Quick easy and tasty. Not to mention its's made with ingredients almost exclusively from the store cupboard and freezer. High in veg and protein low in fat.
I made this for tea this evening and my husband was adimant it must be unhealthy as it tasted so good so I got to smugly tell him that it was actually pretty healthy. For quantities use equal amounts of frozen veg to the cooked rice. The stir fry sauce is actually less calorific than you'd think with a whole one only being 2.5 syns on slimming world.
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
Basmati rice
1 onion sliced
frozen mixed peppers
frozen peas
frozen sweetcorn
eggs beaten
Cooked ham, cubed
soy sauce
Sachet blue dragon black bean stir fry sauce
method:
1. Cook the basmati rice as per packet instructions. I personally use 2 parts water to 1 part rice. Bring to the boil, clamp on a lid and turn the heat down to the lowest possible then leave it to absorb the liquid for 15-20 mins.
2. In the meantime, fry the onion until soft in half the oil, add the frozen veg and cook on high to drive off the excess liquid.
3. remove the veg from the pan and add the remaining oil on a high heat cook the eggs stiring frequently until almost cooked.
4. Add the cooked rice and stir fry on a high heat. Add the veg and ham stiring frequently.
5. Add the soy sauce and sachet of stir fry sauce to your tastes. Stiring in until all the rice Is coated. Once everything is hot through serve.
Monday, 30 December 2013
Friday, 27 December 2013
leftovers soup
So youve overindulged and now got a ton of leftover turkey. Well I found myself inspired by a soup I had from Pret a Manger - peruvian chicken and lime soup. Full of chicken and veggies in a very flavourful, spicy zingy broth.
My version has lots of veg and plenty if hebs and spices to ensure you have a fragrant but vurtuious soup. you will need a big pan for this as it isnt the sort of thing you make in small batches and if my husband is anything to go by, you'll need plenty for guilt free seconds.
There are a lot of ingredients but you get a really deep but fresh flavour and its mostly stuff I have knocking around my fridge and cupboards so no special shopping trips for this.
Ingredients:
Flavour base:
1 tsp olive oil
Couple of carrots halved lengthways and chopped
1 very large white onion finely chopped
2 cellery stalks finely chopped
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 deseeded and finely chopped chilli
1 red pepper chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped
1 tsp ground cummin
1 tsp ground corriander
2 heaped tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
chopped stalks from half a bunch of parsley
chopped stalks from half a bunch of corriander
10-15 drops of tabasco sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 heaped tbsp tomato puree
The bulk:
Lots of broken up chicken or turkey
2 veg stock cubes
1-2 pints of hot water
1/2 carton of passatta
3-5 tsp lime juice from a bottle
half a big bag of chopped curly kale
Half a bunch chopped parsley
half a bunch chopped corriander
method:
1. Gently and slowly fry the carrot, onion and cellery in the oil until softened but uncoloured.
2. Add the remaining flavour base ingredients and cook until the veg has absorbed the flavours and is almost coming together as a paste
3. Add the stock cubes crumbled, tomato puree and cook a little to release tge flavour of the puree.
4. Add the hot water, lime juice and passatta and stir till you have a bubbling broth.
5. Add the kale and chicken/turkey and simmer until the meat is piping hot byt the kale still has its crunch.
6. Finally add the herb leaves, stir through and serve as you want to keep the freshness if the herbs.
I served mine with very lightly salted tortilla chips almost like crutons for extra crunch but feel free to ommit to feel extra virtulous.
My version has lots of veg and plenty if hebs and spices to ensure you have a fragrant but vurtuious soup. you will need a big pan for this as it isnt the sort of thing you make in small batches and if my husband is anything to go by, you'll need plenty for guilt free seconds.
There are a lot of ingredients but you get a really deep but fresh flavour and its mostly stuff I have knocking around my fridge and cupboards so no special shopping trips for this.
