ROUTINE FOR PUTTING ON WEIGHT

Plenty of rest and exercise, a good diet of fattening foods and no worries—those are the essentials

PUTTING on weight is very much more difficult than taking it off. Even thosefew extra pounds which can make all the difference to the appearance, comfort and, no doubt, general health, can be quite a problem.

Before embarking on a diet, it is always advisable to seek the advice of your own doctor. This is particularly important if there has been a sudden or prolonged loss of weight for no good reason and without affecting normal appetite. Where loss of weight is the result of an illness or operation, it is usually quite quickly and easily regained after recovery. The routine to be described will help in such cases, subject to the approval of your own doctor.

We are concerned here chiefly with that large army of men and women who are anxious to put on weight but who are the thin type by nature. Such people are born worriers, with excitable and energetic natures and over-active bowels, whose food does not remain in the intestines long enough to be properly absorbed.

Essential in the fattening process are:

• Keep calm and stop worrying. That is obviously a counsel of perfection to those who easily get worked up, but it can be achieved by cultivating outside interests that take your mind away from the source of anxiety (it may be professional, domestic, financial, or all three).

• Take plenty of rest. A minimum of between 8 and 9 hours in bed at night, plus between 10 and 30 minutes after every meal.

• Avoid rushing about, but take regular exercise. On no account jump up immediately after a meal; take life at a leisurely pace. Strenuous games are good if you really enjoy them, because they create appetite; so does any form of outdoor exercise, however mild.

• Eat well and regularly, and concentrate on the fattening foods (list follows). But be careful not to stuff between meals or you will defeat the whole object and be unable to eat your main meals, which are far more important. You must also avoid over-eating, with the inevitable danger of indigestion and biliousness. Aim at three good meals a day, plus any extras (such as sweets, etc.) which you really fancy and a hot, preferably milk, drink last thing at night. The housewife should take as many meals out as she conveniently can because she will not have the worry of preparing them.

• Cut down your smoking. It diminishes the appetitite, so, if you must smoke at all, only after meals, please.

Sugar, sweets, jam, marmalade, fruits in syrup, treacle, honey, Golden Syrup.

Cakes, scones, pastry, cereals, bread, biscuits, puddings.

Thickened soups and gravies, sauces made from flour, butter and/or milk.

Fried foods, cream, salad dressings, butter, dripping.

Pork, duck, goose. All fat meat and bacon. Tinned fish in oil.

Sweet wines, beer, stout, spirits, sweet aerated waters.

Dried fruits. Bananas, grapes, plums. Potatoes, peas, dried beans, parsnips, beetroot.

Cod-liver oil, Virol, olive oil.

Salt with food.

Foods with very little fattening value

Meat extracts. Marmite. Clear soups. Gelatine. Egg-white.

Green vegetables and salads. Vinegar. Tea. Coffee.

SPECIMEN DIET FOR PUTTING ON WEIGHT

Minimum: 1 pint of milk per day

On waking: Cup of tea, preferably with milk and sugar.

Breakfast: Cereal or porridge with milk and sugar or honey or syrup.

Bacon, egg, fish, etc.

Toast, butter and marmalade.

Coffee or tea.

11 a.m.: Coffee, cocoa or milk and a biscuit, or try this cocktail: One teaspoonful Spanish olive oil sandwiched between layers of orange juice in a wineglass. You can increase the quantity of olive oil gradually.

Lunch: Thick soup, if liked (if this makes it impossible to eat main course, substitute tomato or orange juice as an appetiser instead).

Meat, fish, game, poultry, etc.—both fat and lean. Serve with gravy, roast or fried potatoes and a green vegetable or salad with plenty of oily or cream dressing.

Pudding and / or cheese, butter and biscuits.. Coffee.

Tea: Tea with cake or bread and butter or banana sandwich.

Dinner: Thick soup (see Lunch).

Fish, meat or poultry, with gravy, at least one vegetable from list of Fattening Foods; one green vegetable or salad with cream or oil dressing.

Steamed or boiled pudding or milk pudding or ice cream.

Cheese with bread or biscuits and butter.

Coffee.

NOTE: Cocktails, wines. etc., may be taken as desired and obtainable. Stout or beer is good.

Bedtime: A hot drink, preferably containing milk.

