I attended an event hosted by the appliance manufacturer Miele, who ran a creative healthy eating session in The Sisters restaurant in the west end of Glasgow. The aim of the game was to eat a meal which was calorie neutral.
I was very much apprehensive about this event – I had visions of them stringing up a cheeseburger on a stick and dangling it in front of me, making me chase it until I’d burned the calories off before they let me eat it! What they did wasn’t massively different…it was just a bit more humane.
We were given a cup of green tea upon arrival to boost our metabolism and warm us up – it was freezing outside!
Whilst drinking our tea we browsed the blackboard which told us what we’d be doing prior to our meal. The words ‘core and abs’ filled me with dread. I punish myself with core and abs DVD work outs (haha, listen to me…I haven’t done much any of that recently), and on a night out for dinner those are words I just don’t want to see!
Needless to say, it was great fun and I quite enjoyed yoga and Pilates for the first time in my life. I usually get bored and mess around. That’s me genuinely meditating and taking life very, very seriously. I wish I’d paid attention, STV filmed part of it and I was blissfully unaware I was on TV!
We were then shown to the table and the food arrived.
Steamed Purple Nroccoli with Cured Salmon & Almonds (90kcal)
I can’t lie. This was SO bland. When I see models and celebrities with absolutely perfect bodies, THIS is what I imagine they eat in between hours at the gym. It’s just not for me.
Steamed Beetroot with Broad Beans, Rocket and Puy Lentils (80kcal)
I actually quite liked this one, but as you can imagine it was just missing something. Like a chicken wing.
Wild Highland Venison Loin with Scotch Brambles (85kcal)
This was absolutely divine. And I mean stunning. Steamed venison is absolutely gorgeous and this was probably the most tender, juicy venison I’ve ever eaten.
Prawn Stuffed Lemon Sole with Herb Butter Sauce (135kcal)
I loved these! Right up my street with the seafood and the herby butter.
Steamed Rhubarb & Pineapple with Coconut Ice Cream (95kcal)
Steamed pineapple is AWESOME. I don’t like rhubarb much – I can tolerate it when it’s mixed with other fruits but on its own I just can’t get my head around it (yet). The pineapple flavour was really intensified and it was so soft and delicate that it just came apart with the spoon. The coconut ice cream was made using the cream from coconut milk (when you buy the can don’t shake it and just scoop the cream off and freeze it!) – it was glorious and totally guilt free!
All in the evening was extremely interesting and great fun. I wouldn’t spend the money on a steam oven as I’m unlikely to use it but if restaurants gave me the option to have my venison steamed I would take it! It has opened my mind to foods that I can steam and things I would try again, but ultimately the über clean eating and exercising for dinner just isn’t for me.
I may or may not have eaten a cheeseburger on the way home.
