2020 weekly - week 22 (10th week of confinement)

24/05/2020, Sunday

Ankle circumference (tape going on top of tibia/fibula pointed parts):
left widest: 23cm
right widest: 24cm

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Morning routine:

0. Rucksack on with 4 kgs (2 big bottles of laundry liquid)
1. Warm up
    a. Alternating toe and heel walk: 5 minutes
    b. Calf raise on the stairs: 5 minutes
2. Alfredson Protocol: (15 reps on the right leg; 15 reps on the left leg)x3
3. Single leg calf raise: (1 minute on the right leg; 1 minute on the left leg)x3
4. Get up and sit down in a chair: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
5. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
    5b.Backward lunges: (10 reps with left leg back; 10 reps with right leg back)x3
6. Arabesque: 8x3 (standing on the left leg), 8x3 (standing on the right leg)
7. Sumo squats: 10x2


Afternoon routine:

0. Warm-up: Body-weight squat+heel-raise: 20x4
1. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x4
2. Walking lunges: 4 minutes
3. Jogging on the spot: 2 minutes
4. Knee-high jumps: (45-sec on + 15-sec off)x4
5. Jumping squats: 10x3
6. Jacks: (Star 10 reps; Scissor 10 reps)x4
7. Standing Abs: cross-elbow, chopping, side leg-raise, front leg-raise
8. Side lunges with arms pushing out
9. Butt kicks: 10x3
10. Push-ups: 10x3

Also, I run three times a week during the afternoon routine, 1200 meters or more in several chunks depending on how I feel on the day. When I run, I just do half of the afternoon routine.
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25/05/2020, Monday

Hello, Bank holiday. Looks like another week of sunshine awaits. I planted one white geranium today, after looking at them in the supermarket for 2 weeks. To my surprise, plants from the three pots on the terrace all came back this year. One begonia, one dahlia and one mysterious plant which I still can't figure out. My orchid also blooms non-stop since January. Nature is full of surprises.

The locking feeling is pretty much gone from my ankle. Now my ankle/foot does not need a "transition" moment when I need to change movement. And I can "almost" manage walking down stairs like before. It's almost 6 months after the surgery back in end of November. Even though I was not prepared for miracle, I am still surprised by the amount of time (and efforts) it takes to be back.

26/05/2020, Tuesday

Time to get back to the physio routine. Was.Hard. That being said, I am quite proud of myself never having a week off since starting the physio in January. I hope to continue like that as long as I can.

Tuna salad today for post workout lunch. I stirred in a little bit of onion chutney just before eating. It brightens up the flavor so much that I have to write it down and do it again!

28/05/2020, Thursday

Running: 4000 meters (new record!)

29/05/2020, Friday

Running: 3200 meters (I blamed the heat)

I make - gluten-free no-yeast bagels

First attempt to make gluten-free bagels. The same recipe which uses equal weight of flour and yogurt is also the base for flatbread, dough balls, pizza crust. I added some linseeds and psyllium husks to the dough. Not only did they add some fiber and nutrients, but also they make the dough easier to handle.

No-yeast gluten-free bagels by Sarah Howells

Ingredients for 4 bagels
200 ml natural yoghurt
200g self-raising gluten free flour (for DIY version see note)
1 tbsp ground linseeds (optional)
1 tsp psyllium husks (optional)
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1 tbsp sugar (optional)

For the topping:
1 medium egg (beaten)
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic granules

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200'C/ 180'C fan/ Gas 6. Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper and set to one side.

Add everything (except for the topping) to a large mixing bowl. Use a spoon or spatula to start to mix the ingredients together - as it thickens into a dough, use your hands to bring it all together into a dough.

Split the mixture into four pieces (weighing around 100g each) and shape into a ball in your hand. Flatten the ball slightly and use your thumb to shape a hole in the middle.

Place the four bagels on a baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg. In a small bowl mix the seasoning together, then sprinkle generously over the top of each bagel.

Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden on top. Cool on a wire rack before cutting in half and topping.

Notes
This recipe is based on using FREEE by Doves Farm self-raising gluten free flour. If your flour mix doesn't contain xanthan gum you'll need to add around 1/4 tsp of this to the bagel mixture too.

If you only have plain gluten free flour you will need to add 2 tsp of gluten free baking powder per 100g of flour to create self-raising flour.