Fast DietaryTrack rules

During this first two weeks you need to:

• Eat about 150g (5oz) of protein per day, which should come from a portion about the size of your palm at each meal, plus two all-protein snacks per day.
• Eat around 20g of carbohydrates per day. A simple way to work this out is to use a set of measuring cups (a cup holds 250m1/8 fl oz). You should aim to eat approximately 3 cups of low GI vegetables or 2 cups of low GI vegetables and 1/2cup low GI fruit — at least half of which should be eaten raw.
• Get 30 per cent of your daily calorific intake from fats, which may include: olive oil, walnut oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, homemade mayonnaise, flaxseed oil, small amounts of butter, small amounts of sour cream
• Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily; you can also drink herbal teas, but avoid alcohol, soft drinks, tea and coffee, because caffeine interferes with ketosis
• Avoid artificial sweeteners, which can stimulate insulin secretion
• Rev up your protein levels by including at least one whey-protein drink per day
• Eat enough — otherwise you may start to burn muscle tissue
• Avoid starchy, carbohydrate-heavy foods such as pasta, bread and potatoes
• Beware of hidden carbohydrates in sauces and dressings
• Check the labels of all foodstuffs and avoid all processed foods
• Not give up!
  

Dietary Q&A

Q. I have been restricting my carbohydrate intake for days now and I have no energy. I thought this plan was supposed to make me feel better, not worse.

A. Your body is adapting to the metabolic conversion of burning fat for energy instead of glucose. This takes about three days in most people, which is why it is usually best to start the diet over a weekend when you are able to relax more. After three days you should see a rise in your energy levels, but if you continue to feel lethargic or unwell, stop the plan and check with your doctor.

Q. Will I get enough fibre on this plan?

A. Fibre is provided by the inclusion of fibrous vegetables and fruit, and is increased if you eat most of these raw. However, if you experience constipation during the initial stages, try adding psyllium husks or psyllium- husk powder to your whey smoothies, because they comprise 100 per cent soluble fibre. Psyllium husks are pure dietary fibre, composed mostly of cellulose. They swell when they come into contact with water and release

a gelatinous mass (mucilage) which passes through the colon and aids easy elimination.

Q. Why does a low-carbohydrate diet cause bad breath?

A. When you are on the Fast-Track Plan and restricting your carbohydrates to around 20g (³/40z) per day, you will be burning ketones, which may cause your breath to smell a little unpleasant. Don't worry, this is easily masked by chewing parsley-oil capsules or by using a natural breath-freshener spray. Make sure that you drink plenty of water because this will help to neutralize the odour.

Taking pills and supplements

Pills and supplements both have their uses, but only in moderation and only as long as strict guidelines are followed.

Over-the-counter (OTC) diet pills

The 1991/2 Weight Loss Practices Survey, sponsored by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, found that 5 per cent of women and 2 per cent of men trying to loseweight use diet pills. Products considered by the FDA to be OTC weight- control drugs are primarily those containing the active ingredient phenylpropanolamine (PPA), such as Dexatrim and Acutrim. PPA is available over the counter for weight control in a 75mg controlled-release-dosage form. The medicine should be used in combination with a restricted diet and exercise.

Using diet pills containing PPA will not make a big difference in the rate of weight loss, says Robert Sherman of the FDA's Office of OTC Drug Evaluation. 'Even the best studies show only about a half pound (250g) greater weight loss per week using PPA combined with diet and exercise,' he adds. Sherman cautions that the recommended dosage of these pills should not be exceeded because of the risk of possible adverse effects, such as raised blood pressure and heart palpitations.

Supplements

To rely on taking pills as a way of supplying nutrients is not ideal, for in a perfect world such nutrients should come from our food. But when you consider the quality of some of our food — fruit and vegetables grown in mineral-depleted soil, picked before they have ripened and shipped over vast distances in refrigeration, then put into long-term storage; meat full of hormones; grains stripped of most of their nutritional content — then taking a good multivitamin supplement and possibly extra vitamin C can benefit most people. And while you are trying to balance your blood-sugar levels, reduce body fat and rebuild lean muscle tissue, there are a few supplements that may help.

Key supplements

Magnesium

A fundamentally important mineral that counters insulin resistance.

It is hugely deficient in the Western diet. Consider taking 230-600mg per day, unless you have suffered kidney failure or have a high degree of AV heart block.

Quercetin

A flavonoid with powerful anti-inflammatory properties that helpsto control high insulin levels and inhibit fat production. Take 200-400mg three times a day before meals.