Ingredients:
Flavour base:
1 tsp olive oil
Couple of carrots halved lengthways and chopped
1 very large white onion finely chopped
2 cellery stalks finely chopped
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 deseeded and finely chopped chilli
1 red pepper chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped
1 tsp ground cummin
1 tsp ground corriander
2 heaped tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
chopped stalks from half a bunch of parsley
chopped stalks from half a bunch of corriander
10-15 drops of tabasco sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 heaped tbsp tomato puree
The bulk:
Lots of broken up chicken or turkey
2 veg stock cubes
1-2 pints of hot water
1/2 carton of passatta
3-5 tsp lime juice from a bottle
half a big bag of chopped curly kale
Half a bunch chopped parsley
half a bunch chopped corriander
method:
1. Gently and slowly fry the carrot, onion and cellery in the oil until softened but uncoloured.
2. Add the remaining flavour base ingredients and cook until the veg has absorbed the flavours and is almost coming together as a paste
3. Add the stock cubes crumbled, tomato puree and cook a little to release tge flavour of the puree.
4. Add the hot water, lime juice and passatta and stir till you have a bubbling broth.
5. Add the kale and chicken/turkey and simmer until the meat is piping hot byt the kale still has its crunch.
6. Finally add the herb leaves, stir through and serve as you want to keep the freshness if the herbs.
I served mine with very lightly salted tortilla chips almost like crutons for extra crunch but feel free to ommit to feel extra virtulous.
Thursday, 26 December 2013
I'm back!
Hi folks,
Sorry I've been away so long. Had some technical difficulties. I.e. a seriously knackered laptop. Apologies for my absence. In the new year I'll be posting regularly as my wonderful husband got me a lovely new tablet so I can take pics and post recipes using one handy dandy device. Yay!
Sorry I've been away so long. Had some technical difficulties. I.e. a seriously knackered laptop. Apologies for my absence. In the new year I'll be posting regularly as my wonderful husband got me a lovely new tablet so I can take pics and post recipes using one handy dandy device. Yay!
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Day 7 - Roasted Med Veg Cous Cous and Grilled Halloumi
I devised this to use up the half of the veggies that I marinaded last night but didn't cook. When I asked my other half what he thought of this he said "Delicious!" High praise indeed seeing as how the level of feedback is usually "fine", "good" or "alright". However, my husband did qualify this with "That's the difference between men and women. When a man says good he means good. When a woman says good she means: Good ... but...".
INGREDIENTS:
Veg marinaded as per the Roasted Veg Pasta
1 cup cous cous
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 pack halloumi cheese
serve with jalepino humous
METHOD:
1) Pre-heat oven to 200*C
2) Roast the vegetables in the oven for 30 minutes until slightly golden
3) slice the halloumi to about the thickness of a pound coin
4) Grill the halloumi using either a George Foreman Grill, a griddle pan or a dry frying pan until blistered and golden
5) Put the cous cous in a large bowl, pour over the boiling water
6) Cover the bowl with cling film and leave for 5 minutes
7) Once 5 minutes have passed remove the film and fluff the couse cous with a fork
8) Add the roasted veg and stir through
9) Pile the cous cous onto the plate, top with the slices of halloumi and a spoonful of the humous
INGREDIENTS:
Veg marinaded as per the Roasted Veg Pasta
1 cup cous cous
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 pack halloumi cheese
serve with jalepino humous
METHOD:
1) Pre-heat oven to 200*C
2) Roast the vegetables in the oven for 30 minutes until slightly golden
3) slice the halloumi to about the thickness of a pound coin
4) Grill the halloumi using either a George Foreman Grill, a griddle pan or a dry frying pan until blistered and golden
5) Put the cous cous in a large bowl, pour over the boiling water
6) Cover the bowl with cling film and leave for 5 minutes
7) Once 5 minutes have passed remove the film and fluff the couse cous with a fork
8) Add the roasted veg and stir through
9) Pile the cous cous onto the plate, top with the slices of halloumi and a spoonful of the humous
Day 7 - Veggie Packed, Packed Lunch - Broccoli, Pasta, Pesto and Peas
Who doesn't like a pasta salad for lunch? This one was super easy and really flavourful and totally mayo free but not at all dry.