Tasting note: Since I deviated from the original recipe, here is how the modified recipe tasted. It's not good. Dense and hard. Not to the level of cookie but just tasted dry and dense. Some say when it's in the form of flatbread, it's better. The key is to roll very thin, though. May give the flatbread version a try. As it stands, no repeat in the bagel form.

I make - Gluten-Free Banana Bread

I always like banana bread. It's a great base with all sorts of add-ins and flavorings, chocolate, nuts, candied ginger or dried fruits. I've tried them all. As much as I like the combo with candied ginger or with thyme, the vanilla version is the one I make the most. I just love the simple unadulterated banana flavor and texture. This is one of the first recipes I converted when I became gluten-free. For me, a good banana bread is like what life should be, unfussy and pure pleasure, gluten-free or not.

2020 weekly - week 21 (9th week of confinement)

17/05/2020, Sunday

Ankle circumference (tape going on top of tibia/fibula pointed parts):
left widest: 23cm
right widest: 24cm

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Morning routine:

0. Rucksack on with 4 kgs (2 big bottles of laundry liquid)
1. Warm up
    a. Alternating toe and heel walk: 5 minutes
    b. Calf raise on the stairs: 5 minutes
2. Alfredson Protocol: (15 reps on the right leg; 15 reps on the left leg)x3
3. Single leg calf raise: (1 minute on the right leg; 1 minute on the left leg)x3
4. Get up and sit down in a chair: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
5. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
    5b.Backward lunges: (10 reps with left leg back; 10 reps with right leg back)x3
6. Arabesque: 8x3 (standing on the left leg), 8x3 (standing on the right leg)
7. Sumo squats: 10x2


Afternoon routine:

0. Warm-up: Body-weight squat+heel-raise: 20x4
1. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x4
2. Walking lunges: 4 minutes
3. Jogging on the spot: 2 minutes
4. Knee-high jumps: (45-sec on + 15-sec off)x4
5. Jumping squats: 10x3
6. Jacks: (Star 10 reps; Scissor 10 reps)x4
7. Standing Abs: cross-elbow, chopping, side leg-raise, front leg-raise
8. Side lunges with arms pushing out
9. Butt kicks: 10x3
10. Push-ups: 10x3

Also, I run three times a week during the afternoon routine, 1200 meters or more in several chunks depending on how I feel on the day. When I run, I just do half of the afternoon routine.
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I am having a sort of cooking fatigue. Two cooked meals a day for two, plus clean-up afterwards, it's getting tiring after 8 weeks. As UK government continues to act like cowboys and prioritise economy over everything else, I am not very hopeful that the pandemic would be under control that soon.

18/05/2020, Monday

Soup for the week: Cauliflower and yellow split pea soup
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Running: 3600 meters

19/05/2020, Tuesday

Ironically we have one of the most marvelous springs this year, endless sunshine and body kissing warmth. I felt so special and privileged this morning when I had time to water my plants (begonia and dahlia came out surprisingly) and to read by a sunny window in the afternoon.

Can I say that I don't want the lockdown to end?

20/05/2020, Wednesday

Properly tired of cooking, yes. BBC has this good idea of creating fast food at home. It turned out that the nation is a lover of Egg McMuffin. Yes, I am also a lover of McMuffin, with all its variations. The eternal egg, cheese and ham combo, what's not to like? I made mine with smoked cheese. What a satisfying meal!
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Must be mad to make jam in the hottest day so far this year. We reached 26 degrees here today! Good that my apricot jam turned out golden and sticky. Can't wait to try this weekend!

21/05/2020, Thursday

Embarrassed to say that I skipped the afternoon exercise yesterday because it's so hot. The warmth stays on but I feel good this morning so I decided to give it a go. After two laps round the park, I started to wonder why I was the only one running!

Running: 3200 meters
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Made burgers today. I really like how the patty turned out this time so I decided to write down what I used: 500 g 5% beef mince, 3 tbsp grated Grana Padano, 3 tbsp porridge oats, 2 tbsp ground linseeds, 2 green onions, handful of fresh coriander, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp ketchup, garlic powder, ground black pepper (needs 1 tsp salt next time). Because I was worried that the patty will be dry and hard, I added some milk (< 2 tbsp) and a small squirt of olive oil (< 1 tbsp) in. Perhaps the worry was unwarranted because the patty turned out flavorful, tender and moist. Not sure whether it's the oats or the linseeds which made it tender. Perhaps it's both. It's good to know that I don't need breadcrumbs to make burgers anymore.