Omega-3 fats

If you don't eat fish, take 1,000-3,000mg of fish oil daily in capsule form. Vegetarians can use flaxseed oil or crushed flaxseeds instead of fish oil capsules. Try flaxseed oil in salad dressings (or even in smoothies) to ensure you get enough of this health-enhancing fat.

Chromium

A trace element that plays an important role in carbohydratemetabolism and regulating blood-sugar levels. It has proved useful in treating diabetes and shown to be effective in encouraging the body to lose fat, not muscle, when dieting. Take 400-600mcg of chromium picolinate or chromiumpolynicotinate a day.

L-carnitine

Used extensively by athletes to ensure maximum performance inendurance or aerobic sports. It is also useful for weight loss because it is involved in burning fat in muscle cells. Take 1,000-3,000mg per day.

DIETARY MYTH

Myth: I will get quicker results if I use diet pills.

Fact: there are no shortcuts — no magic pills. Losing weight sensibly and safely requires a multifaceted approach that includes setting reasonable weight-loss goals, changing eating habits and getting adequate exercise. Appetite suppressants (diet pills) may help some people in the short term, but they are not a substitute for adopting healthy eating habits in the long term.

Essential fats

If you have been doggedly avoiding fat in an attempt to lose weight — this approach is WRONG. You need fats in your diet. Your brain consists mostly of fat, and your intelligence, heartbeat and muscular movements all depend on it. The only way in which your body can send electrical messages through living tissue is via your nerve cells and their connectors, which again are made of fat.

The fact is that some fats (known as lipids) are essential. They act as the second energy reserve behind glycogen, providing most of their energy at around 70 per cent of maximum heart rate. Endurance athletes utilize fat as an energy source more than other sports people and this is why they tend to be lean.

Fats are not just for energy, though. Their many other functions include insulating important organs, carrying fat-soluble vitamins and regulating hormone levels. If you're a female athlete and you experience a loss of your periods, this may be due to extremely low body fat, for this plays a vital role in the activation of the female hormone oestrogen.

Fats also contribute to health in many other ways — provided they are of the right kind. In an attempt to warn people about the risk of consuming toomuch fat, certain groups have created the impression that all fats are bad, but this simply is not true.

Are you eating the wrong fats?

Many people in the Western world are getting 45 per cent of their calorific intake from fats, but these are junk fats that the body cannot use, so these people are just as fat-deficient as those on extremely low-fat regimes.

THERE ARE TWO MAIN TYPES OF NATURAL FATS:

1. Saturated fats come primarily from animal sources such as meat and dairy products, and from coconut and palm-kernel oil; they are solid at room temperature. They provide the body with a stored form of energy in fat cells.

2. Unsaturated fats are found in vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds, and in fish and game; they are liquid at room temperature. They contain two fatty acids that are essential to life and, more importantly, that the body cannot produce itself. These are linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic acid (omega-3) From these two 'essential fatty acids' your body can make all the other fatty acids it needs.

Is it just a case of cutting out saturated fat?

Saturated fat gets a bad press, and a diet too heavy in it has been closely linked to cardiovascular disease. However, there is another fat with an equal capacity to harm: hydrogenated fat.

Hydrogenated fat is solid or semi-solid at room temperature (the best example being margarine). It is created when a liquid oil (such as corn oil) has hydrogen added to it, changing its chemical structure. This in turn can interfere with the metabolism of some essential fatty acids. Research has shown that the trans fats in hydrogenated fats can increase LDL (poor) cholesterol,decrease HDL (good) cholesterol and thus raise the risk of coronary heart disease. Hydrogenated fat is found in almost all processed foods, plus frozen convenience foods and deep-fried fast food. This is another good reason to say goodbye to junk food and hello to fresh produce.

If you usually ingest high amounts of processed fats and use commercially altered oils for cooking, then you are certainly not getting the balance of fats that your body needs.

Why don't food manufacturers use healthier oils?

Even though the food industry uses vegetable oils that contain a reasonable amount of omega-6 fatty acids, they avoid omega-3s because these are more susceptible to oxidization — in other words, they go rancid quickly and don't have a long shelf life.

Ironic, isn't it? Food manufacturers quite happily promote food under the guise of lowering cholesterol and reducing heart disease, but they are ignoring one of the fats essential to health. So unless you are eating high amounts of fish, fish oils, leafy vegetables, nuts, unrefined olive oil, tofu or flaxseed oil, your ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is probably screwed up, and this in turn will be screwing up your health.

