Supper Satisfaction

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

2010-09-06T12:05:00.000+01:00

It seems like summer is on the way out today and as usual we've gone straight back to winter! Some soup on the blog today to banish the rain. Cauliflower and veg are gently simmered in chicken stock, then flavoured with white pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.

Like the other soups I've posted, this is great served with a slice or two of Weight Watchers whole meal bread and a little low fat butter, or 2 slices of wheaten bread such as Mc Cambridges. A couple of Ryvita crisp bread also go very well as an alternative.

The following recipe makes two lunch portions or four starter portions.

Ingredients

• 5g / 1 teaspoon of low fat butter spread

• 100g onion. Peeled and chopped

• 2 medium carrots. Washed, topped, tailed and roughly chopped

• 2 sticks of celery. Washed, topped, tailed and roughly chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic. Peeled and finely chopped

• 1 cauliflower. Outer leaves removed, washed and roughly chopped

• A good shake of white pepper and a little salt

• ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg

• 2 pints of chicken (or vegetable) stock. Made with 2 stock cubes. Low sodium cubes preferably

• ½ pint of low fat milk

• A small bunch of fresh parsley plus a little more for garnish

• A good shake of white pepper and a little salt if needed

• ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg also for garnish

Method

Heat a pot over a medium to high heat and add the butter spread. When it's bubbling, add the onion, carrots and celery. Fry gently for 5-10 minutes until softened, but not coloured.
Next add the garlic and continue to fry for a further minute or so.
Next add the cauliflower, pepper and nutmeg and continue to fry for a further 5 minutes or so, breaking up any larger pieces.
Then, add the stock and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for approximately 15 minutes, loosely covered with a lid or plate.
Add the milk and about three quarters of the parsley, remove from the heat and blitz the mixture with a hand blender. When blitzed, return the soup to the heat and allow to simmer for a further minute or so, to heat through. Taste the soup and add a little more white pepper and salt if needed.
Transfer the soup to bowls, garnish with the remaining parsley and nutmeg and serve.

Orange & Sultana Polenta Cookies

2010-08-18T15:46:00.001+01:00

A bit of baking on the blog today! These cookies are made with a mix of wholemeal flour, plain flour and ground polenta to give a lighter mix and uses both the zest and juice of an orange. The recipe uses dried sultanas, but you could easily increase the fruit content by adding dried dates, figs or cherries.

The cookies are best kept in an air-tight container or biscuit tin and will keep for several days.

The recipe will make 16 cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 egg. Lightly beaten

• 2 teaspoons of honey

• 4 sweeteners. Crushed with the back of a spoon

• 1 large orange. Washed, zested and juiced

• 70g of dried sultanas (raisins would also work)

• 100g plain flour

• 100g wholemeal flour

• 60g polenta

• 1 level teaspoon / 5g baking powder

• ½ teaspoon of salt (or better still low sodium salt)

• 100g low fat butter spread

• a little more polenta to sprinkle over the dough and tray

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray oil

Method

Mix the the egg, honey, sweeteners in a jug and beat with a fork to combine.
Zest the orange, then roughly chop the zest to break up any larger pieces. Add to the egg mixture and leave to one side.
Next juice the orange and add to a small bowl. Add the sultanas to the juice and allow the fruit to plump up while you get on with the dough.
Sift the flours, polenta, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl (also adding the wholemeal husks that won't pass through the sieve) and stir to combine.
Next add the butter to the flour mixture and rub it into the flour until it resembles biscuit crumbs. When it's starting to look like breadcrumbs, my Mum told me to shake the bowl gently from side to side to make the larger lumps rise to top and she was right! Mix the larger lumps in too.
Next make a well in the centre and add about half the liquid and stir to combine with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the rest of the liquid and stir again and bring together. (Add a little more wholemeal flour if the dough is too wet, a little low fat mix if it's too dry).
Place a foot long sheet of cling film on a clean board and sprinkle approximately half a teaspoon of polenta to it. Next carefully remove the cookie dough from the bowl and form it into a rough sausage shape, lengthways, on the cling film. Sprinkle another half teaspoon of polenta over the dough and carefully wrap the cling film around the dough. You can reshape the dough if needed when it's wrapped to give it a uniform shape.
Pop the dough into the fridge and allow to chill for approximately half an hour or until you're ready to bake the cookies. (If you are in a hurry, you can pop it into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to chill).
To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 190°C, line a baking tray with tin foil and lightly spray with the spray oil. Sprinkle a teaspoon of polenta over the tray.
Remove the dough from the fridge and remove the cling film. Carefully slice the dough sausage in half, then half these into roughly equal quarters, then half again and again to make 16 pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball and place on the tray, the flatten the ball with your hand to make a cookie shape. When you have made all 16 cookies, turn them over to coat the other side in polenta.
Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Asparagus & Pea Soup

2010-07-30T14:39:00.000+01:00

Some soup on the menu today! Asparagus and peas, simmered in vegetable stock and thickened with potatoes. This soup is perfect as a lunch time pick-me-up or would work well as starter.

The following recipe makes two lunch portions or four starter portions.

Ingredients

• 5g / 1 teaspoon of low fat butter spread

• 100g onion. Peeled and chopped

• 200g asparagus. Washed, woody ends removed and roughly chopped

• 100g peas. Fresh or frozen are both fine

• 200g Potatoes. Washed and roughly sliced

• 2 pints of vegetable stock. Made with 2 stock cubes. Low sodium cubes preferably

• 1 teaspoon of thyme. Fresh or dried

• Juice of half a lemon

• A good twist of black pepper and a little salt if needed

• A small bunch of parsley plus a little more for garnish

Method

Heat a pot over a medium to high heat and add the butter spread. When it's bubbling, add the onion, peas and asparagus. Fry gently for 5-10 minutes until softened, but not coloured.
Then, add the stock, potatoes and herbs and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for approximately 20 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and black pepper and taste to check the seasoning and add a little salt if needed.
Add the parsley, remove from the heat and blitz the mixture with a hand blender.
Transfer the soup to bowls, garnish with the remaining parsley and serve.