22/05/2020, Friday

Already? End of the working week? We seem to get a small break from the relentless sunshine (can't believe such description is possible in the UK). Good day for the exercise in the park.
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Made pickled cucumber today, Swedish style with 3 tbsp vinegar + 2 tbsp sugar + wholegrain mustard + dills. They are chilling right now and should be ready for the next few days when sunshine picks up its pace.

Running: 3600 meters

I make - gluten-free shortbreads

Shortbreads have more butter in proportion than shortcrust pastry. That's one thing I discovered today after looking up recipes. The traditional shortcrust pastry has two parts of flour with 1 part of butter. Shortbreads have more than 50% butter, usually around 60% and above! Well, look away dieters.

Gluten-free shortbreads

200 g gluten-free flour (30 g cornstarch + 30 g teff/rice flour + 140 g all-purpose GF flour)

110 g butter (55% of the flour)

50 g sugar

1/4 tsp xanthan gum if not included int he all-purpose GF flour

optional flavoring: vanilla extract, orange/lemon zest

Beat butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in flour and xanthan gum. The mixture may need a couple of minutes to absorb the butter but it will. I sometimes add a tablespoon of liqueur (e.g. amaretto) to add some flavor without too much water.

Roll out the dough to a pie dish, or a rectangle on a baking tray. Chill the dough for 20 minutes in the fridge. Preheat the oven at 180C.

Remove the dough from the fridge, cut the dough into wedges or small rectangles. Dock the surface with a fork. Bake 18-20 minutes (the thickness of my shortbread is about 0.7cm). If thicker, bake 20-25 minutes.

When the baking is done, remove the shortbreads out of oven and cut again immediately along the cutting lines made before baking. Let the shortbreads cool on the baking dish completely before moving to the wire rack.

Bessine's Gâteau au Yaourt

Despite making it so many times, I only tasted the authentic French yogurt cake once made by my mother-in-law. It was so long ago that I actually didn't remember much, except for the nice dome shape she always created for all her cakes. During one of our trips to France while staying in a B&B, I tasted again le gâteau au yaourt véritable. Initially I couldn't figure which recipe it was because the cake was so tender and the crumb so fine. It was perfumed with just a smidgen of vanilla but the flavor was incroyable. The cake just reminds me what it means to have good quality of eggs, butter and flour and nothing else. Pure pleasure. This cake tasted buttery, light and every bite just bringing a satisfying smile to me. I was totally under its spell. I asked the B&B owner at the end of our breakfast and he told me it's gâteau au yaourt. I told him how much I liked the cake and I could see that he made the cake every mornings for the remaining of our stay. How very sweet.

Needless to say, I have been wanting to recreate the gâteau au yaourt since I came back. As much as I like my tried-and-tested yogurt cake recipe, the texture is different. It tastes buttery without the heaviness of butter. Also, I noticed that despite being a household cake/recipe, the ratio of yogurt, flour and eggs does vary from recipe to recipe. The recipe can be proper cake-like to more muffin type (flour heavy). As with any family recipe, everyone has a preferred taste. No doubt that they all make lovely gâteau au yaourt, but I am looking for my Gâteau au yaourt de Bessine. 

The recipe below produces a nice and light cake, good for breakfast and for dessert. Is it close to what I was looking for? Not exactly but 80% close. Perhaps my memory was playing a trick with me, but this cake will not.

Le gâteau au yaourt de Bessine

3 medium eggs
1/2 cup sugar (2 tablespoons more if for dessert)
60ml sunflower oil
pinch of salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup gluten-free flour
1/4 cup ground almond (or use flour instead)
2 tsp baking powder
zest from 1 lemon or orange
Optional: lemon syrup (1 tbsp lemon juice + 2 tbsp sugar) to brush the baked cake top

Preheat the oven at 180C. Grease and line a cake tin.

In a bowl mix eggs, sugar and salt with a whisk for 3 minutes. Stir in oil and yogurt. Mix again.

Sift in flour, ground almond, baking powder and citrus zest into the egg mixture. Stir to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin. Bake the cake at 180C for 30 minutes. When the cake passes the toothpick test, remove it out of the oven and brush the top of the cake with lemon syrup, if desired (like the top picture).