INGREDIENTS:
1 head of broccoli (broken into florets)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup dried pasta
pinch of salt
1/2 pack feta
For the dressing:
1tbsp green pesto
1tbsp olive oil
1tbsp balsalmic vinegar
METHOD:
1) Fill a large pan with boiling water and add a little salt
2) Add the broccoli florets
3) Fill a large bowl with really cold water
4) Pour the frozen peas in thebowl of cold water (this helps chill the water but defrosts the peas)
5) Once the broccoli is just tender, fish it out of the water with a slotted spoon and plunge straight into the icy water
6) Add the pasta to the boiling water and boil until tender
7) Once al-dente, fish the pasta out of the water and plunge into the cold water
8) Once everything is very cold, pour the contents of the bowl into a collander to drain
9) In the big bowl you've just emptied add the ingredients for the dressing and whisk together
10) Add the pasta and veggies back to the bowl and toss in the dressing until thoroughly coated
11) Serve topped with crumbled feta.
NB: This makes 4 servings of lunch (so 2 days worth for my household of 2)
INGREDIENTS:
1 head of broccoli (broken into florets)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup dried pasta
pinch of salt
1/2 pack feta
For the dressing:
1tbsp green pesto
1tbsp olive oil
1tbsp balsalmic vinegar
METHOD:
1) Fill a large pan with boiling water and add a little salt
2) Add the broccoli florets
3) Fill a large bowl with really cold water
4) Pour the frozen peas in thebowl of cold water (this helps chill the water but defrosts the peas)
5) Once the broccoli is just tender, fish it out of the water with a slotted spoon and plunge straight into the icy water
6) Add the pasta to the boiling water and boil until tender
7) Once al-dente, fish the pasta out of the water and plunge into the cold water
8) Once everything is very cold, pour the contents of the bowl into a collander to drain
9) In the big bowl you've just emptied add the ingredients for the dressing and whisk together
10) Add the pasta and veggies back to the bowl and toss in the dressing until thoroughly coated
11) Serve topped with crumbled feta.
NB: This makes 4 servings of lunch (so 2 days worth for my household of 2)
Monday, 19 August 2013
A Note on Packed Lunches
I think one of the biggest challenges for me is going to be coming up with a substantial variety of sensible but suitably flavourful packed lunches. After all most flavours taste best when slightly warm if not hot. I think I may have to invest in some food flasks to enable me to serve hot food for lunches too in addition to the traditional cold packed lunch - just to keep things interesting.
Day 6 - Pasta with Oven Roasted Vegetables
My husband asked for pasta so pasta he got. I roasted some mediteranean veg in a garlic chilli and herb marinade then combined it with a tomato sauce and tossed the cooked pasta in it. He even went back for seconds.
INGREDIENTS:
4 vine tomatoes
2 courgettes
2 red peppers
1 large red onion
(all chopped into large chunks)
Pasta
For the marinade:
1 red chilli de-seeded
4 cloves garlic (peeled)
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 carton of passatta
2 tsp green pesto
METHOD:
1) Pre-heat oven to 200*C
2) In a food processor blitz together the marinade ingredients
3) pour the marinade over the chopped veg in a large bowl and toss until well coated
4) Pour the vig and marinade into a tray and roast the veg for 30 minutes until it has started to caramelise and catch on the edges
5) While the veg roasts, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al-dente
6) Mix the tinned tomatoes and passatta with the pesto and heat through
7) Add the pasta and veg to the sauce and stir and serve with a light sprinkling of grated cheese
INGREDIENTS:
4 vine tomatoes
2 courgettes
2 red peppers
1 large red onion
(all chopped into large chunks)
Pasta
For the marinade:
1 red chilli de-seeded
4 cloves garlic (peeled)
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 carton of passatta
2 tsp green pesto
METHOD:
1) Pre-heat oven to 200*C
2) In a food processor blitz together the marinade ingredients
3) pour the marinade over the chopped veg in a large bowl and toss until well coated
4) Pour the vig and marinade into a tray and roast the veg for 30 minutes until it has started to caramelise and catch on the edges
5) While the veg roasts, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al-dente
6) Mix the tinned tomatoes and passatta with the pesto and heat through
7) Add the pasta and veg to the sauce and stir and serve with a light sprinkling of grated cheese
Sunday, 18 August 2013
Day 5 - Spicy Chorizo Scrambled Eggs
Brekkie joy! Chorizo scrambled eggs ... big flavour twist on a traditional breakfast. I know chroizo isn't the leanest meat but I don't add any oil to this everything cooks in the oil from the chorizo. Really there is no substitute for the flavour you get from chorizo, it's like bacon fat, garlic, chilli, paprika and salt all in one handy little ingredient.