Apple & Peach Bake

2010-07-19T15:24:00.001+01:00

A bit of baking on the blog today! Apple & Peach bake is a great summer dessert. The fruit is placed in the base of a dish and covered with a light batter that bakes into a tasty sponge. You could easily increases or substitute the fruit content with apricots, pears, mixed berries or even dried raisins which would all work well.

Perfect hot or cold, it's even better served with a little sweetened crème fraiche or low fat ice cream on the side.
This recipe will give 6-8 portions.

Ingredients

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray oil

• 2 medium apples. Peeled, cored and roughly sliced

• 2 medium peaches. Washed, de-stoned and roughly sliced

• 1 teaspoon of honey

• 2 eggs

• 6 sweeteners. Crushed with the back of a spoon

• pinch of salt (Preferably low sodium salt)

• 45g plain flour

• 15g cornflour

• a little cinnamon to garnish (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C and lightly spray a flan or quiche tin with one cal spray oil.
Slice the fruit and add to the base of the baking tin arranging it in one layer. Drizzle the honey over the fruit and leave to one side.
Next, crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until fluffy with a hand blender or whisk for a minute or so.
Add the sweeteners, salt, flour and cornflour and continue to mix for a further minute or so.
Pour the batter evenly over the fruit, transfer to the oven and for 35 minutes or at the top of the oven until golden.
Add a shake of cinnamon (if using) and serve.

Apple & Banana Smoothie

2010-07-14T12:08:00.000+01:00

Smoothies are a great way to boost your fruit intake and make an ideal breakfast on the go. You could even pop it into a thermos and have as a mid morning snack. Alternatively, it's ideal as a refreshing outdoor dessert that's perfect for picnics or barbecues.

You can easily increase the fruit content by adding some mixed berries or soft fruit such as peaches or pears.

This recipe will make one large serving or two small servings.

Ingredients

• 250ml unsweetened orange juice

• 1 x 125g carton of low fat fruit yogurt. Strawberry works well

• 1 eating apple. Peeled, cored and roughly chopped

• 1 banana. Peeled and roughly chopped

• a couple of ice cubes

Method

Add the orange juice and yogurt to a high sided container and mix to combine.
Next add the chopped apple and banana and blitz with a hand blender until smooth.
Next add the ice cubes and continue to blend until the cubes have broken up and serve.

Taco Shells

2010-07-08T13:30:00.000+01:00

Following on from yesterday's Tortilla Crisps post, up today are taco shells. The shells follow exactly the same recipe, but are shaped over a wire rack and baked in the oven to keep their shape.

While obviously perfect for making tacos, taco shells are a great alternative to bread and work well instead of bread or wraps for a filling lunch.

This recipe will make 6 small tacos.

Ingredients

• 120g Plain flour

• 60g corn meal/maize

• 1 vegetable stock cube. (Low sodium if possible). Crumbled

• 1 egg. Lightly beaten

• 400ml of cold water

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal spray oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C and lightly spray a wire rack with oil.
Sift the flour and maize into a bowl. Crumble in the stock cube and make a well in the centre.
Meanwhile, combine the egg with the water and whisk to combine. Add the egg/water mixture to the bowl and stir to combine to form a batter. You can whisk the batter by hand or blitz it quickly using a hand blender to make sure it's completely combined and free of lumps.
Next heat a small frying pan over a high heat and add a spray of one cal oil. Pour roughly half a ladle full of the mixture to the pan and gently fry, turning once. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Continue with the batter until all pancakes are made. (Add a few more sprays of oil as you're making the pancakes).
Next, to drape the pancakes over the wire rack as shown in the picture. The easiest way to do this is to prop the rack up on something. (I used some mugs) add the pancakes then transfer the rack to the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Tortilla Crisps

2010-07-07T15:10:00.000+01:00

Tortilla crisps are the perfect snack for watching tv, but they can be quite oily and loaded with salt. This baked version contains a fraction of the calories and can be flavoured just as you like. They are perfect served with Pineapple Salsa or Tomato Pesto or with tomato salsa and jalapeños to make nachos.

The basic batter is lightly fried into small pancakes then sliced into triangles and baked in the oven.

This recipe will make 6 small pancakes that will give 2 portions of crisps.

Ingredients

• 120g Plain flour

• 60g corn meal/maize

• 1 vegetable stock cube. (Low sodium if possible). Crumbled

• 1 egg. Lightly beaten

• 400ml of cold water

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal spray oil

• a little corn meal/maize for sprinkling

• cayenne and paprika for garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with foil. Spray lightly with one cal spray oil.
Sift the flour and maize into a bowl. Crumble in the stock cube and make a well in the centre.
Meanwhile, combine the egg with the water and whisk to combine. Add the egg/water mixture to the bowl and stir to combine to form a batter. You can whisk the batter by hand or blitz it quickly using a hand blender to make sure it's completely combined and free of lumps.
Next heat a small frying pan over a high heat and add a spray of one cal oil. Pour roughly half a ladle full of the mixture to the pan and gently fry, turning once. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Continue with the batter until all pancakes are made. (Add a few more sprays of oil as you're making the pancakes).
Next, slice the pancakes into triangles and transfer to a foil lined tray and sprinkle about half a teaspoon of maize over the crisps.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Turning once or twice.
Add a shake of cayenne and paprika and serve.

Wholemeal Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-07-02T15:30:00.000+01:00

Today, my fellow Irish Foodie Bloggers are having a Cookie Party via Twitter, which is of course: a TwookieParty! Organised by Kristin at Dinner du Jour, lots of Irish foodies are currently weighing and baking as we speak! Make sure to follow all the fun by searching on the '#Twookieparty' hashtag on Twitter.

My own contribution to the party are these Wholemeal Peanut Butter Cookies, they are low in fat of course but have a nice consistency that's a mix of cookie and scone and taste great.

The cookies are best kept in an air-tight container or biscuit tin and will keep for several days.

The recipe will make 12 cookies.

