Can Kiwifruit Help with Fertility?

We received kiwifruit in our veg box this week, which reminded me of this article from Thats Life magazine about a woman who ate kiwifruit to combat antibodies that can cause miscarriage instead of taking the asprin she is allergic to.  

It gives me hope because not only did she conceive four times in her 40s, but her successful pregnancy was at the age of 43.

As a kid, growing up in New Zealand, chinese gooseberries (as we knew them in the 70s) were really common.  

I remember visiting friends working as fruit pickers at the orchards in Te Puke showing me the sorting shed which was quite an introduction into mass processing and where any fruit too small or funny shaped were available to the workers to take home with them for free.  Cue kiwifruit in every meal on that trip. 

Yum.

Zespri, the New Zealand kiwifruit export marketing board, has information on the nutritional benefits of kiwifruit which turn out to be quite the powerhouse - and some interesting recipes which I might try.  

I'm not too sure about those golden kiwifruit though, I'm sure those didn't exist when I was growing up...

L.
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Chicken and Butternut Tagine

We were watching some recorded episodes of 'Celebrity' Masterchef last night and contestant Shappi Khorsandi cooked an Iranian chicken leg recipe for the guest judges. 

She didn't get great reviews for it, but my phantom early pregnancy symptoms continue and I immediately wanted to eat chicken leg. 

Given the existence of something like couvade syndrome, I know it is entirely possible that the symptoms are solely in my head. Nevertheless, I am starving! So off we went to the butcher this morning.

By the way, after noting her cradling her bump at the beginning of the first episode, I was especially tickled by Shappi's freudian slip about cooking placenta.  I hear its good for you!

In this tagine recipe, I made sure not to make Shappi's mistake (commented on by the judges) of serving the chicken with rubbery skin...

Fertility Focus

Butternut Squash is rich in Vitamin A, zinc and selenium.
Chickpeas are a good plant source of protein and dietary fibre.

Ingredients

• Chicken legs
• Onion
• Finely chopped garlic
• Finely chopped hunk of fresh ginger
• Cumin seeds
• Ground coriander
• Cinnamon
• Tumeric
• Carrot
• Butternut squash
• Cooked chickpeas
• Dried apricots

Method

1.  Set the oven to 180 degrees C.  

2.  Place the chicken, skin side down, in an ovenproof casserole dish.  

3.  Turn on the heat and brown both sides (in batches if necessary, I did 2 batches of 3 chicken legs), allowing the fat to render, like when you cook duck breast.
4.  Chop the vegetables into large-ish chunks.  

5.  When all the chicken is browned remove to a plate.

6.  Drain the chicken fat from the pan then add the onion, garlic, ginger and spices.  7.  Cook until the onion is soft then add the root vegetables and mix well.  

8.  Pour over enough chicken stock to almost cover the root veg, then arrange the browned chicken, skin side up on top of the veggies.  

9.  Put the lid on and cook in the oven for about 40 minutes.

10.  Remove from the oven and carefully stir the chickpeas and apricot in to the liquid under the chicken without mushing up the root veg.  

11.  Return to oven with the lid off, turn up the heat to 200 and continue cooking another 10-15 minutes, until the chicken skin is brown and crispy.

Although moroccan tagine is typically served with flatbread, I served this with fluffy quinoa (having discovered we were out of millet) and garnished with toasted almonds.

Acceptably crispy skin

Spicy Mackerel Ceviche

I asked Mr Duncan to send me the picture of the salad I made last night and he sent me three pics... the one I requested and two meals I had forgotten I even made!

A few weeks back I went in to Mr Duncan's office to review a presentation being given by one of his colleagues in application for a design award.

She was keen to get feedback from someone who worked in the same industry, but not the same company, to make sure the presentation wasn't too full of jargon or missing the brief.

I turned up a few minutes early so wandered around the bookshop next door.  A book entitled Ceviche caught my eye.  

I LOVE marinated raw fish.  

The fish flesh 'cooks' in the acids in the marinade.  My mother used to make the South Pacific version with freshly caught fish swimming in rich coconut cream. I've since expanded my horizons into the coastal South American version known as ceviche but have only ever made it with white fish or prawns.

We bought some fresh mackerel with our box from Abel and Cole this week as it was on special and oily fish is on my list of nutrient-dense foods to focus on. 

Could you even make ceviche with oily fish?  I had a quick flip to the back of the book and found mackerel in the index.  

Woohoo!  Dinner planned.

Flicking through the book quickly, I also learned the name for the marinade is 'tiger milk' and it is so highly prized that people drink it on its own without the fish.  

I think tigers are native to Asia, so might just take that information with a pinch of salt.  Marinade-wise I went with a lemon and orange juice mix because I didn't have enough lemon and there was fresh oj in the fridge, but there are loads of different flavour combinations you can try so do some research and experiment.

