Only the turkey should get stuffed
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Thanksgiving, which Americans around the world celebrate this week, marks the official kick-off of the festive season, or, as it might as well be called, the eating season. We'll be stuffing ourselves until New Year's Day and, thanks given to all the left
How can we best cope with the immense glut on the gut? I have some advice, and it applies to all the wonderful hotel buffets on offer in Thailand as well, where we feel there is no way we can stop the splurging.
Start with this rule: protein only. If you stick to protein foods, we can enjoy larger portions and a greater variety of dishes to try. I’m a big believer in eating one food type at a time. That’s how we evolved. When cavemen found an apple tree, they ate just apples. When they found meat, they ate just the meat. Our bodies were designed to eat this way.
I’ve just finished writing a book on the PAEO diet that’s due out in January. This is a great diet that eliminates processed food and certain carbohydrates. I’ve gone even further on the subject of how our eating habits evolved to help people lose even more weight.
Back to the Thanksgiving buffet. You won’t feel bloated if you stick to vegetables and turkey. So load up the plate with turkey, Brussels sprouts, carrots, butternut and pumpkin and skip the bread and potatoes – and probably the dessert too. And you can have plenty of salad, oysters, salmon and other fish to start. You honestly can’t overeat this way.
WHAT TO AVOID
Steer clear of deep-fried food, cheese and creamy sauces. Have your meat and fish grilled instead and use a little soy sauce if needed, or a spicy dipping sauce. Mustard is great, too.
I always remember the first time I ate at a five-star hotel buffet in Bangkok. My wife and I ate so much it hurt. Then I noticed an elegant woman sipping at a glass of wine and simply sampling several of the buffet dishes. She looked like she got it right and I felt like a glutton. I never overate like that again.
I want all of you to enjoy your food, but not in a way that makes you feel bad later. Follow the rules and watch out for me next month, when I’ll be back in the Bangkok hotels, clearing them out of oysters and sashimi.
Here’s a wonderful recipe for pumpkin soup that fills you up. It can be a meal in itself. Make a lot so you can reheat portions for the rest of the week.
PUMPKIN SOUP
_ One- or two-pound pumpkin, seeded and peeled
_ large sweet potato
_ onion
_ tablespoons olive oil
_ pint milk (I prefer skimmed)
_ 1/4 pint vegetable stock
_ Chives and peas for garnish
Croutons: Slice four slices of white bread into cubes, place the cubes in an oven dish and drizzle with olive oil. Mix well and bake at 190 degrees for 10 minutes.
A nice variation is to roast the pumpkinseeds in the oven (with salt but no oil) and use them instead of croutons.
Cut the peeled sweet potato and pumpkin into chunks. Peel the onion and cut into quarters.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil and add the onion, but don’t allow it to brown.
After a minute add the sweet potato and pumpkin. Fry for three minutes.
Add the stock and stir well. Once it boils, turn the heat down and add the milk. Simmer for 25 minutes.
Use a hand blender in the saucepan or a food processor to blend the soup thoroughly.
Serve topped with croutons, peas and chopped chives.
_ British celebrity chef Daniel Green loves to create healthy recipes that are easy to follow. His column “Make It Today” will share his passion of good food that is low in fat but modern and full of flavour and will run every last Sunday of the month.