Ingredients

• 100ml low fat milk

• 1 egg. Lightly beaten

• 1 teaspoon of honey

• 5 sweeteners. Crushed with the back of a spoon
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence
• 20g of dried raisins or sultanas
• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 120g plain flour

• 60g wholemeal flour

• 1 level teaspoon / 5g baking powder

• ½ teaspoon of salt (or better still low sodium salt)
• 20g low fat peanut butter. Smooth or chunky as you prefer
• 20g low fat butter spread

• a little more low fat milk to bring the dough together
• a little more wholemeal flour to sprinkle over the cookies when baking

Method

Mix the the milk, egg, honey, sweeteners and dried raisins/sultanas together in a jug and stir to combine. Leave to one side to allow the fruit to plump up.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with tin foil and lightly spray with the spray oil.
Next add the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Next add the butter and peanut butter to the flour mixture and rub it into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. (See the picture above). When it's starting to look like breadcrumbs, my Mum told me to shake the bowl gently from side to side to make the larger lumps rise to top and she was right! Mix the larger lumps in too.
Next make a well in the centre and add about half the liquid and stir to combine with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the rest of the liquid and stir again and bring together. Add a little more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough is still a little floury. (Add a little more wholemeal flour if the dough is too wet).
Spoon roughly 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto the prepared tray. With wet fingers, reshape the cookie dough to a more rounded shape and smooth out the top. Dust with a little wholemeal flour and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool. Put the kettle on!

Vegetable Frittatas

2010-06-30T15:54:00.002+01:00

Frittatas are a traditional baked egg dish that originated in Spain. Great as a filling lunch or even as a starter, they are beefier than an omelette and can be served hot or cold.

You can add additional blanched veg or even throw in some cooked chicken or prawns to make them go a bit further.

This recipe will make a medium frittatas that will serve two people when served with a small side salad or serve one if served on it's own.

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon of low fat butter

• 50g leeks. Washed and roughly chopped into rings

• 30g peas. Fresh or frozen

• 50g potato. Washed and chopped into fine slices

• 1 egg. Lightly beaten

• 20ml low fat milk

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal spray oil

• freshly ground black pepper and a little salt

• parsley. Fresh or dried for garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Heat a small frying pan over a medium to high heat and add the butter. When it's bubbling, gently fry the leeks for 2-3 minutes, until they have softened and are starting to brown, breaking down the rings as you fry. You should season the leeks with salt and pepper.
Next, add the peas and continue to fry for a further 2-3 minutes. When done, transfer them to a plate and keep to one side.
Next, add the potato slices and gently fry them for 6-8 minutes until golden brown, turning regularly. When done, transfer to kitchen paper to cool.
Next combine the egg and milk in a bowl or jug and whisk to combine.
Wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper and add a few sprays of oil. Return the slices of potato, arranging them in a ring. Top with the leek and pea mixture and then pour over the egg mixture. Allow to fry for a minute or so, until the egg mixture starts to solidify.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Carefully remove from the oven and allow to sit in the pan for a minute or so, then turn it onto a plate, slice and serve garnished with the parsley or allow to cool fully and serve cold.

Yoghurt Cornbread Cake

2010-06-28T15:19:00.004+01:00

Cornbread is made using a mixture of cornmeal also know as maize and regular flour. This recipe is sweetened with a little low fat yoghurt and honey to keep the calories down. The cake will keep perfectly for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container or biscuit tin.

It's perfect sliced up and served with a little low fat butter or can be made into a more substantial dessert by adding some fresh fruit and adding a scoop of low fat ice cream or sweetened crème fraiche (just add some low calorie sweeteners, crushed with the back of a spoon).
The recipe will make 1 medium cake that should give 6 to 8 slices.

Ingredients

• 100ml low fat milk
• 1 carton of low fat fruit yoghurt. Strawberry works well

• 2 eggs. Lightly beaten
• 20g low fat butter

• 4 sweeteners. Crushed with a spoon

• 2 teaspoons of honey

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal spray oil

• 120g plain white flour

• 180g cornmeal flour/maize

• ½ level teaspoon of salt. (Low sodium salt would be best)

• ½ teaspoon of baking powder

• 3 teaspoons of baking soda

Method

In a high-sided bowl or jug, mix the milk, yoghurt, eggs, butter, sweeteners and honey. Blitz with a hand blender or transfer to a food processor and mix until smooth.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and spray a cake tin with the spray oil.
Next sift the flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
Next, add about half the egg mixture to the flour and stir to combine with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Add the remaining mixture and stir again until all the flour has fully mixed in.
You can add another splash of low fat milk if it's still looking a bit floury.
Transfer to the prepared cake tin and shake gently to make sure it spreads evenly, filling the tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. If the top is browning too much, you can cover the cake with tin foil as it bakes.
Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. To double check if the cake is cooked through, you can pierce it with a skewer or cocktail stick. The cake is ready if the skewer emerges clean and contains no residue. Store in an airtight container or biscuit tin.

Apple & Courgette Bread

2010-06-21T13:12:00.000+01:00

Apple & Courgette bread on the menu today. This cakey-loaf is light and moist and the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea. Nice on it's own, or even better when served with a little low fat butter on top. The loaf will keep perfectly for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container or biscuit tin.

The recipe will make a small loaf.

Ingredients

• 100ml low fat milk

• 2 eggs. Lightly beaten

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

• 4 sweeteners. Crushed with a spoon

• 2 teaspoons of honey

• 20g low fat peanut butter. Chunky or smooth are both fine

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal spray oil

• 110g plain white flour

• 110g wholemeal flour

• ½ level teaspoon of salt. (Low sodium salt would be best)

• ½ teaspoon of baking powder

• 1 tsp of baking soda

• 1 tsp of cinnamon

• 1 tsp of nutmeg

• 20g mixed nuts. Almonds, pine nuts or walnuts would all work. Roughly chopped

• 1 medium courgette. Washed, topped and tailed and roughly grated

• 2 medium / 1 large eating apple. Peeled, cored and roughly grated. (You can add a splash of lemon juice to stop the apple discolouring while you're mixing the bread).