INGREDIENTS:
6 eggs
3tbsp milk
1/2 pack thin sliced chorizo
2 spring onions (chopped)
1/2 red pepper (chopped)
8-10 drops tabasco sauce
METHOD:
1) Don't add any oil to the pan as enough will come out of the chorizo as it cooks
2) In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and tabasco
3) Heat a large frying pan on medium
4) Add the chorizo and allow to fry and render out the oils
5) Once the chorizo is crispy on the ended and the fat has rendered out, add the spring onions and red pepper and cook them for 2-3 minutes. The juices that come out of the veg will help deglaze the pan of the chorizo juices.
6) Add the eggs and stir frequently until the eggs are cooked.
7) Serve with a slice of wholemeal toast and top with a drizzle of natural yoghurt and a sprinkle of chopped mint.
INGREDIENTS:
6 eggs
3tbsp milk
1/2 pack thin sliced chorizo
2 spring onions (chopped)
1/2 red pepper (chopped)
8-10 drops tabasco sauce
METHOD:
1) Don't add any oil to the pan as enough will come out of the chorizo as it cooks
2) In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and tabasco
3) Heat a large frying pan on medium
4) Add the chorizo and allow to fry and render out the oils
5) Once the chorizo is crispy on the ended and the fat has rendered out, add the spring onions and red pepper and cook them for 2-3 minutes. The juices that come out of the veg will help deglaze the pan of the chorizo juices.
6) Add the eggs and stir frequently until the eggs are cooked.
7) Serve with a slice of wholemeal toast and top with a drizzle of natural yoghurt and a sprinkle of chopped mint.
Saturday, 17 August 2013
Day 4 - Spinach, Feta and Pea Turnovers
Another successful result. Yay! The pastry is so crunchy and the filling was fresh but satisfying. Definitely one I'll make again.
INGREDIENTS:
1 large bag of spinach or baby spinach
1 package of feta cheese (crumbled)
1/2 cup of frozen peas
handful of basil leaves (chopped)
small handful mint leaves (chopped)
2 spring onions (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
salt and pepper to taste
fry lite
package of filo pastry (6 sheets)
METHOD:
1) Pre-heat oven to 200*C and line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper but do not grease.
2) Place half the spinach in a collander and boil a full kettle
3) Once boiled, pour the hot water slowly over the spinach and watch as it wilts.
4) Once fully wilted run the cold tap over the now shrunken spinach to cool it down enough to handle then collect it up into a ball and squeeze out all the moisture you can. Don't be shy or careful, squeeze it hard. You want as much water out of the spinach as possible of you'll have soggy turnovers. Place on a chopping board.
5) Repeat this process with the remaining spinach and once it's all drained, chop it up as finely as you can.
6) Once you've done this put the peas in the collander and pour over some more boiling water from the kettle to defrost them and shake off as much water as you can.
7) In a big bowl mix together the spinach, peas, feta, garlic, spring onions, herbs, salt and pepper.
8) Add the eggs and mix thoroughly.
9) Open the filo pastry and lay out flat on an extra sheet of greaseproof
10) Cut along the length of the pastry cutting it in half to create 2 long rectangles going through all the layers.
11) Towards the end of one of the rectangles add a big spoonful of the filling.
12) Fold the end of the top sheet of pastry over the filling to make a triangle on top.
13) Following the natural folds now created, keep folding the pastry and filling over to make a triangle. Just using the one sheet for each turnover.
14) Once you reach the end fold it under and place it on the lined baking tray making sure that the loose end is underneath.
15) Repeat this process until you have 12 turnovers.
16) Spray each of the turnovers with fry lite.