Variation 1: orange and walnuts
Variation 2: lemon and poppy seeds
Variation 3: apples and cinnamon

2020 weekly - week 20 (8th week of confinement)

10/05/2020, Sunday

Ankle circumference (tape going on top of tibia/fibula pointed parts):
left widest: 23cm
right widest: 24cm

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Morning routine:

0. Rucksack on with 4 kgs (2 big bottles of laundry liquid)
1. Warm up
    a. Alternating toe and heel walk: 5 minutes
    b. Calf raise on the stairs: 5 minutes
2. Alfredson Protocol: (15 reps on the right leg; 15 reps on the left leg)x3
3. Single leg calf raise: (1 minute on the right leg; 1 minute on the left leg)x3
4. Get up and sit down in a chair: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
5. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
    5b.Backward lunges: (10 reps with left leg back; 10 reps with right leg back)x3
6. Arabesque: 8x3 (standing on the left leg), 8x3 (standing on the right leg)
7. Sumo squats: 10x2


Afternoon routine:

0. Warm-up: Body-weight squat+heel-raise: 20x4
1. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x4
2. Walking lunges: 4 minutes
3. Jogging on the spot: 2 minutes
4. Knee-high jumps: (45-sec on + 15-sec off)x4
5. Jumping squats: 10x3
6. Jacks: (Star 10 reps; Scissor 10 reps)x4
7. Standing Abs: cross-elbow, chopping, side leg-raise, front leg-raise
8. Side lunges with arms pushing out
9. Butt kicks: 10x3
10. Push-ups: 10x3

Also, I run three times a week during the afternoon routine, 1200 meters or more in several chunks depending on how I feel on the day. When I run, I just do half of the afternoon routine.
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The weather was glorious yesterday with the temperature hitting 23C! Today it has crawled back, 10C at the moment in the early afternoon. Typical British weather, I would say.

11/05/2020, Monday

Soup for the week: Celery and Stilton soup
Dish for the week: Pork and beans

No vavavoom today. Was supposed to run but couldn't even finish a third of a lap! Too cold (~10C), overly windy or not properly warmed up? Who knows? I did (almost) the whole routine instead.

12/05/2020, Tuesday

My body is not working with me this week, still feeling a bit lethargic. I finished the morning routine, took a bit longer than usual. Let's gather some strength for the afternoon!

Running: 2000 meters
Warming up properly definitely helps me run. Don't skip warm-up exercise again before running.

Iso-baking: cheese scones

14/05/2020, Thursday

Running: 3200 meters

Yes, my body is working with me now. The morning routine feels harder than the afternoon one, odd. But I just need to keep at it.

Iso-baking: crème fraîche scones (weekend breakfast is set!)

15/05/2020, Friday

Running: 3600 meters (a new record!)

I make - Peanut butter energy balls

No oven required and quick to whip up. A great alternative to cookies to fight the peckish time.

Peanut butter energy balls

Ingredients
50 g smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp marmalade or honey or golden syrup
100 g porridge oats
40g sultanas
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds (toasted preferably)

In a large saucepan, add the peanut butter and marmalade/honey/golden syrup. Gently melt together over a low heat, stirring well. Then remove from the heat.

Tip the oats, sultanas and seeds into the melted syrup and peanut butter. Mix well until thoroughly combined.

Transfer the energy ball mix to a bowl and leave to cool.  When it is cool enough to handle, roll into small ball shapes. This recipe gives 10 energy balls.  Place on a plate, then put them in the fridge to firm up before eating.

Store in an airtight container and eat within 4 days.

I make - My Favorite Gluten-Free Flour Mix

After experimenting different gluten-free flour mixes, commercial or homemade, I started to get a feel of how each flour type impacts on the baked goods. By no means an expert, quite the contrary, I am still learning. One thing I know is the importance of starch, for texture. But starch is frequently nutritionally void. The key is to use wholegrain flour to improve overall nutritional values of the flour blend. The balance between wholegrain vs polished, flour vs starch is key to desirable texture of baked goods. My favorite flour blend is based on Gluten-free gourmand pastry flour mix which not only serves a great all-purpose gluten-free flour, easily swappable with conventional wheat flour for a given recipe but also of improved nutritional values.

My favorite gluten-free flour mix

100 g White Rice Flour

200 g Brown Rice Flour
100 g Buckwheat Flour
50 g Tapioca Flour/Corn Starch
50 g Potato Starch

I used to add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum to the mix but now I no longer do so. This is because I found many cake/muffin and bread recipes simply don't need it. I only use xanthan gum to my scones or pie crust.

I make - Gluten-Free Crème Fraîche Scones

It seems that everyone is making scones these days. Well, it's my turn!