Method

In a high-sided bowl or jug, mix the milk, eggs, vanilla essence, sweeteners, honey and peanut butter. Blitz with a hand blender or transfer to a food processor and mix until smooth.
Preheat the oven to 210°C and spray the loaf tin with the spray oil.
Next sift the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl. Add the husks from the wholemeal flour and the chopped nuts to the bowl also and make a well in the centre.
Next grate the courgette and apple and keep to one side.
Next, add about half the egg mixture to the flour and stir to combine with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Add the remaining mixture and stir again until all the flour has fully mixed in.
Next fold in the courgette and apple and stir lightly again to combine.
Transfer to the prepared loaf tin and shake gently to make sure it spreads evenly, filling the tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C and continue to bake for a further 35 minutes until golden brown. If the top is browning too much, you can cover the loaf with tin foil as it bakes.
Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. To double check if the loaf is fully cooked, you can pierce it with a skewer or cocktail stick. The bread is ready if the skewer emerges clean and contains no residue. The bread should also sound hollow when you tap it. Store in an airtight container or biscuit tin.

Wholemeal Sesame Bagels

2010-06-17T13:00:00.003+01:00

A bit of baking on the menu today. Bagels are a fantastic lunchtime staple and are a great alternative to bread that would be perfect for a picnic now the summer seems to be finally here.

Yes, they are a bit fiddly and yes, there are a few steps involved, but they taste great and are really worth the additional effort.

The recipe will make 8 bagels. You could easily double the recipe and freeze the rest.

Ingredients

• 200-250ml of luke warm water

• 1 teaspoon of dried yeast

• 1 teaspoon of honey

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 180g of wholemeal flour plus more for dusting

• 180g plain white flour plus more for dusting

• 2 vegetable or chicken stock cubes. (Preferably low sodium). Crumbled

• Boiling water

• 5-6 teaspoons of sesame seeds

• a little sea salt

Method

Add the yeast and honey to to the warm water and stir to combine. Let it sit for a minute or so while you get on with the flour.
Line a baking tray with foil and spray well with the spray oil.
Meanwhile, add the flour to a large bowl and add the stock cubes and stir to combine.
Next make a well in the centre and add half the liquid. Bring the dough together from the centre of the bowl, gradually taking the flour from the sides of the bowl.
Add the rest of the water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. (You might not need to use all the water).
Transfer to a well floured board and dust again with flour. (The white plain flour is best for this). Kneed the dough for approximately 5 minutes until it forms a springy dough. (It will be very sticky initially, so flour it well as you go along).
Divide the dough into 8 roughly equal pieces and dust with the wholemeal flour this time.
Take one of the pieces and roll it into a sausage shape roughly 5-6 inches long. Bring the ends together to make a ring, allowing the ends to overlap by about an inch or so. Press together to form a seal ensuring there is a hole in the centre. Transfer to the lined tray and continue with rest of the dough.
When you have all 8 shaped, spray some cling film with spray oil and lightly cover. Leave to rest in a warm place for approximately 30 minutes. They should rise slightly.
Then remove the cling film and let them sit for 15-20 minutes to return to room temperature.
Next, re-line your baking tray with tin foil and spray again with oil. (It's fine to use the same foil if the bagels didn't leave much residue when resting).
Next, add boiling water to a large wide pan and return to the boil. When it's bubbling, carefully, one at a time, place your first two bagels into the water and let them simmer for approximately a minute or so. (They should float). Then carefully turn over and allow to simmer for a further minute or so. Carefully remove and place on the lined tray. Continue with the rest of the bagels in pairs.
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Next, lightly sprinkle the sesame seeds onto the bagels and press them gently into the dough. (You might need to reform some of the holes in the centre of the bagels. The end of a spoon or an asbestos finger will both work fine). Sprinkle lightly with the sea salt.
Bake the bagels in the centre of the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
To serve, carefully slice the bagel in two. (The safest way to do this is to leave the bagel flat and insert a serrated knife horizontally and carefully slice half way across. Place your hand flat on top to hold the bagel steady. Then turn the bagel on it's side and carefully slice downwards). Lightly toast in the toaster or grill and serve.

Sweet Potato Crisps

2010-06-16T14:01:00.000+01:00

A very simple recipe on the blog today. Sweet Potato crisps are a great alternative to regular crisps and are very easy to make.

Ready in no time, they are simply baked in the oven and topped with a little firey pepper to finish.

The recipe will make 2 portions

Ingredients

• 2 small sweet potatoes. Scrubbed and sliced into small strips with a potato peeler

• several sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• a little sea salt

• a little shake of ground cayenne or smoked paprika pepper to taste

Method

Turn the oven to 220°C and line a baking tray with foil.
Pat the sweet potato slices dry with some kitchen paper and arrange on the tray.
Spray with the spray oil and lightly stir to coat all sides.
Spread them out again so they are mainly in contact with the foil.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown, turning once half way through. Keep an eye on them towards the end as they can quickly turn from done to burnt.
Carefully remove from the oven and serve with the pepper.

Carrot & Lentil Soup

2010-06-15T13:13:00.001+01:00

Some soup on the menu today! Lentils are a great standby cupboard item as they contain lots of vitamins and nutrients and they really fill you up. You can use tinned or dried pre-soaked lentils and any colour will work. Unlike some of the other soups on the site, this one doesn't contain any potatoes so is kept on the lighter side and is a little more Summery.

Serve with a slice or two of Weight Watchers whole meal bread and a little low fat butter, or 2 slices of wheaten bread such as Mc Cambridges. A couple of Ryvita crisp bread also go very well as an alternative.

The following recipe makes two generous lunch/dinner portions or four starter portions.