The current Western diet is much higher in omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3's. Remember those healthy Palaeolithic people we were discussing earlier? They were eating equal amounts of both.

How is this relevant to body weight?

If you are eating a diet with a good balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, this will affect your body in beneficial fat-burning ways:

• Your metabolic rate will be increased, as will the metabolism of fats, so more stored fat will be burned for energy
• Your cells' sensitivity to insulin will be increased, so that it regulates blood- sugar levels more effectively
• The ratio of insulin to glucagons will improve, which will unlock the fat- storage banks and again allow fat to be burned as energy
• Natural appetite suppressants will kick in.

So if you want to improve your chances of losing weight, you need to up your intake of omega-3 and other healthy fats.

Essential fats Q&A

Q. How often should I eat oily fish per week if I want to consume enough omega-3 fatty acids?

A. You should aim to eat oily fish a minimum of 2-3 times per week, or ensure you use flaxseed oil regularly on salads to raise your levels. Try to eat fish from as safe a source as possible as many coldwater fish are contaminated with heavy metals and pesticides.

Q. How can I avoid hydrogenated fat?

A. Cut out processed food and only use cold-pressed un-refined oils such as olive oil, or coconut oil for cooking. Don't eat fast food that has been deep-fried and avoid butter type spreads. If you did this, then you should be able to avoid consuming dangerous trans fatty acids.

Men’s Body Click Diet part 3

What happened with my patient Brooks shows how this scenario plays out. It also reveals why I think that such mysterious and sometimes chronic inflammations of the prostate are usually not infections but instead have a lot to do with factors that are also related to abnormal growth or cancers of the prostate.

Brooks is a 50-year-old businessman whose previously dependable penis had become much less reliable with regard to its sexual responsibilities. At the same time he suffered from discomfort with urination, some hesitancy in starting his urinary stream and the need to get up at night to urinate more than once, which had been his previous custom. He was alarmed that whatever was going on represented some sort of permanent equipment failure. Told at first by both a general practitioner and a urologist that his prostate was 'pretty normal' and later that it was a 'little enlarged', he had undergone two courses of antibiotic treatment for nonspecific prostatitis. His symptoms improved while he was on the antibiotics but returned when he finished the medication.

I had a telephone consultation with him and after hearing him out and considering various possibilities, I suggested to him that he had 'some kind of mischief' with his prostate. This was a much softer diagnosis than that of nonspecific prostatitis. But it suggested a treatment that was aimed more at making his prostate happy than at trying to kill some unseen, unidentified and perhaps nonexistent germs.

The concept of trying to make some organ in your body happy seem, alien to a regular guy like Brooks. He shares with most people the medical notion that there is a specific treatment for every condition and that this treatment is not a strategy to make some part of your body happy. It did, however, make Brooks happy when I suggested that part of his therapy was at least daily efforts to encourage the emptying of his prostate and its tubing by provoking an ejaculation. This was contrary to the no-sex advice he had been given earlier, which seemed to me like the equivalent of telling someone with a bad cold not to blow his nose.

I offered Brooks a package of additional measures to make his prostate happy. These included daily doses of soy protein, flaxseed powder, flaxseed oil, zinc and an antifungal medicine. If you understand why I loaded my shotgun with such a diversity of remedies and how they all fit together, you will also see how I perceive that the whole range of prostate mischief from inflammation to cancer fits together.

I've already explained the soy protein and flaxseed powder. I also recommended an additional supplement of flaxseed oil. The prostate gland is one of the richest sources of the hormonelike substances that are made from omega-3 fatty acids, with which flaxseed oil is loaded. They are called prostaglandins, named for the very organ under discussion, because they were first isolated from fluids found in the prostate. (Soon after their discovery in prostatic fluids, they were found to be present in a wide variety of animal tissues of all kinds and not at all exclusive to the prostate, but the name stuck.) The use of fatty acids in flaxseed oil helps the prostate make prostaglandins. But the more important motive for a prescription of flaxseed oil was the strong likelihood that Brooks, like most people, was deficient in omega-3 oils. The flaxseed oil, then, was generally beneficial rather than a treatment aimed specifically at the prostate.

I recommended that Brooks take zinc because it helps the immune system fight off infections and control the body's inflammatory response to infection. Finally, I prescribed the antifungal medicine because of my consistent experience with other patients where I'd seen that an overgrowth of fungus germs, particularly yeasts, has a proclivity to bother people's reproductive systems. I have often found stubborn cases of prostate problems in men to be responsive to antifungal drugs.