For gluten-free scones, I noticed that the texture is lighter and much less doughy when the scones have cooled completely to the room temperature. Warm ones are still good but the cooled ones are better in my opinion.

Depending on how decadent you want your scones to be, I specify a range of amount to choose from for certain ingredients. For most luxurious scones, it has to be made with crème fraîche and highest amount of butter. You won't regret it!

Crème fraîche scones

200 g gluten-free flour* (with xanthan gum added)
1 tbsp ground golden linseeds (optional)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
60-80 g cold butter (depending how rich you want your scones to be)
60 g crème fraîche/yogurt/buttermilk
2 tbsp marmalade (or 20 g honey or 1 tbsp sugar)
1 medium egg, beaten and save 2 tbsp aside for brushing the top
50 g porridge oats or 1/2 cup soaked/drained sultanas (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, ground linseeds if using, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients. Cut the cold butter in very thin slices, as thin as you can (<0.3cm), and add to the flour mixture. This is my favorite way. Some grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. It's up to you. Then use a bench scraper (a curved and flexible one works best in a bowl) or a rubber spatula to "cut" the butter in. When big breadcrumbs are formed, use fingertips to rub the crumbs into finer ones. Stir in oats/sultanas if using.

Make a well in the flour bowl and pour in crème fraîche, marmalade/honey and all but 2 tbsp beaten egg. First mix the liquids in the bottom of the well. Then use a rubber spatula to incorporate the flour mixture into the liquids,  until everything is well combined. If the dough is too dry, spoon in some crème fraîche/yogurt/buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time. You should not have more than a tablespoon of dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.

Tip the crumbly mixture out to a lightly floured surface. Knead into a dough with as little strokes as you can. Roll out the dough into a rectangle. Cut into three equal parts and stack them on top of each other (like the picture below). Roll the stacked dough out to a thickness of 2.5cm. This stacking method helps build the layers in the scones.

From https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-buttermilk-biscuits

At this stage, you can rest the folded dough wrapped in cling film in the fridge (for 1-2 hours) or bake it straight away.

For baking, preheat the oven at 200C. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 2-cm. Use a 5-cm or 6-cm cutter to cut out as many scones as you can (I get 14 scones with a 5-cm cutter and 7 scones with a 6-cm cutter. See the top picture). You will need to gather and re-roll the dough a few times to complete the task. Brush the scone top with the beaten egg. I put another tray under the scone tray as my oven runs a bit hot from below. Bake the scones at 200C for 15 minutes.

*I sometimes use 175 g GF flour + 25 g ground almond for more tender texture
For variations, lemon and poppy seeds or orange and cranberries are both great. I add the citrus zest to the flour mixture when making variations along with the poppy seeds or cranberries.

I make - Cheese Scones

Four weeks on since the lockdown, I increasingly find it hard to have a regular/usual dinner. We now have a bigger lunch because, well, we are at home and just come back from exercise. The lunch is still soup based but with bread and some ham (for hubby), and cookies for me (one can never have too many cookies). We normally finish with a piece of fruit each by 15:30. I guess it makes dinner at 20:00 more difficult as there is not enough time to digest. I can push the dinner time by 30 minutes late but need to think about the amount and type of food we eat. Hence, a savory cake (cake salé) with some ham and salad serves us well the other night. Tonight I am thinking that cheese scones with cream cheese and onion chutney and sweet chili sauce may just do the trick.

Gluten-free cheese scones, adapted from Felicity Cloake's recipe

200 g gluten-free flour blend of your choice*

1/2 tsp xanthan gum
3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (or 1 tsp English mustard powder)
50g cold butter
85g grated mature cheddar, split into 70g and 15g
1 tbsp finely chopped green onions (or dry onion flakes)
120ml cold yogurt/buttermilk
1 egg, beaten and save 2 tbsp for brushing the top

A large piece of cling film

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and mustard powder into a large mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth and well combined.

Grate in the butter, then rub it in with your fingertips until it looks like wet sand. Mix in 70 g cheese and the green onions (or dry onion flakes), and then stir to combine.

Mix yogurt/buttermilk with all beaten egg except 2 tbsp. Drizzle first the 100ml of liquid into the flour mixture until the dough just comes away from the edge of the bowl; don’t handle it any more than is necessary. If the dough seems dry, drizzle in the remaining liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time. 

Lay a large piece of cling film on the work surface and tip the dough on it. Use cling film to gently work the dough into a rectangle about 2.5cm high. Rest the dough in the fridge, at least 30 minutes up to a few hours. This allows flour to hydrate better. 