Ingredients

• 1½ pints of boiling water

• 2 vegetable stock cubes. (Preferably low sodium stock cubes). Crumbled

• 100g onion. Peeled and chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic. Peeled and finely chopped

• 100g celery. Washed, topped, tailed and roughly sliced

• 500g carrot. Washed, topped, tailed and roughly sliced

• Freshly ground black pepper and a little salt

• 1 x 410g (265g drained) tin of lentils. Rinsed and patted dry. Or dried lentils. Rinsed and soaked as directed

• 100ml low fat milk

• a small bunch of coriander. Washed and finely chopped for garnish

• a little black pepper

Method

Heat a large pot on a medium to high heat. Add the boiling water and bring it back to the boil. When boiling, add the stock cubes. Stir to combine and reduce the heat to medium and allow it to simmer away.
In a separate frying pan, heat to a medium to high heat and add the butter and the onion and fry for 3-5 minutes until softened.
Next add the garlic and continue to fry for a further minute or so. When done, transfer the onion and garlic to the simmering stock.
Next, add the celery to the frying pan and stir fry for 5 minutes or so until softened. You should season the celery with a little salt and black pepper. Transfer to the stock when done.
Next, add the carrots to the pan and stir fry for 5-10 minutes. (You can add a spray of Fry Light One Cal spray oil if the carrots don't seem to be doing anything in the pan). Again, season lightly and when done, transfer the carrots to stock.
Stir the stock well to make sure the additional ingredients are combined. Bring the stock to the boil and once it's boiled for a minute or so reduce the heat, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or so. You should partially cover the pot with a lid or plate.
Next add the lentils and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
Next add the milk and three quarters of the coriander and blitz with a hand blender or in batches in a food processor.
Serve in warmed bowls and garnish with the remaining chopped coriander and black pepper.

English Muffins

2010-06-14T14:36:00.000+01:00

English Muffins on the menu today! English muffins are small white bread-like rolls that are delicious when toasted. Ideal with sweet or savoury toppings they are a great alternative to regular bread and are great for lunch.

The recipe will make approximately 8-10 muffins

Ingredients
• 240g self-raising flour. Plus more for dusting

• 2 heaped teaspoons of baking powder

• ½ level teaspoon of salt. (Low sodium salt would be best)

• ¼ level teaspoon of baking soda

• 100ml luke warm water

• 1¼ teaspoons of yeast

• 50ml low fat milk

• 1 egg. Lightly beated

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 4-5 tablespoons of maize meal or ground polenta

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
Next, mix the water and yeast together in a jug or cup and stir to combine.
In a separate jug, mix the lightly beaten egg and milk together with a hand blender until it's well beaten.
Next, add both liquids to the to the flour and stir to combine with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Tip the dough onto a floured board and dust again with flour. Knead for approximately 5 minutes until it comes together.
Spray a bowl with a couple of sprays of the spray oil and add the dough. Spray a sheet of cling film with a little spray oil and cover the bowl. Allow the dough to rest in a warm place for about 45-60 minutes until it has roughly doubled in size.
Once the dough has rested, tip it onto a floured board and roll out until it's approximately 1 inch deep with a rolling pin.
Next add the maize meal or polenta to a baking sheet or large plate and shake to distribute evenly.
Next, using a glass or cookie cutter, cut the dough into small rounds. Transfer these to the maize meal/polenta and coat both sides. Continue to shape, re-roll and cut until you've used all the dough.
Spray a little more spray oil onto some cling film and cover the shaped dough. Allow to rest again for approximately 45 minutes.
To finish the muffins, heat a large frying pan to a medium to high heat. When it's hot, gently dry fry the muffins for 5-8 minutes, turning regularly, until they are lightly coloured. It's best to cook them in two batches. Transfer to a plate to cool when done. They will keep for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container or biscuit tin.
To serve, slice in half and toast until golden brown and top as required.

Seafood Chowder

2010-06-11T11:43:00.001+01:00

Delicious seafood chowder on the menu today. Onion, leek and celery gently sautéed, then simmered in milk and stock. Thickened with potatoes and finished with smoked coley and cooked prawns.

You could easily substitute the coley for haddock or cod. You could also add some mixed seafood like clams, mussels or even calamari.

The following recipe makes two generous dinner portions or four starter portions.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon / 5g low fat butter spread

• 100g onion. Red or white. Peeled and finely chopped

• 100g leek. Washed, topped, tailed and roughly chopped

• 100g celery. Washed, topped, tailed and roughly sliced

• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme (or a little less if using fresh thyme)

• A good twist of black pepper

• 400ml of chicken or vegetable stock. Made using two stock cubes. Low sodium if possible

• 500ml of low fat milk

• A bouquet garni

• A bay leaf

• 350-400g potatoes. Peeled and cut into small cubes

• 250g smoked coley. Washed and patted dry and roughly cubed

• 1 x 200g tin of sweetcorn. Drained, rinsed in cold water and patted dry

• 160g prawns. Washed, patted dry. You can roughly chop them to make them go a bit further

• The juice of half a lemon

• A good twist of black pepper and a little salt

• Fresh parsley. Washed and finely chopped to garnish

Method

Heat a large pan over a medium to high heat and add the butter and when it's bubbling, add the onion, leek and celery to the pan. Add the thyme and season with black pepper and fry for 8-10 minutes until softened, but not coloured.
Next add the stock and milk and stir to combine. Add the potatoes, bouquet garni and bay leaf and increase the heat. Allow the the soup to come to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for approximately 15 minutes until the potatoes have softened. You should partially cover the pot with a lid or plate.
Next add the coley and allow to cook for a further 5-8 minutes until the fish is cooked.
Next add the sweet corn, prawns and lemon juice and stir carefully to combine (so as not to break the fish up too much).
Remove the bouquet garni and bay leaf and taste the chowder and add salt and pepper as needed.
Serve in warm bowls and garnished with the fresh parsley.

Strawberry Filo Baskets

2010-06-10T16:11:00.000+01:00

Strawberries on the menu today! This recipe is the perfect summer dessert, but with a fraction of the calories. Naturally low fat filo replaces stodgy pastry and sweetened low fat crème fraîche is used instead of full fat cream.

It's actually 'National Strawberry Week' this week and there are lots of offers about in the various supermarkets to celebrate. The Bord Bia website: Best In Season.ie has more nutritional information about strawberries and other seasonal fruit and veg.

The following recipe makes 4 individual baskets.

Ingredients

• 4 sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 3 large filo pastry sheets. Frozen is best but allow the sheets to defrost in the fridge for about an hour before using.

