopped pork mixture  and remaining livers, then lay bacon rashers over the top.
Cover the tine with foil and put in a roasting tin.  Pour cold water into the roasting tin until it is half-filled then back for one and a half hours until the terrine is set.
When cool, put another loaf tin on top and weigh it down to compress it.  Leave overnight in the fridge.
To serve, slice the terrine and serve with gherkins or chutney and french bread.

Lemon and Coriander houmous

2 x 400g cans of chickpeas in water, drained  (for SCD use haricot beans.  These must be soaked for 24 hours and water changed after 12 hours, then cooked according instructions on packet.)
2 fat garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 tablesp Greek yogurt (use SCD yogurt, drained)
3 tablesp. tahini paste (can use peanut butter)
3 tablesp. extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of 2 lemons
20g pack coriander

Put everything but the coriander into a food processor then whizz to a fairly smooth mix.
Season, then add the coriander and pulse until roughly chopped.
Spoon into a serving bowl or pot with a lid, drizzle with oil, then serve.
Good for packed lunches.

New Blog

Just started my new blog.  I did have a blog some time ago but this seems to have disappeared!  Anyway... new year, new look!  I am hoping to keep this one more up to date than the previous one.  Today is a quiet day...... haven't got a lot to do so I am exploring the internet, blogs and Google to see what comes up.  Weather looks a bit grey and depressing out there, so why not.  I have tired using something called Live Journal but it is so complicated and after a couple of days of trying to see if it was OK have decided that its more trouble than its worth.  So have reverted to this blog.