Low Carb Diabetic Diet

Knowing how to fillet your own fish can be very handy when you need to shop in a hurry, or the day you catch a big fish yourself. Fish can be filleted using many different types of knives, but a knife with a thin, flexible, medium-size blade is best. A boning knife is also quite efficient.

Round fish like bream: Round fish have one fillet on each side. Remove fins and scrape off tail scales before filleting. Place fish on its side with the tail facing you, and cut round under the head without length of the backbone from head to tail. Very gently continue this cut over the bones to separate the fillet from the backbone. Turn the fish over and fillet the second side in the same way. Of course it is possible that the first few times you fillet a fish, it won’t be perfect; but you will soon get the hang of it.

Flat fish life flounder: Place the  fish flat, tail towards you, and cut round under the head without cutting through the bones. Cut along the backbone from heat to tail (note that the backbone of a flat fish passes vertically through the center, splitting each side into 2 fillets). Gently slip the blade under the top of the left fillet,  if you are right-handed (under the right fillet if you are left-handed), and gradually ease the flesh from the bone. Rotate the fish and fillet the other half. Then turn the fish over and fillet the second side in the same way. Flat dish rarely need filleting, however, as they are mostly eaten whole.

Fish and Shellfish Recipe

Easy Baked Fish Fillet Recipe

It is a pity that many people seem to be put off fish just because they cannot cope with the bones. At the dinner table it is a simple matter for parents to teach young children how to eat confidently.
To eat fish you need to be sitting comfortably so that you can easily separate the fish fillets from the bones (television-viewing and eating whole fish are rarely compatible). Eating meat is quite different from eating fish. With fish you must use your knife anti fork gently, and you should never cut through a whole fish for the bones will break and be difficult find. Let’s look at eating whole fish step by step.
•    To start with, it is best to have the fish in the centre of your plate, with no other food there. Position your plate so that the back of the fish is closest to you.
•    Imagine a line running down the centre of the fish from head to tail (see diagram a). Using your knife cut along this imaginary line. Then, using knife and fork, ease the thick back part of the fillet towards you and place it on the plate (diagram b).
•    With your fork, gently lift the belly part of the fish, away from you and place it on the plate, skin side down (diagram c). A few bones from the rib cage could still be attached to the fillet and these can be pulled away with your fork or fingers.
•    Take hold of the fish tail with your fingers and lift it slowly to detach the skeleton of the fish from the bottom fillet (diagram d). Place the skeleton in a receptacle in the centre of the table, thus keeping your plate clear of bones.
•    You will now have three pieces of fish on your plate. Check for any remaining bones before carefully eating your fish. Add a sauce or serve some vegetables with the fish, if you wish.
Baked Fish With Mushrooms Clams Recipes
Skillet-Fried Fish Recipes

Kohlrabi, a member of the cruciferous family, is a winter vegetable of northern European origin and not very popular in Australia. The name means “cabbage turnip”.

Select: small, unblemished kohlrabi with a shiny skin. There are different varieties, some being purple and others green in color. Buy them with leaves still attached.

Preparation: Kohlrabi is cooked more like a turnip than a cabbage. Peel and cut into manageable pieces before steaming, microwaving or cooking in a casserole with other vegetables.

Suggested seasoning: Chervil, parsley, freshly ground black pepper, cummin.

Low Carb Diabetic Diet

Select firm garlic with no trace of mould and no protruding shoots.

Preparation: Peel garlic by first crushing the clove with the flat part of the blade of a large knife. A whole clove cooked in a dish such as dried pulses imparts a subtle flavor, whereas finely chopped garlic flavors food more strongly. The longer garlic is cooked the softer its flavor becomes. Depending on hot it is cooked, garlic gives different flavors to different dishes. If first fried, it imparts a very aromatic flavor(Italian-style) to a dish. Added to a liquid (eg. in a casserole), garlic gives a rich but more subtle flavor.