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 8 teaspoons of low fat crème fraîche

• 4 sweeteners. Crushed with the back of a spoon

• 4 teaspoons of low fat strawberry jam

• 12 small strawberries. Washed and stalks removed

Method

Turn the oven to 180°C and spray 4 compartments of a muffin tin with the spray oil. It's best to spread them out on the tray, so don't use adjoining compartments.
Lay the three sheets of filo pastry on top of each other on a clean work surface and slice into four equal squares.
To assemble the basket, take one of these squares and place it on the centre of the board. (Store the others under a clean cloth or tea towel until you're ready to use them). Arrange three squares of filo on top of each other as shown in the picture on the right. Carefully transfer to the muffin tin and press lightly into the tray using the end of a rolling pin (ok, using the upturned lid from the spray oil, which was the perfect size!). You can give the sheets a light spray of spray oil if they have dried out on you.
Continue the process to make the remaining three baskets. Paint the edges with the beaten egg and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. When done, carefully remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly on kitchen paper. (Don't cover them as they will become soft).
To serve, mix the crème fraîche and the sweeteners together in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Place a teaspoon of jam in the base of the basket, add two teaspoons of sweetened crème fraîche on top. Finally top with the sliced strawberries.

Vegetable Samosas

2010-06-09T13:00:00.001+01:00

These vegetable samosas contain the classic combination of seasoned mashed potato with peas and spring onion wrapped in filo pastry. Most traditional recipes suggest you deep fry them, but in this recipe they are baked to reduce the calories.

They are a bit fiddly to start with but become easier with a little practice.

The following recipe makes 8 samosas.

Ingredients for the filling

• 200g cooked Mashed Potato. Drained well and without milk or butter added

• 40g frozen peas

• 1 spring onion. Washed and finely sliced

• small bunch of fresh coriander. Washed and finely chopped

• ½ teaspoon of ground coriander

• ½ teaspoon of ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon of chili flakes

• salt and black pepper

Ingredients for the samosas

• 4 large filo pastry sheets. Frozen is best but allow the sheets to defrost in the fridge for about an hour before using.

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 6 sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

Method

Gently mash the potatoes with a fork and add the peas, spring onion and chopped coriander and stir to combine.
Add the seasonings and stir again. The potato should be completely cooled before using.
To assemble the samosas, take the filo pastry from the pack and cover it in a clean dry tea towel to prevent it from drying out.
Place one sheet on a clean work surface and cut in half so it forms two large rectangles. Each of these rectangles will make one samosa. Place one of the rectangles in the centre of the work surface. Return the other to the rest of the pastry under the cloth.
Fold a flap, approximately 1 inch in length at the top. Using a brush, or your finger, paint the beaten egg around the other three edges of the rectangle, leaving the flap dry.
Next take approximately 2 heaped teaspoons of the potato mixture and place it in the bottom right of the rectangle as shown in the photo below.
Next, fold the bottom corner over so it covers the filling. Press the filling down to remove any air and press down to make a panel along the side.
Paint the edges again with the egg mixture and fold over. Re-paint the edge and fold over again. Finally fold the flap over and seal. Transfer to a clean dry plate while you get on with the rest of the samosas. Cover the prepared samosas with a dry, clean tea towel to stop them from drying out. Continue until you have 8 samosas prepared.
When you're ready to bake them. Paint each of them with the egg mixture so they colour nicely when cooked. (Try to paint all sides, including the underneath).
Turn the oven to 220°C. Spray a baking sheet lined with tin foil with the spray oil. Arrange the samosas, seam side down, on the tray. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove them from the oven and turn them over. If they are looking a little pale, you can paint more egg onto them. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly on kitchen paper. (Don't cover them as they will become soggy).
Serve with a little low fat yoghurt with some chopped coriander mixed through it.

Lay out the sheet & cut in half lengthways

Fold the flap and paint the other three edges with the egg mixture

Place the filling as shown below. Then fold over to the right, flatten the edges and paint with egg again

Fold up, flatten the edges and paint with the egg again. Fold over again to the left and paint the edges again

Finally paint the flap and fold over to seal

Pineapple Salsa

2010-06-08T13:18:00.004+01:00

This pineapple salsa is light and refreshing and goes great served along side grilled fish, gammon or chicken.

Alternatively you can mix the prepared salsa into some cooked couscous or rice to make a more substantial side dish. Adding blanched broccoli or cauliflower, or cooked chicken or prawns, could easily turn it into a main course.

The basic salsa mix can be made in advance and refrigerated until you need to use it.

The following recipe makes makes two portions.

Ingredients

• 400g fresh pineapple. Peeled, cored and cubed
• 1 small green pepper. Washed, de-seeded and roughly chopped

• 1 small spring onion. Peeled and finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon of fresh coriander. Washed and finely chopped

• ½ teaspoon of chili flakes. (More if you like it spicy)

• ½ teaspoon of ground garlic granules

• 1 teaspoon of olive oil

• juice of half a lime

• a little salt and black pepper to taste

Method

In a small bowl, combine the pineapple, pepper, spring onion and coriander and stir to combine.
Next add the chili flakes, ground garlic granules, olive oil and lime juice and again stir to combine.
Finally taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Strawberry Yoghurt Cookies

2010-06-04T12:21:00.000+01:00

These strawberry cookies get their flavour from a mixture of strawberry yoghurt and strawberry jam. A little bit cake-y, a little bit scone-y, they have a similar consistency to macaroons and go great with a cup of tea or a coffee.

They are delicious on their own, but you could also slice them in half and add a little low fat butter spread.

The cookies are best kept in an air-tight container or biscuit tin and will keep for several days.

The recipe will make 12 cookies.

Ingredients

• 125ml pot of low fat strawberry yoghurt

• 100ml low fat milk

• 1 egg. Lightly beaten

• 2 teaspoons of low fat/low sugar strawberry jam

• 2 teaspoons of honey

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 100g self-raising flour

• 100g wholemeal flour

• 20g porridge oats

• 1 level teaspoon / 5g baking powder

• ½ teaspoon of salt (or better still low sodium salt)

Method

Mix the the yoghurt, milk, egg, jam and honey together in a jug and stir to combine. Leave to one side.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with tin foil and lightly spray with the spray oil.
Next add the flour, oats, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Make a well in the centre and add about half the liquid and stir to combine with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the rest of the liquid and stir again to ensure there are no lumps.
Spoon roughly 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto the tray. With wet fingers, reshape the cookie dough to a more rounded shape and smooth out the top.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack while you put the kettle on!

