A Meal Out

Okay, so it's almost Valentines Day and I've been away all week. Time for some major sucking up. So, I plump for Martin Wishart's restaurant at the Cameron House Hotel, Loch Lomond. £25 each for lunch. The menu looks good and we settle down in our predesignated seat, well away from the reserved, but very empty seats beside the windows that look over the loch. A slight niggle forms in my belly. We then pick from the menu and are given the bread rolls, but without any explanation as to what they might be. Okay, it's nice to play a bit of a guessing game sometimes so that's not the end of the world. I pick the langoustine risotto and the cod in Pu lentil. The current Mrs. Wilding went for the comfit of duck. The meal is pretty nice, though my cod was a bit cool. We get served someone else's Sancerre and confess. The restaurant is well decorated but I feel I should be talking about the food not the wallpaper. I reckon Michael Caine's in Bath Street is still tops and that the real Martin Wisharts in Leith is still well ahead of this experience. It was all topped off at the end by a stand-up telling off by a customer, who complained about the discretionary service charge being described as compulsory. Quite right too. I have to say the the Matradee was pretty good all in all.

Just in case you are a bit hungry - here's a wee recipe for - Cholesterol Lowering Garlic and Spinach Soup



1. Peel 6 cloves of garlic - place them in some melted Benecol.

2. Add salt and the bunch of spinach

3. Simmer until wilted

4. Sprinkle a chicken stock cube over the top

5. Add water and milk, a cup each



Simmer



Blend


Reheat and serve with crusty bread.

Still laid up... plus chicken and chilli

Got my blood results back... mmm... Too much bad fat so... I'm going to keep to a more healthy diet. You see, you get good fat and bad fat, and at the moment my bad fat is winning 4:1. Not good. So the good fats like - olive oil, fish oil etc have to replace chocolate, chips and butter. Not that I thought I over indulged too much, but I was reminded that I do have the odd binge on Ferrero Rocher and Thornton's Aplini.

Getting hungry again, so here's another one of my recipes... Quick, easy and healthy.

Chicken and Chilli Soup

1 x cup of chicken bits (cooked)
I x leek (chopped and washed)
1 x pint of water
Chilli seeds (pinch)
teaspoon of tumeric
1 x Chicken stock cube

Put a little olive oil in pan
add leeks, tumeric, chilli and stock cube
mix round with wooden spatula
add chicken bits
add water and bring to boil.
reduce heat and let simmer for ten minutes.

Serve in nice wee white bowls with chinese spoons

Job Done!

Feeling better already.