Fertility Focus

Mackerel - Oily cold water fish are a dietary source of essential fatty acids which enhance egg and sperm health, increase the quality of your ewcm and regulate your hormones.   Mackerel is also rich in vitamin D.

Ingredients

• Fresh mackerel

For the marinade

• Finely chopped onion
• Lemon juice
• Orange juice
• Finely chopped fresh chilli to taste

Method

1.  Bone and fillet the mackerel.  

2.  Peel off the skin, but its okay to leave the silver colour.  

3.  Mix together the marinade ingredients in enough quantity to cover the mackerel.  

4.  Pour over the mackerel and leave to marinate for a few hours.  The fish is 'cooked' when it is no longer translucent.  Oily fish takes longer than white fish.

5.  Drain off the bulk of the marinade and serve.

As London still enjoying somewhat of a heatwave, I served the ceviche atop a tomato and cucumber salad, then we had the rest on toast for breakfast the following morning.

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Roast Butternut, Feta and Basil Salad

Herby carby goodness

I hate the two week wait. 

I am only 12 DPO and I simultaneously want to pee on a stick RIGHT NOW and wait until 18 DPO so as not to be disappointed if there is any chance of a 'chemical' pregnancy.

Why do I want to test?

I am craving dairy. 

I don't even like dairy very much except when I am pregnant when I could live on custard, raita and breadsticks if I let myself.

My aureole are enlarged, darker and covered in Montgomery's Tubercles. This would have been a sign in March 2012 as I never had any changes in my breasts post ovulation before I became pregnant with Poppy however now my body tricks me every other cycle with these signs.

I feel dizzy when I stand up, but have low blood pressure anyway. 

I might feel a little nauseous and gassy, but could that be the extra legumes I ate yesterday?

Gah!  I'm driving myself mental.

In a cursory nod to dairy, I went ahead and tried to re-create that butternut squash and feta salad I mentioned that time I got the hokkaido squash in my veggie box, throwing in some bonus sweet potato for good measure.

I still want custard though.

Fertility Focus:

Butternut Squash is rich in Vitamin A and also contains zinc and selenium which is important for ovarian and sperm health.
Sweet Potato is full of antioxidants, vitamin C and Vitamin A as well as being a source of potassium, calcium and iron.
Chickpeas are a good plant source of protein.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Butternut Squash
• Sweet Potato
• Cumin Seeds
• Chickpeas
• Fresh basil
• Feta cheese

Method

1.  Set your oven to 180 degrees C.  

2.  Peel and chop the butternut squash and sweet potato into bite sized pieces.  

3.  Toss veg in a spoonful of olive oil and spread on an oven tray.  

4.  Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes (depending on the size of your bites).

5.  Remove and allow to cool.
6.  Mix cooled roast veg with fresh basil leaves, chopped feta, cooked chickpeas and a sprinkle of cumin seeds.

I don't dress this further, as the olive oil from the roast veg works to lubricate it all but you could add a squeeze of lemon.

I also sometimes make this with boiled butternut squash as a lighter option (needs the olive oil and lemon.

Chorizo and Chili Enchiladas

The tastiest leftovers in the world.

In the past couple of days I've been really craving hot food, as in spicy hot, in a way that reminds me of the pregnancy cravings I was having not long before I lost Poppy.  

I've also been super-tired and had some strong pains in my right nipple yesterday.  

These things all make me think optimistically I might be pregnant again.  

But realistically I'm only 7 DPO so the chances of such symptoms at such an early stage is pretty low.  Even if fertilised, the egg has probably not even implanted. 

I've become better at cooking for two, chopping maybe only half a vegetable instead of the whole thing.  But given I put half a dozen different veggies in one meal, I still often end up with more than I anticipated, like with the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili the other day.  

Given my agreement with Mr Duncan is that we can have meat-based meals twice a week, I had planned on doing something with the chorizo he brought home from the local farmers market last weekend.

Spicy cravings + chorizo + tortilla bread in the freezer = Mexican Enchiladas.

I found a great recipe for enchilada sauce on gimmesomeoven.com.  Naturally I had to alter it a bit due to ingredient constraints.  I added a little finely chopped fresh chilli to make up for the fact I dont have garlic salt and the normal salt was omitted in deference to Mr Duncan's blood pressure requirements.  It turned out SO much better than I could have imagined.  I think the key was the home made chicken stock.  I will definitely be making it again.

For the enchiladas I simply browned the chorizo and mixed in the leftover chilli to reheat.  I rolled the chorizo and chili mix in halved tortillas with a bit of enchilada sauce and grated cheese, packed into an ovenproof dish and topped the enchiladas with the remaining enchilada sauce and grated cheese.  20 minutes in a 180 degree oven.  Served with a fresh tomato, onion and fennel salsa.

Spicy bliss which more than satisfied my cravings.

L.
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