Saffron & Pine Nut Pilaf

2010-06-03T14:50:00.000+01:00

Pilaf is an Indian style of cooking where seasoned rice is simmered gently allowing the flavour to infuse. Ideal as a side dish that would go great with grilled chicken or fish, you could also turn it into a main meal by adding some cooked chicken or prawns or keep it veggie by adding dried raisins and cooked peas.

The toasted pine nuts in the dish go very well with the rice and add additional texture. Toasted mixed nuts, flaked almonds or even pumpkin seeds would all work as substitutes.

The following recipe makes makes two portions.

Ingredients

• 15g/1 teaspoon of low fat butter spread

• 1 small onion. (Red or white) Peeled and finely chopped

• 120g long grain or basmati rice (white rice works best)

• ½ teaspoon of ground cayenne

• ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric

• 1 pint of chicken or vegetable stock (low sodium if possible)

• a couple of saffron strands
• 10g pine nuts

Method

Heat a large pot over a medium to high heat and add the butter. When it's bubbling add the pulped onion and stir fry for 5 minutes or so.
Add the rice, cayenne and turmeric and continue to fry for a minute or so until combined.
Add the saffron strands to the stock and stir. Add the stock to the rice and stir again.
Increase the heat and bring the contents of the pot to the boil. Once it's boiled for a minute or so, reduce the heat to medium, loosely cover with a plate or lid and let it simmer for approximately 20 minutes, stirring every now and then to ensure it's not sticking to the bottom of the pot. The liquid should reduce, but make sure it doesn't boil dry. Add another splash of boiling water if this happens.
After 20 minutes, remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Leave to sit for 5 minutes without removing the lid.
To toast the nuts, heat a small frying pan over a medium to high heat and add the nuts. Keep them moving by shaking the pan gently. Fry for 2-3 minutes or so until they are lightly toasted. (They can burn quite easily so don't leave them unattended and remove them from the pan when they're done).
When the 5 minutes are up, fluff the rice with a fork, transfer to warmed bowls and serve with the pine nuts on top.

Carrot Cake Muffins

2010-06-02T13:45:00.001+01:00

These carrot cake muffins are light and moist and unlike other muffin recipes, don't contain lots of oil.

You could easily add some fruit such as dried raisins, fresh blueberries or blackberries to the completed mixture. A handful of chopped nuts would also work, but make sure to count the extra calories if you are watching your weight.

The recipe will make 12 muffins.

Ingredients for the muffins

• 150ml low fat milk

• 1 teaspoon of olive oil

• 1 medium banana. Peeled

• 1 egg. Lightly beaten

• 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence

• 4 sweeteners. Crushed with a spoon

• 2 teaspoons of honey

• sprays of Fry Light One Cal spray

• 200g self-raising flour

• 1 level teaspoon / 5g baking soda

• 2 level teaspoons / 10g baking powder

• 1½ teaspoons of cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon of ginger

• 225g carrots. Topped, tailed, grated and excess moisture

removed

• 1 medium orange. Zest only

Ingredients for the frosting

• 25g low fat butter butter spread

• 100g low fat (or extra low fat) cream cheese

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

• 2-3 sweeteners. Crushed with the back of a spoon

• 1 medium lemon. Zest only

• crushed walnuts for decoration

Method

Blitz the the milk, olive oil, banana, egg, vanilla essence, sweeteners and honey together in a food processor or with a hand blender and leave to one side.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a muffin tin with paper cases and lightly spray with the spray oil.
Next sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg into the bowl and stir to combine.
Make a well in the centre and add about half the liquid and stir to combine. Add the rest of the liquid and stir again to ensure there are no lumps.
Add the grated carrots (The easiest way to remove the excess moisture if to squeeze a ball of grated carrots between both hands over the sink) and orange zest to the bowl and stir again to combine.
Spoon 2 teaspoons of the mixture into each cases until all the cases are approximately half filled.
Bake on the middle shelf for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
To make the frosting. Mix the butter and cheese in a small bowl until combined. Add 2 of the sweeteners, vanilla essence and lemon zest and stir to combine. Taste to ensure it's sweet enough and the third sweetener if it needs it. Top each muffin with approximately half a teaspoon of the mixture and add the chopped walnuts. Store in an airtight container or biscuit tin and refrigerate.

Leek & Bean Soup

2010-06-01T15:34:00.003+01:00

Some soup on the menu today! This soup is an Italian style vegetable soup that's ready in no time and really fills you up. Tinned cannelloni, butter, kidney or mixed beans would all work well. If using dried beans, soak as advised and allow to simmer in the stock for the required time before frying the additional veg.

The following recipe makes two generous lunch/dinner portions or four starter portions.

Ingredients

• 2 pints of boiling water

• 2 vegetable stock cubes. (Preferably low sodium stock cubes). Crumbled

• 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning

• 1 heaped teaspoon of tomato puree
• 10g sundried tomatoes. Soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drained

• 2 sweeteners

• 1 x 410g tin of beans. Drained, rinsed in cold water and patted dry

• 1 teaspoon of olive oil

• 100g onion. Peeled and chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic. Peeled and finely chopped

• 100g leek. Washed, topped, tailed and roughly chopped

• 100g celery. Washed, topped, tailed and roughly sliced

• A good twist of black pepper and a little salt if needed

• 5g of parmesan shavings

• A couple of fresh basil leaves. Washed and roughly torn

Method

Heat a large pot on a medium to high heat. Add the boiling water and bring it back to the boil. When boiling, add the stock cubes, Italian seasoning, puree, sun dried tomatoes, sweeteners and beans. Stir to combine and reduce the heat to medium and allow it to simmer away.
In a separate frying pan, heat to a medium to high heat and add the olive oil and add the onion and fry for 3-5 minutes until softened.
Next add the garlic and continue to fry for a further minute or so. When done, transfer the onion and garlic to the simmering stock.
Next, add the leeks to the frying pan and stir fry for 5 minutes or so until softened. You should season the leeks with a little salt and black pepper. Transfer to the stock when done.
Next, add the celery to the pan and stir fry for 3-5 minutes. (You can add a spray of Fry Light One Cal spray oil if the celery doesn't seem to be doing anything in the pan). Again, season lightly and when done, transfer the celery to stock.
Stir the stock well to make sure the additional ingredients are combined. Bring the stock to the boil and once it's boiled for a minute or so reduce the heat, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or so. You should partially cover the pot with a lid or plate.
Taste it and add pepper and a little salt if it needs it.
Serve in warmed bowls with the parmesan shavings and torn basil leaves on top.