17) Bake for 15-20 minutes until all the pastry is golden brown and the filling is piping hot through.
INGREDIENTS:
1 large bag of spinach or baby spinach
1 package of feta cheese (crumbled)
1/2 cup of frozen peas
handful of basil leaves (chopped)
small handful mint leaves (chopped)
2 spring onions (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
salt and pepper to taste
fry lite
package of filo pastry (6 sheets)
METHOD:
1) Pre-heat oven to 200*C and line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper but do not grease.
2) Place half the spinach in a collander and boil a full kettle
3) Once boiled, pour the hot water slowly over the spinach and watch as it wilts.
4) Once fully wilted run the cold tap over the now shrunken spinach to cool it down enough to handle then collect it up into a ball and squeeze out all the moisture you can. Don't be shy or careful, squeeze it hard. You want as much water out of the spinach as possible of you'll have soggy turnovers. Place on a chopping board.
5) Repeat this process with the remaining spinach and once it's all drained, chop it up as finely as you can.
6) Once you've done this put the peas in the collander and pour over some more boiling water from the kettle to defrost them and shake off as much water as you can.
7) In a big bowl mix together the spinach, peas, feta, garlic, spring onions, herbs, salt and pepper.
8) Add the eggs and mix thoroughly.
9) Open the filo pastry and lay out flat on an extra sheet of greaseproof
10) Cut along the length of the pastry cutting it in half to create 2 long rectangles going through all the layers.
11) Towards the end of one of the rectangles add a big spoonful of the filling.
12) Fold the end of the top sheet of pastry over the filling to make a triangle on top.
13) Following the natural folds now created, keep folding the pastry and filling over to make a triangle. Just using the one sheet for each turnover.
14) Once you reach the end fold it under and place it on the lined baking tray making sure that the loose end is underneath.
15) Repeat this process until you have 12 turnovers.
16) Spray each of the turnovers with fry lite.
17) Bake for 15-20 minutes until all the pastry is golden brown and the filling is piping hot through.
Day 4 - Crunchy Coconut Chicken and Mango Yoghurt Dipping Sauce
I was a little worried the coconut would make this too sweet with the chicken but the sweetness is really tempered by the chilli. My husband loved it too as it seems it's fab manly finger food for while watching the match. I think this one would go down well at a party too and you could make everything in advance and then bake them off at the last minute.
INGREDIENTS:
2 packs of Chicken mini-fillets
4 eggs
1 cup plain flour
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup desicated coconut
5 - 15 drops of tabasco sauce (to taste)
fry lite
salt and pepper to taste
For the Mango Yoghurt Dip see Day 1 recipe.
Method:
1) Pre-heat oven to 200*C
2) Mix breadcrumbs and coconut together
3) lightly beat eggs together adding salt, pepper and tabasco
4) Spray 2 metal trays with fry lite
5) Set up your breading station with flour in one container, eggs in another and breadcrumbs and coconut in another.
6) Dip each piece of chicken in the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in that order, ensuring that each strip is fully coated with each layer.
7) Place the strips on the trays sprayed with fry lite and make sure they're in one layer with room.
8) Bake the chicken strips for 25-30 minutes (cut one in half to make sure it's fully opaque and cooked through).
9) Serve with the mango yoghurt dipping sauce
INGREDIENTS:
2 packs of Chicken mini-fillets
4 eggs
1 cup plain flour
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup desicated coconut
5 - 15 drops of tabasco sauce (to taste)
fry lite
salt and pepper to taste
For the Mango Yoghurt Dip see Day 1 recipe.
Method:
1) Pre-heat oven to 200*C
2) Mix breadcrumbs and coconut together
3) lightly beat eggs together adding salt, pepper and tabasco
4) Spray 2 metal trays with fry lite
5) Set up your breading station with flour in one container, eggs in another and breadcrumbs and coconut in another.
6) Dip each piece of chicken in the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in that order, ensuring that each strip is fully coated with each layer.
7) Place the strips on the trays sprayed with fry lite and make sure they're in one layer with room.
8) Bake the chicken strips for 25-30 minutes (cut one in half to make sure it's fully opaque and cooked through).