Heat the oven at 200C. Remove the dough from the fridge. Unwrap the dough and cut out individual scones with a fluted cutter on the cling film. I prefer smaller savory scones so I use a 5cm wide cutter. The number of scones can range from 9-12 depending on the thickness of the dough, reshaping as necessary with the help of the cling film.

Lay the scones on a baking tray and brush the top with the saved beaten egg. Scatter the remaining 15 g cheese over the top and bake at 200C for about 15 minutes until golden. I put another tray under the scone tray as my oven runs a bit hot from below. Allow to cool slightly on a rack before splitting open.

*I sometimes use 175 g GF flour + 50 g porridge oat for more texture.

I make - Cake Salé with Basil, Cheddar and Pine Nuts

This cake salé simulates the flavor of pesto. Wonderful for aperitif, picnic or a light meal.

Cake salé with basil, cheddar and pine nuts

150 g gluten-free flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
3 eggs
45 ml oil
150 g plain yogurt (or 125 g milk)
100 g grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup basil leaves, chiffonade cut
Optional add-ins total 1/3 cup: olives, cranberries, sun-dried tomatoes
2-3 tablespoons of pine nuts

Preheat oven at 180C. Grease and line a cake tin.

I use all-in-one method here because there is no gluten in my flour. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Mix with a rubber spatula.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, put in eggs, oil and yogurt. Mix everything well with an electric beater. When the batter is smooth, use a rubber spatula to mix in cheese, basil leaves and additional add-ins if using (I use olives and cranberries). Pour the batter into a cake tin. Scatter the pine nuts on top. Bake at 180C for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. My cake is done at 38 minutes.

Cool to room temperature before serving.

I make - Sharing Crème Caramel

I love creme caramel, the simple concoction of milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Infinitely adaptable and unfailingly comforting every time. Preferably I like to make them in individual ramekins, but I don't always have the space in the fridge. Hence, the sharing version. Just one bakeware, enough for two hearty eaters.

Sharing Crème Caramel

For caramel:
3 tablespoons of white sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons of water
1 tablespoon of warm/hot water

For custard:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of sugar
300 ml whole milk (or 250 ml milk + 50 ml single cream)
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
addition flavoring for variations* (optional)

One bakeware of 750ml capacity (like a small pasta bowl with 15-cm diameter) and a baking tray with at least 5-cm depth.

First, make the caramel. In a small milk pan put the sugar and 2 teaspoons of water in. Swirl to wet the sugar and put the pan on medium heat. When the mixture starts to bubble, swirl the pan a few times to even out the temperature. When the caramel is forming, watch like a hawk. You can turn the heat to low to make browning more manageable. Swirl the pan again to even out the caramelization. When the color becomes medium-dark brown, turn the heat off. Leave the pan for 10 seconds and pour 1 tablespoon of hot water in. Watch out for the steam/sizzling. Swirl the pan to encourage caramel softening. Pour the soft caramel to the bakeware. Rotate the bakeware so that the caramel covers the bottom of the dish. Set aside to cool when you prepare the custard.

Preheat the oven at 160 C and boil some water.

To make the custard, beat two eggs in a metal bowl. Put in 2 tablespoons of sugar, milk and vanilla extract in the pan which you just cooked caramel (no need to use a new pan). Heat the milk mixture until tiny bubbles surface from the side. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Once the tiny bubbles start to surface, turn the heat off and pour the warm milk into eggs, slowly and stirring the whole time. Sift the custard back to the milk pan and pour into the bakeware with caramel base.

Put the bakeware onto a baking tray and put the tray in the oven. Before closing the oven door, pour the hot water into the tray up to half of the bakeware height if possible. Bake at 160C for 25-30 minutes. A cooked custard will have some wobble when pushed and a toothpick should come out clean without any liquid surfacing. Cool to the room temperature and chill in the fridge for 4-6 hours before serving.

With great restraint, it's enough to serve two eaters happily twice.