But there's another, more important angle to the antifungal treatment Igave Brooks and the many other men I've treated in a similar way. In order for the isoflavones and lignans in soy protein and flaxseed powder to be transformed into the substances that beneficially modulate hormone chemistry, they must pass through the digestive tract, where they are changed by certain germs that live there. If the normal distribution of healthy flora has been disturbed so that there are too many bad germs and not enough good germs, the capacity of the intestinal flora to help hormone chemistry will be seriously impaired. Antibiotics are by far the most significant disrupter of intestinal germ populations. A single course of an antibiotic prescription can affect this balance for months or longer. My prescription of an antifungal medicine for Brooks was aimed at two overlapping targets. One was the possibility that a fungal infection was directly related to the prostate inflammation; the other was that his two courses of antibiotics had made him worse by causing a disturbance in his bowel germ population that would correct itself once the number of yeast germs living there was reduced.

Within ten days Brooks and his prostate were both happy. His equipment returned to reliable functioning and he has remained well since. He is as pleased as he is surprised. This is true for many men whose similar responses to simple changes in diet don't jibe with their expectation that I would have to treat them by calling out the big guns rather than coaxing their bodies back into balance. I'm confident that the remedies I suggested for Brooks worked because they were specifically connected to achieving a hormonal balance governed by a combination of factors related to his digestive flora and an intake of substances that made his prostate happy.

It's not a big step from consideration of acute problems, such as what Brooks had, to the more chronic problems of prostate enlargement andprostate cancer.

Baked Linefish with Minted Mango Yoghurt

4 x 200 g portions filleted linefish; skin on 60 ml olive oil

salt, milled black pepper, cayenne pepper

30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice Tabasco sauce

Minted Mango Yoghurt

250 ml plain, thick yoghurt

1 medium, ripe stringless mango, peeled, pipped and chopped

leaves plucked from 2-3 sprigs fresh mint

Set the oven at 220 °C. Pour the olive oil into a baking dish to fit the fish snugly, add the fillets and turn to coat. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with lemon juice and a few drops of Tabasco.

Bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes until cooked.

Minted Mango Yoghurt: While the fish is cooking mix together the yoghurt, mango and mint in a food processor. Purée smoothly and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the minted mango yoghurt sauce over the fish and place under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with a dash of cayenne pepper.

To Serve: Place fish on warm plates and serve with sautéed potatoes and lightly cooked vegetables.

Serves 4

Black Mushrooms

Rolled in Sesame Seeds, with Prawns,

Julienned Vegetables and Indonesian Peanut Sauce

4-8 large black mushrooms (1-2 per serving)

200 ml sesame seeds

cake flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Peanut Sauce

30 ml olive oil

100 ml Ketjap Manis

60 ml peanut butter

Prawns and Julienne Vegetables 16 large prawns, shelled and deveined

300 g julienned vegetables (carrots, leeks, celery, red, green, yellow peppers)

olive oil

5 ml crushed garlic,

5 ml finely chopped fresh red or green chilli (discard seeds, or add for a hotter dish)

5 ml crushed green ginger

5 ml finely sliced fresh lemon grass stalks small bunch fresh coriander, chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Set the oven at 180 °C. Grease a baking tray. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan.

Roll the mushrooms in flour, dip in beaten egg, and coat with sesame seeds. Place on a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Peanut Sauce: Mix the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer, stirring constantly, to form a smooth sauce. If it's too thick, add a little water or chicken stock.

Roasted Garlic

It's worth doing quite a lot at a time, as roasted garlic keeps well and may be used to flavour things like crostini and grilled mushrooms. Cover with oil and store in the fridge. The oil may later be used in salad dressing.

6 whole heads garlic

500 ml milk

olive oil

Set the oven at 180°C. Slice off the tops of the garlic heads, quarter-way down; leave skins on.

Place in a small saucepan with the milk, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. (Retain the milk; it's delicious in béchamel sauce!)

Place the garlic on a piece of foil, drizzle over a little olive oil, close, place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes until soft.

Clarified Butter

The best fat for frying seafood, as it doesn't burn over high heat.

500 g butter

Place the butter in a deep saucepan and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. The butter will bubble as the water evaporates, and a layer of scum will rise to the surface.

Remove from the heat, scoop off and discard the scum and pour off the clear clarified butter, leaving the layer of salt and the bottom. Cool and store in the fridge.