9) Serve with the mango yoghurt dipping sauce
Day 4 - breakfast fail - porridge soup
So I'd read this recipe on Pinterest for cinnamon porridge in the slow cooker. Not being a breakfast person I thought I'd give it a whirl. After all if I can set it away the night before and have it cooked waiting for me what's not to like? Well as it turns out the watery mess that awaited me this morning. My hubby isn't a big fan of cinnamon and it was too strong for him and the texture was way too loose. The recipe was 1 cup of oats to 3.5 cups of water with a teaspoon or two of brown sugar and half a teaspoon of cinnamon. You mix it up in the slow cooker and cook it overnight on low. It tasted way too watery tasting and when I added milk to improve the flavour it was an even less palatable texture. Won't be making it again. Got a better breakfast recipe to test tomorrow - spiced chorizo scrambled eggs. The one thing I have to say about my hubby, he is fantastic at making breakfasts. His favourite things to cook are fried egg sandwiches, beans on toast etc. Which although tasty don't quite fill the criteria for my challenge. But maybe I could take a run at adapting them? Spiced beans with flatbread or poached eggs with salsa? Well they're ones to test drive another day maybe.
Friday, 16 August 2013
Day 3 - Chinese Style Salmon and Rice Salad
This has got to be one of the easiest things I've made in a while. I'd cooked extra rice the night before and cooled it quick and refridgerated it straight away.
INGREDIENTS:
2 salmon fillets
6-8 tbsp teriyaki marinade (yes from a bottle I know it's cheating but I know I can't do it better)
leftover basmati rice cold
1/2 cup frozen sweetcorn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 red pepper de-seeded and diced
2 spring onions split down the middle and chopped fine
small handful of basil leaves finely chopped
Soy Sauce to taste
METHOD:
1) Place salmon fillets in ovenproof dish, pour over the marinade and clingfilm and place in the fridge for the day.
2) Pre-heat oven to 200*C
3) Remove cling film from dish and bake salmon in the oven for 20 minutes
4) mix the rice together with the other ingredients
5) Pile up the rice on the plate and top with the hot salmon
6) Drizzle over soy sauce to taste
7) Enjoy!
Typical - I went a bit overboard on the soy but it was still darn tasty. Ha ha!
INGREDIENTS:
2 salmon fillets
6-8 tbsp teriyaki marinade (yes from a bottle I know it's cheating but I know I can't do it better)
leftover basmati rice cold
1/2 cup frozen sweetcorn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 red pepper de-seeded and diced
2 spring onions split down the middle and chopped fine
small handful of basil leaves finely chopped
Soy Sauce to taste
METHOD:
1) Place salmon fillets in ovenproof dish, pour over the marinade and clingfilm and place in the fridge for the day.
2) Pre-heat oven to 200*C
3) Remove cling film from dish and bake salmon in the oven for 20 minutes
4) mix the rice together with the other ingredients
5) Pile up the rice on the plate and top with the hot salmon
6) Drizzle over soy sauce to taste
7) Enjoy!
Typical - I went a bit overboard on the soy but it was still darn tasty. Ha ha!
Day 2 - Rich Curry and Rice hold the meat
Never quite mastered the veggie curry as mine so far have always been like a veggie pasta tomato sauce with a faint taste of curry powder. Gave this one a go but doubled the dried spices and it was fabulous! Just replaced the oil with a few squirts of frylite. The tomatoes and water deglaze the bottom of the pan where the onions, garlic and ginger and spices have started to catch and caramelise. Don't be afraid to let it catch a bit as it all adds flavour. You're using the natural sugars of the ingredients not adding it with super sweet sauces that are often loaded with sugar and salt.
PS: not my recipe or my pic. Full credit to Barney Desmazery - this one does not disappoint!
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/420629/cauliflower-and-potato-curry
PS: not my recipe or my pic. Full credit to Barney Desmazery - this one does not disappoint!