*The following flavor variations require to reduce vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon in the main recipe and add:
1. Coffee and Baileys: 1 tablespoon of instant (decaf) coffee granules and 1 tablespoon of Baileys
2. Orange and Grand Marnier: orange extract or zest and 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier

2020 weekly - week 19 (7th week of confinement)

03/05/2020, Sunday

Ankle circumference (tape going on top of tibia/fibula pointed parts):
left widest: 23cm
right widest: 24cm

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Morning routine:

0. Rucksack on with 4 kgs (2 big bottles of laundry liquid)
1. Warm up
    a. Alternating toe and heel walk: 5 minutes
    b. Calf raise on the stairs: 5 minutes
2. Alfredson Protocol: (15 reps on the right leg; 15 reps on the left leg)x3
3. Single leg calf raise: (1 minute on the right leg; 1 minute on the left leg)x3
4. Get up and sit down in a chair: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
5. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
    5b.Backward lunges: (10 reps with left leg back; 10 reps with right leg back)x3
6. Arabesque: 8x3 (standing on the left leg), 8x3 (standing on the right leg)
7. Sumo squats: 10x2


Afternoon routine:

0. Warm-up: Body-weight squat+heel-raise: 20x4
1. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x4
2. Walking lunges: 4 minutes
3. Jogging on the spot: 2 minutes
4. Knee-high jumps: (45-sec on + 15-sec off)x4
5. Jumping squats: 10x3
6. Jacks: (Star 10 reps; Scissor 10 reps)x4
7. Standing Abs: cross-elbow, chopping, side leg-raise, front leg-raise
8. Side lunges with arms pushing out
9. Butt kicks: 10x3
10. Push-ups: 10x3

I now incorporate running in to the afternoon routine, three times a week, 1200 meters or more in several chunks depending on how I feel on the day. When I run, I just do half of the afternoon routine.
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I went for test drive this afternoon. I felt quite confident before I went and after driving for 10 minutes I feel really good. I am back on the road!

04/05/2020, Monday

Soup of the week: Nigel Slater's split pea tomato soup
Dish of the week: Sausage ragu
Dessert: Loaf tin cheesecake

Running: 3200 meters!

Jumping has become more natural for me. Two weeks ago it felt as if my ankle was not supposed to do jumping, you know the funny feeling but not painful. After practicing for two weeks, it feels more natural to jump. Good to see that my body continues to respond to the physio.

06/05/2020, Wednesday

Running: 3200 meters!

Made a sharing creme caramel today. It's super easy and tasty. The custard base is two eggs with 300 ml milk (1 egg: 150 ml milk ratio seems to work wonder). 160C for 25-30 min in a water bath and it's done. Couldn't be easier.

07/05/2020, Thursday

Did an online yoga session with colleagues today, after my morning physio routine. And it would be followed by my afternoon routine. Pretty packed day for exercise.

My work PC died again. Went to the office to tinker with the power lead. Nothing works. Was put on a replacement machine. Let's see how long it will take our oh-so-great IT team to fix it.

08/05/2020, Friday

The Early May Bank Holiday has changed to coincide with the Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) this year which is today. Sunny, warm, still in lockdown, the country celebrated under the necessary constraints. Selfless people sacrificed themselves so that we the current generation can live in peaceful time. Never forget.

Running: 3200 meters!
Can't believe that I did three 3K runs this week. Although today I have to say it took me longer to complete, I am so glad that I willed myself to finish it. Nice way to finish the week.

I make - Loaf Tin Cheesecake

It's a revelation to discover cheesecake baked in a rectangular loaf tin. The amount is just right for two people and it's much easier to store in the fridge as it does not take up the whole shelf. Needless to say, I use this opportunity to try various cheesecake recipes. Here are two of my favorites, Mr Cheesecake from Tokyo famous shop and Basque burnt cheesecake which has taken the internet by the storm. Being a scientific nerd, I made a comparison chart. I scaled down the BA's recipe to use the same eggs as Mr. Cheesecake. And here is how they compare:

Ingredient		Mr Cheesecake		Basque burnt cheesecake
Cream cheese		200 g		300 g
Sugar		100 g		100 g
Eggs		2		2
Sour cream		180 g		n/a
Cream		100 g		150 g
Greek yogurt		50 g		n/a
Cornstarch		20 g		20 g
White chocolate		50 g		n/a
Lemon juice		9 g		n/a
Vanilla extract		1 tsp*		1/3 tsp

*my inclusion.

As you can see both recipes are actually quite similar. Basque burnt cheesecake has more cheese per recipe whereas Mr Cheesecake uses more dairy products (both in type and in quantity) other than cream cheese. Both are easy to whip up and great base for adaptation. I do find Mr Cheesecake's recipe a bit too sweet for me, probably because of the white chocolate. My favorite variation is to add raspberries which not just provides color pop but also lends acidity and flavor to the final product. I am still working on the baking temperature and time in order to have the silky smooth texture. So watch this space!