Makes about 350 g

Mirepoix

Chop by hand or in a food processor.

1 carrot, very finely diced

1 rib celery, very finely sliced

1 small onion, very finely chopped

50 g rindless bacon or ham,very finely chopped

5 ml chopped fresh thyme

5 ml chopped fresh parsley

Mix together all ingredients.

Harvey's Green Herb Oil

A wonderfully versatile sauce or dressing for fish, meat or vegetables.

100 g chopped fresh herbs (mix basil, oregano, chives and mint, or use individual herbs)

3 cloves garlic, crushed

250 ml olive oil

15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 ml coarse salt milled black pepper

Whizz all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until well blended. Store in the fridge.

Makes about 300 ml

Crayfish Bisque with Pernod and Fennel

4 crayfish

vegetable oil

2 carrots, sliced

1/2rib celery, sliced

3 ripe tomatoes, quartered

2 bulbs fresh fennel, sliced

1 fresh red or green chilli, sliced

30 ml cornflour

90 ml Pernod

30 ml brandy

2 litres Fish Stock

250 ml cream

extra whipped cream and chopped fresh fennel fronds for garnish

Pull crayfish tails from bodies, cut in half and extract the meat. Devein and cut into cubes.

Rinse clean the crayfish bodies and tail shells, and chop roughly.

Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the shells, carrots, celery, tomatoes, fennel bulb and chilli fry for about 15 minutes until the shells turn deep red.

Mix together the cornflour, Pernod, brandy and fish stock, add to the pot, cover and simmer for about 50 minutes. Drain through a sieve into a clean saucepan.

Add the cream and chopped crayfish meat and simmer for 1-2 minutes until cooked.

Ladle bisque into warm bowls and garnish with whipped cream and chopped fennel.

Serves 6

Oriental Scampi with Black Beans

50 g dried black beans

500 g shelled scampi or small prawns

1¹/2 small onion, finely chopped vegetable oil

100 g fresh bean sprouts

2 carrots, cut into julienne strips

2 courgettes, cut into julienne strips

1 rib celery, cut into julienne strips

5 ml finely chopped green ginger

30 ml teriyaki sauce

30 ml sweet chilli sauce

15 ml finely chopped fresh lemon grass stalks, or 2 ml dried lemon grass

60 ml chopped fresh coriander

1/4 fresh red or green chilli, chopped hot rice and deep fried rice noodles sesame seeds for garnish

Soak the black beans overnight in cold water. Drain.

In a non-stick frying pan fry the scampi with the onion in hot oil for 1 minute.

Add the bean sprouts, carrot, courgette, celery, ginger, teriyaki and chilli sauces and lemon grass and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the scampi is cooked.

Just before serving add the coriander and chilli.

To Serve: Scoop rice onto serving plates, pile on the scampi, and top with deep fried rice noodles and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Serves 4

Prawns Flamed in Whisky with Red Pepper and Couscous Salad

35-60 prawns (5-10 per person, depending on size); shells and heads on olive oil

150 ml whisky

250 ml stoned black and green olives

6 cloves garlic, crushed

4-6 fresh red or green chillies, seeded and finely chopped

3 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, and chopped

Red Pepper and Couscous Salad 3 large, plump red peppers

500 ml water or chicken stock

50 ml olive oil

10 ml salt

500 g couscous

2 bunches spring onions, finely sliced (use green parts too)

1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Cut the prawns open down the back and remove the vein. Leave head and shells on; dry well.

Red Pepper and Couscous Salad: Char the red peppers all over under a hot grill until the skin blisters. Enclose in a plastic bag to cool slightly, then pull off the skins and scrape away and discard the seeds. Cut into strips.

In a medium saucepan mix the water or stock, olive oil and salt and bring to the boil. Stir in the couscous. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Spread in a tray and mix in the spring onion, pepper and half the parsley. Check the flavour; add a dash of vinegar if you like.

Mix the remaining parsley with the garlic, chilli, 50 ml olive oil and tomatoes.

Heat olive oil in a large pan or wok and fry the prawns until they stiffen, salt lightly, turn, pour in the whiskey and flame. Add the parsley and tomato/chilli mixture and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until prawns are done and the sauce forms. If necessary, add a little water to thin the sauce.

To Serve: Spoon couscous salad onto warm plates. Top with prawns, pour over the sauce and garnish with olives. Serves 6