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/420629/cauliflower-and-potato-curry
Day 1 - Chicken Dinner but not as we know it
So for day one I've decided to go for a traditional meal but give it a twist. Take one whole chicken, roast in the oven with veggies and what have you got? Not quite what you're expecting. Try a whole chicken given a rub in curry spices, sweet potato, butternut squash and red onion sprinkled with the same spice rub and roasted in the oven served with a mixed green salad with a mango, yoghurt and herb drizzle sauce. My hubby loved this! So much he went back for seconds (which he could do guilt free) and then suggested that he would love to have food like this more often. RESULT!!!
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium whole chicken
1 large sweet potato (peeled and chopped into 2cm chunks)
1/2 butternut squash (peeled, de-seeded and chopped into 2cm chunks)
1 large red onion (peeled and chopped into wedges with the stump of the root intact to hold each wedge together)
1 bag mixed green salad leaves of your choice
For the rub:
2 tbsp medium curry powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper and pinch of salt
For the yoghurt mango sauce:
1 red chilli (split down the middle and de-seeded)
small handful of fresh basil leaves
half a small handful of fresh mint leaves
large can of mango drained
large pot of low fat/fat free natural yoghurt
salt and pepper to taste
METHOD:
1) Pre-heat oven to 200*C
2) mix rub ingredients in a small bowl
3) Place veggies in roasting tin and sprinkle over a couple of teaspoons of rub mix (you don't need to add any oil as the chick will give off it's juices to lubricate the tray but if you're worried about stuff sticking a spritz with frylite before you put the veggies in should put your mind at rest).
4) Make a little space in the middle of the tray for the bird.
5) Sprinkle the remaining rub all over the chicken (top and bottom). Don't forget the legs and wings (cooks treat if no-one else wants them).
6) Place in the middle of the tray surrounded by the veg and roast in a 200*C oven for as long as the instructions on your chicken state (i.e. by weight). For my 1.5kg bird it took 1 hour 30 mins.
...while the chicken is cooking...
7) in a food processor (in my case a mini one) blitz up the chilli, basil and mint.
8) Add the mango and puree and then add the yogurt and salt and pepper and belnd until smooth.
9) Once the chicken is cooked remove from the oven and tent loosely with the foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes. By now all the veggies should be caramelised as their natural sugars are released and roasted.
10) Serve slices of the chicken or a whole breast/leg with plenty of veggies and a side of salad. Then drizzle over the yogurt dressing with a little puddle on the side for dunking (trust me they will want to).
I'm thinking you could make the rub in any way you like. If you'd rather a BBQ flavour use BBQ spices if you want Thai style use chilli, lemongrass and ginger with soy sauce to marinade the bird for a few hours beforehand.
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium whole chicken
1 large sweet potato (peeled and chopped into 2cm chunks)
1/2 butternut squash (peeled, de-seeded and chopped into 2cm chunks)
1 large red onion (peeled and chopped into wedges with the stump of the root intact to hold each wedge together)
1 bag mixed green salad leaves of your choice
For the rub:
2 tbsp medium curry powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper and pinch of salt
For the yoghurt mango sauce:
1 red chilli (split down the middle and de-seeded)
small handful of fresh basil leaves
half a small handful of fresh mint leaves
large can of mango drained
large pot of low fat/fat free natural yoghurt
salt and pepper to taste
METHOD:
1) Pre-heat oven to 200*C
2) mix rub ingredients in a small bowl
3) Place veggies in roasting tin and sprinkle over a couple of teaspoons of rub mix (you don't need to add any oil as the chick will give off it's juices to lubricate the tray but if you're worried about stuff sticking a spritz with frylite before you put the veggies in should put your mind at rest).
4) Make a little space in the middle of the tray for the bird.
5) Sprinkle the remaining rub all over the chicken (top and bottom). Don't forget the legs and wings (cooks treat if no-one else wants them).
6) Place in the middle of the tray surrounded by the veg and roast in a 200*C oven for as long as the instructions on your chicken state (i.e. by weight). For my 1.5kg bird it took 1 hour 30 mins.
...while the chicken is cooking...
7) in a food processor (in my case a mini one) blitz up the chilli, basil and mint.
8) Add the mango and puree and then add the yogurt and salt and pepper and belnd until smooth.
