A HEALTHY CHINESE NEW YEAR MEAL AND OTHER MATTERS

A NO SELF-DENIAL LOWER FAT, LOWER SALT AND NO SUGAR 3-COURSE CHINESE MEAL  

It's the Year of the Goat (or Sheep/Ram ) on 19th February and very welcome it is, too after the brutal upheavals of the previous year. The Year of the Goat is expected to be tranquil, cordial and auspicious -- full of good things.  

Chinese food is one of the world's great things and though food fads come and go, there is nothing like familiar scrumptiously more-ish Cantonese dishes.  The  following recipes make an extremely satisfying  three course meal which won't wreck the budget.   

As with all Asian cooking, the work is in the preparation but the cooking methods are simple.  The dishes are:  

• tender boldly spiced spare ribs without a gloopy, calorie laden sauce
• chicken oriental with pineapple and chilli, updated to make a sensationally no-sugar sauce with layers of heat and sweetness
• unfried rice, virtually fat-free, steamed but studded with peas and omelette strips. 

They're dishes from my childhood but not as I knew them!  The recipes follow.

I CELEBRATE MY 68TH BIRTHDAY SHORTLY....

.....but I'm not bothering to change the title of the blog.  In fact, I've decided to stop counting birthdays from now on.  However, the principle holds:  I am much younger and more energetic than my age.  If things change, you will be the first to know.

When people ask me how I remain so young, I always joke that it's the result of 'clean living'.  I don't smoke (though I once puffed my way through 20 a day), have never really taken to alcohol though I love the occasional brandy and champagne, and recreational drugs don't interest me.  

Healthwise, I try to start with complementary remedies before taking conventional medicine. I do have a strong spiritual side. I studied and was part of the Roman Catholic church and Vedanta (Hindu) teachings, and also dabbled in Sufi (higher Islamic) thought and Buddhist scriptures (directed by Sufi and Buddhist masters).  I spent 20 years meditating for 20 minutes, twice a day and though I no longer meditate, believe the training helps keep me (mostly) calm and centred.

BLOG LAYOUT

Regular viewers will notice the recent changes in blog layout.  Each week there are four postings -- one editorial and three recipes.  The blog is still a work-in-progress and will undergo further changes shortly now that I have my digital video/camera.  Any comments would be welcome.

 Next week:  a "blow-out" Valentine's meal

• dark beer & beef casserole
• the tenderest, flakiest cheese biscuits
• dark chocolate cake with once-a-year icing

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