There’s No Need to Suck Lemons!

 

I’ve become increasingly tired or weary (and have been known to roll my eyes occasionally) when I see comments about how restrictive a post-surgery bariatric ‘has’ to be and how many foods/dishes/recipes are now ‘off the menu’. Not true I say, again and again (and then again)

… a WLS patient’s dietary regime can be just as enticing, tasty and adventurous as any pre-surgery menu. Indeed it is often far more nutritious than before if compliant with dieticians recommendations. Let’s not forget that we didn’t get fat by eating nutritious and healthy food in the right portions 24/7 in pre-surgery days!

 

I understand that not everyone will have the same experiences food-wise post-op, and that personal tolerances will come into play, but you needn’t suck lemons (like taking medicine) in order to get better, slimmer and healthier for the rest of your life. All I ask when you come to this website is that you are prepared to give some recipes a chance that you might have otherwise dismissed. The reward is often that you can eat the same as the rest of the family (because I never want you to have to cook on a regular basis dishes just for yourself, or just for your family); you will enjoy the variety of foods throughout the seasons (which brings the virtues of thriftiness too); and that you’ll more often cook from scratch (so that you know exactly what is in your meal rather than peer onto the back of pack and get a nasty surprise). Having a better relationship with food is a given!

 

So now that spring is here … and summer promises to be around the corner (but hiding at the moment) my thoughts have turned to fresh spring dishes that have a lively zing and spring to their make-up – and lo and behold thoughts of  zesty lemons sprung to mind (aided and abetted by a few choice and recent ‘we can’t eat’ scare-mongering headlines).

 

And so, with a Bank Holiday weekend or two on the horizon, a few ‘special’ high days and holidays on the calendar, it seems appropriate to tempt you to try something that you might think is highly indulgent but actually isn’t. 

 

I have long been a fan of lemon curd and would have it spread thickly onto bread (buttered of course) and even eat it off the spoon from the jar. Yes it had a lovely citrus kick but it also had a whole load of sugar going on. I would also fold it into cream for a pavlova topping, into custard for a syllabub type treat, and drizzle over scones at teatime instead of jam. So, you get the picture, I miss lemon curd, but I needn’t because it can be made bariatric-friendly.

 

So here’s my take on a simple and easy to make version which I defy anyone to say isn’t luxurious. In fact the version below makes enough for about 4 servings but you will wish you had made more once tasted – feel free to double, triple or quadruple the quantities as liked and then store in the refrigerator in covered pots for up to 2 weeks to use whenever the fancy takes you. I promise it will …

 

 

LEMON CURD

Ingredients

METRIC/US

2 large eggs, beaten

3 heaped dessertspoons granulated sweetener (I used Truvia)

finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

50 g/2 oz fat-free fromage frais

 

METHOD

1.  Mix the eggs with the sweetener, lemon zest and juice in a bowl. Place over a pan of simmering water and cook until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon, stirring occasionally. Alternatively place in the microwave and cook on LOW POWER for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes until smooth and thickened.

2.  Remove from the heat and add the fromage frais and beat until smooth and well combined. Allow to cool the chill in the refrigerator until required. If making a larger quantity then pour into sterilised jars, cover and seal and store in the refrigerator.

 

SERVES 4

WLS PORTION: 1/2-1

V suitable for Vegetarians

 

CALORIES PER PORTION: 61

PROTEIN: 5.5g

CARBOHYDRATE: 9.4g

FAT: 3.5g

  

Once made the lemon curd can be used in umpteen ways and in many recipes. One I think that would be delightful for the holiday weekend is this  (and is there any better way to take on board over 12 g protein)?

 

 

LEMON CURD AND YOGURT FOOL

Ingredients

METRIC/US

1 recipe lemon curd (see above)

250 g/8 oz fat-free Greek yogurt (I used Fage), sweetened if liked with your favourite choice of sweetener

200 g/2 cups raspberries

 

METHOD

1.  Layer the chilled lemon curd with the yogurt in 4 serving glasses and swirl to mix gently.

2.  Crush the raspberries lightly with the back of a fork and spoon over the top. Chill until required. Serve with a crisp dessert biscuit if liked and tolerated.

 

SERVES 4

WLS PORTION: 1/2-1

V suitable for Vegetarians

 

CALORIES PER PORTION: 109

PROTEIN: 12.6g

CARBOHYDRATE: 14.2g

FAT: 3.6g

 

Other ideas include lining miniature ramekins or small shallow tartlet tins with crushed low-fat digestives/Graham crackers (mixed with a little melted butter or low-fat spread), chilling then filling with lemon curd and topping with a few blueberries:

 

 

Or serving a bariatric pancake (see a basic recipe here and here) with a spoonful of lemon curd?

 

So there’s no need to suck lemons, just store them as a very moreish curd!