9) Once the chicken is cooked remove from the oven and tent loosely with the foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes. By now all the veggies should be caramelised as their natural sugars are released and roasted.
10) Serve slices of the chicken or a whole breast/leg with plenty of veggies and a side of salad. Then drizzle over the yogurt dressing with a little puddle on the side for dunking (trust me they will want to).
I'm thinking you could make the rub in any way you like. If you'd rather a BBQ flavour use BBQ spices if you want Thai style use chilli, lemongrass and ginger with soy sauce to marinade the bird for a few hours beforehand.
Fresh Start Fresh Flavours
So ... I find myself on here trying to find an appropriate forum for a new challenge I'm setting myself. Rather than bombarding everyone I know on Facebook with daily updates on what my diet consists of I thought I'd give everyone a break and set up this Blog so only those who are genuinely interested see the recipes and ideas I'm keen to share.
I recently got married (2 weeks ago actually) and moved home (one week ago) ... I know I don't do things by halves do I?! Anyhoo ... Looking at my lovely wedding pics and realising that I have to live with being overweight in those pics for the rest of my life I've decided that I'd rather do something about it retrospectively rather than let it define my future married life. Also, if I ever want the pitter patter of little feet I need to address my health which is rather more important.
My new home has a much bigger kitchen with room for all my recipe books so I got a chance to dig them out and go through them, and after ordering a takeaway curry the day after we moved in I came to a realisation - how much flavour can you add to food without adding extra fat and sugar?! Granted takeaways are usually greasy but really it doesn't have to be. Does it?!
So I've decided to set myself a little challenge. FRESH START FRESH FLAVOURS. So I'm going to try and add as much taste to my food without adding too much fat, sugar or salt and see how it goes.
My new husband enjoys most things but has a few foods he's not a fan of so I've found myself in a bit of a rutt cuilinarily speaking for quite a while.
In the past I would ask him what he wants for tea/dinner. The usual response was "food". Helpful eh? My next question would be "pasta, rice or potatoes?" Very imaginative. This has left my diet very firmly based on carbs and restricted the kinds of things I would cook.
So from now on I'm thinking less about which bulk/carb to build my meals around and rather: What flavours do I want? What textures do I want?
So far my efforts have gone down a storm so we'll see how this little experiment pans out and how far I can get with it. I've always found these kind of things tricky to stick to but this is less about a weight loss diet and more about an adventure in the kitchen which is after all my favourite place to be. So let's see where this goes. Fingers crossed. Xxx
I recently got married (2 weeks ago actually) and moved home (one week ago) ... I know I don't do things by halves do I?! Anyhoo ... Looking at my lovely wedding pics and realising that I have to live with being overweight in those pics for the rest of my life I've decided that I'd rather do something about it retrospectively rather than let it define my future married life. Also, if I ever want the pitter patter of little feet I need to address my health which is rather more important.
My new home has a much bigger kitchen with room for all my recipe books so I got a chance to dig them out and go through them, and after ordering a takeaway curry the day after we moved in I came to a realisation - how much flavour can you add to food without adding extra fat and sugar?! Granted takeaways are usually greasy but really it doesn't have to be. Does it?!
So I've decided to set myself a little challenge. FRESH START FRESH FLAVOURS. So I'm going to try and add as much taste to my food without adding too much fat, sugar or salt and see how it goes.
My new husband enjoys most things but has a few foods he's not a fan of so I've found myself in a bit of a rutt cuilinarily speaking for quite a while.
In the past I would ask him what he wants for tea/dinner. The usual response was "food". Helpful eh? My next question would be "pasta, rice or potatoes?" Very imaginative. This has left my diet very firmly based on carbs and restricted the kinds of things I would cook.
So from now on I'm thinking less about which bulk/carb to build my meals around and rather: What flavours do I want? What textures do I want?
So far my efforts have gone down a storm so we'll see how this little experiment pans out and how far I can get with it. I've always found these kind of things tricky to stick to but this is less about a weight loss diet and more about an adventure in the kitchen which is after all my favourite place to be. So let's see where this goes. Fingers crossed. Xxx
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