Low Carb Diabetic Diet

The onion is one of the world’s most favoured cooking ingredients and is especially loved for its sweet flavour, which gives substance to both cooked and raw dishes.
SELECT firm onions with unblemished skin and no trace of mould, and avoid onions that have shoots coming from the stalk. At home store onions in a dry place. Raw cut onion left in contact with the air acquires a bitter taste, so wrap leftover pieces well and store in the refrigerator crisper.
BROWN ONIONS: Small brown onions are delicious roasted or pickled, while large ones can be used in vegetable and meat dishes.
WHITE ONIONS: A little more acidic than the brown variety, white onions enhance the taste of fish and other delicate ingredients. I sometimes use them in salads and other dishes as a substitute for shallots, when the latter are unavailable.
SHALLOTS: Overall, shallots give a richer taste in cooking than white or brown onions and can be used to replace either. Chopped and used in dressings or sauces, shallots are popular in Chinese and French cuisine.
SPRING ONIONS: I find this type of onion better suited to salads than to cooked dishes, with the exception of Asian cooking, of course.
RED ONIONS: They are particularly appreciated in Italian-style salads, but can be used as a substitute for brown or white onions.

Low Carb Diabetic Diet

It is shaped a little like beetroot or turnip, has yellow flesh, and tastes like a sweet turnip. It is not unlike sweet potato. A European native,  it is popular in the US. It is a cruciferous vegetable with special merit in the fight against cancer.

Select: small, unblemished rutabaga, preferably with leaves still attached.

Preparation: Peel and steam or microwave. It may be added to a cassrole or washed and baked in its jacket.

Suggested Seasoning: Parsley, chervil, freshly ground black pepper, melted margarine or butter.

Low Carb Diabetic Diet

Fennel tastes like aniseed, and thinly sliced raw fennel is delicious in salads.

Select: fennel with a white, unblemished bulb and fresh-looking, light green leaves. It should smell good.

Preparation: Trim the stalk and cut the bulb into quarters. Trim the root and wash before either steaming, microwaving or cooking in boiling water until tender. If fennel is large and not so tender, precook it by boiling in water for 5 mins. Refresh under cold water and finish off the cooking as you wish.

Suggested seasoning: Curry spices, grated cheese, white sauce, fresh tomato sauce.

Fennel can be also braised.

Low Carb Vegetable Recipes

Low Carb Diabetic Diet

Where would we be without the potato! Potatoes are no more fattening than many other vegetables, but the fat we often serve or cook them with is. They are a good source of fibre, especially if cooked in their jackets, and they also contain vitamin C.

Select: firm potatoes with smooth, unbroken skins that have no green tinges, shoots or dark spots. This applies to all potatoes varieties.

Preparation: Potatoes cooked in their jackets must first be well washed in lukewarm water to dissolve dirt. Whether skinned or not, potatoes can be steamed, boiled, microwaved, stir-fried, baked or roasted. They can be cooked with other ingredients in a casserole or wrapped in foil and baked in the oven or on the barbecue.

Suggested seasoning: Freshly ground pepper, curry spices, onion, tomatoes, parsley, tarragon, chives, basil.

Potato Patties Recipe

Sweet Potato and Pineapple Gratin Recipe

The brussels sprout is another member of the cruciferous vegetable family, specially favored in the fight against cancer, and it is an excellent source of vitamin C. Brussels sprouts are at their best in winter.

Select: Small, firm sprouts with a deep green color and no loose leaves.

Preparation: Trim stalks and remove any damaged leaves. Make two small cuts in the form of a cross in the based of each stalk to help the sprouts cook more quickly and evenly. Halve large sprouts. Wash in cold water before steaming, stir-frying, microwaving or boiling. They take 5-15 minutes.

Suggested Seasoning: A few drops of vinegar, lemon juice or soy sauce, freshly ground black pepper, curry spices.

Low Carb Diabetic Diet

Recommendation for its carotene content (carotene is converted in the body to vitamin A) and fibre, the humble carrot is a beloved friend of the cook. In addition to combining well with almost all vegetables and with fish, poultry and meat, it is readily available and inexpensive. Carrots are delicious raw and may be eaten whole or grated; they are a popular and addition to salads. Many young children prefer them raw.

Select: Medium to small, firm, smooth, unblemished, deep orange carrots. It is easy to check the freshness of those with green tops attached.

Preparation: Young carrots are washed and brushed, while larger ones are washed and lightly peeled before steaming, stir-frying, microwaving, boiling or baking. Cut carrots to equal size or cook whole carrots of the same size so that they will all be ready at the same time. Carrots fo particularly well with veal and beef.

Suggested seasoning: Parsley, chervil, freshly ground pepper, orange zest.

Glazed Carrot Recipe

Low Carb Diabetic Recipe