Mr Cheesecake's cheesecake with raspberries

I make - teff oatmeal cookies

Since becoming gluten-free, snacking has become less straightforward. Most shop bought products are out of bounds. And the Free From aisles only offer limited choices. I suppose I should use this opportunity to get my snacking habit under control but do I really want to? I feel that I have been restricted enough in food and I don't want food to take over my life. Another control issue, eh, you said. Well, let's just say I know the theory.

Teff oatmeal cookies

110 g butter spread (or 80g butter with 3 tbsp oil)
1/2 cup | 100 g brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup Teff flour (I used 3/4 cup | 100 g Teff + 1/4 cup | 27 g tapioca)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups porridge oats
1 cup raisins, soaked and drained (or other dried fruits, even chocolate chips)
3 tablespoons nuts/seeds (optional)

Method

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 180C. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Melt butter in 20-cm pot over medium-high heat and turn the heat of when 80% of butter has melted. Add granulated sugar to the melted butter and whisk until combined. Stir in egg, vanilla and orange extract. Whisk until mixture is smooth. Using wooden spoon or spatula, stir in flour mixture until fully combined, about 1 minute. Add oats and raisins, if using, and stir until evenly distributed. The dough is malleable with 1 1/4 cup of oats. You can increase the oats to 2 cups and the mixture will be stiffer.

4. Divide dough into 20 portions, each about ping-pong ball size. Arrange dough balls 2-cm apart on prepared sheets. The cookies do not spread much. Using your damp hand, press each ball into 0.8cm disk. You can rest the dough for 1-2 hours or bake straight away.

5. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cookie edges are set and lightly browned and centers are still soft but not wet, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheet on wire rack for 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely.

2020 weekly - week 18 (6th week of confinement)

26/04/2020, Sunday

Ankle circumference (tape going on top of tibia/fibula pointed parts):
left widest: 23cm
right widest: 24cm

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Morning routine:

0. Rucksack on with 4 kgs (2 big bottles of laundry liquid)
1. Warm up
    a. Alternating toe and heel walk: 5 minutes
    b. Calf raise on the stairs: 5 minutes
2. Alfredson Protocol: (15 reps on the right leg; 15 reps on the left leg)x3
3. Single leg calf raise: (1 minute on the right leg; 1 minute on the left leg)x3
4. Get up and sit down in a chair: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
5. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
    5b.Backward lunges: (10 reps with left leg back; 10 reps with right leg back)x3
6. Arabesque: 8x3 (standing on the left leg), 8x3 (standing on the right leg)
7. Sumo squats: 10x2


Afternoon routine:

0. Warm-up: Body-weight squat+heel-raise: 20x4
1. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x4
2. Walking lunges: 4 minutes
3. Jogging on the spot: 2 minutes
4. Knee-high jumps: (45-sec on + 15-sec off)x4
5. Jumping squats: 10x3
6. Jacks: (Star 10 reps; Scissor 10 reps)x4
7. Standing Abs: cross-elbow, chopping, side leg-raise, front leg-raise
8. Side lunges with arms pushing out
9. Butt kicks: 10x3
10. Push-ups: 10x3

I also try to run three times a week during the afternoon routine, 1200-2000 meters in several chunks depending on how I feel on the day. When I run, I just do half of the afternoon routine.
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I've been taking iron supplements for a month and it turned out that I've been taken it wrong! It should be on empty stomach and I've been taking it during meals. This iron supplement is really finicky, has to be on empty stomach and not with dairy/eggs/soy/wholegrain. Not gonna lie, I do feel some frustration with my body at some moments, such as this one.

27/04/2020, Monday

Running: 2000 meters
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Soup of the week: celery and blue cheese soup (this one is always a winner)
Dish of the week: teriyaki salmon and steamed rice

29/04/2020, Wednesday

Running: 2400 meters

The weather was not good today with wet ground and grass. So I mostly did running with a very shortened exercise set.

30/04/2020, Thursday

Not sure whether it's the weather (been raining and cold this week) or what, I totally lost the motivation to work. Even for my physio I had to muster some will today. But I did everything again, with gentle push from me and the hubby.

01/05/2020, Friday

Got a call from GP informing me about the blood test results. The numbers are going at the right directions, a big relief, despite having taken the tablets sub-optimally. It looks like I need to continue with the tablets for next three months and another blood test to confirm.

Can't ask for a better birthday gift today.