Banana & Raisin Bread

2010-05-31T11:53:00.001+01:00

A bit of baking on the menu today to ease you into the new week! This banana and raisin bread is light and moist and delicious with a cuppa. Great served on it's own, even better with a little low fat butter on top. The loaf will keep perfectly for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container or biscuit tin.

The recipe will make a small loaf.

Ingredients

• 75g raisins

• 15ml unsweetened orange juice

• 50ml low fat milk

• 2 medium bananas. Peeled and mashed

• 1 egg. Lightly beaten

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

• 4 sweeteners. Crushed with a spoon

• 2 teaspoons of honey

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal spray oil

• 225g self-raising flour

• ½ level teaspoon of salt. (Low sodium salt would be best)

• 50g low fat butter. Chilled. (You can pop it into the freezer for a few minutes before using)

Method

Add the raisins to the orange juice and allow to soak for 10 minutes, then drain.
Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl or jug, mash the bananas and milk until it forms a chunky paste. It's fine to leave some larger lumps.
Next add the lightly beaten egg, vanilla essence, sweeteners and honey and stir to combine.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and spray the loaf tin with the spray oil.
Add the drained raisins to the banana mixture and stir to combine.
Next sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the butter and rub it in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Next, add about half the banana mixture to the flour and stir to combine with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Add the remaining banana mixture and stir again until all the flour has fully mixed in.
Transfer to the prepared loaf tin and shake gently to make sure it spreads evenly, filling the tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour, 15 minutes until golden brown. If the top is browning too much, you can cover the loaf with tin foil as it bakes.
Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. To double check if the loaf is fully cooked, you can pierce it with a skewer or cocktail stick. The bread is ready if the skewer emerges clean and contains no residue. Store in an airtight container or biscuit tin.

Lentil Dahl

2010-05-28T12:51:00.006+01:00

Lentil Dahl is a simple Indian dish made with lentils, onion, garlic and ginger delicately spiced with cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne. It goes very well as a side dish with grilled fish, chicken or meat.

Alternatively, you could add some additional cooked veg such as steamed broccoli or cauliflower or some cooked prawns or smoked fish to the dahl to make a main meal.
The following recipe makes makes two portions.

Ingredients

• 15g/1 teaspoon of low fat butter spread

• 1 small onion. (Red or white) or 2 spring onions. Peeled, quartered then blitzed to a pulp

• 1 large or 2 small cloves of fresh garlic. Peeled and finely chopped

• 1 heaped tablespoon of fresh ginger. Washed and finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin (or cumin seeds lightly crushed)

• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric

• ½ teaspoon of ground cayenne

• ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

• 1 x 410g tin of green lentils. Drained, rinsed in cold water and patted dry

• ½ pint of vegetable stock made with ½ stock cube (all the better if low sodium)

• 1 teaspoon of ground garam masala

• small bunch of coriander. Washed and finely chopped

Method

Heat a large pot over a medium to high heat and add the butter. When it's bubbling add the pulped onion and stir fry for 5 minutes or so.
Next add the chopped ginger and garlic and continue to stir fry for a further 30 seconds to a minute.
Then, add the spice mixture and stir enjoying the aroma!
Next add the lentils and stir well to combine. Then add the stock and stir again.
Increase the heat and bring the contents of the pot to the boil. Once it's boiled for a minute or so, reduce the heat to medium, loosely cover with a plate or lid and let it simmer for approximately 15 minutes, stirring every now and then to ensure it's not sticking to the bottom of the pot. The liquid should reduce, but make sure it doesn't boil dry. Add another splash of boiling water if this happens.
Finally, sprinkle on the garam masala. Transfer to warmed bowls or plates and garnish with the chopped coriander.

Braised Lamb & Wholemeal Cream Cheese Dumplings

2010-05-27T13:44:00.001+01:00

Lovely lamb on the menu today! This lamb dish combines braised lamb, simmered gently with vegetables and seasonings, then finished off in the oven with wholemeal dumplings and mozzarella cheese.

The wholemeal dumplings go great with this dish and are a great alternative to mash or pasta. They really fill you up and have a surprisingly 'meaty' consistency that goes well with the veg.

The following recipe makes two main course portions. The dumpling mixture makes approximately 18-20 dumplings.

Ingredients for the lamb

• 1½ pints of boiling water

• 2 chicken stock cubes, crumbled

• 1 heaped teaspoon of tomato puree

• 2 sweeteners

• 1 teaspoon of dried or fresh thyme

• 2 teaspoons of dried or fresh parsley

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 bouquet garni

• 4 sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 300g Lamb. Trimmed of all visible fat and cubed

• 5g / 1 teaspoon of low fat butter spread

• 1 medium onion. Peeled and sliced

• 2 cloves of garlic. Peeled and finely chopped

• 2 medium carrots. Washed, topped, tailed, peeled and roughly chopped

• 2 sticks of celery. Washed, topped, tailed and roughly chopped

• Salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients for the dumplings

• 4 sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 80g of low fat or extra low fat cream cheese

• 1 egg. Lightly beaten

• 80g of wholemeal flour

• 1 vegetable stock cube. Crumbled

• ½ a teaspoon of dried garlic granules

• 1 teaspoon of parsley

Ingredients to complete the dish

• 40g of grated low fat mozzarella cheese (Low Low works very well).

• 1 teaspoon of parsley

Method

Add the boiling water to a large pot and crumble in the stock cubes. Turn the heat to medium and add the puree, sweeteners, seasonings, bay leaf, bouquet garni. Stir to make sure all the ingredients are combined and let it bubble away.
Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan on a high heat and add 2 sprays of oil. Add half the lamb and fry for 3-5 minutes until browned. Transfer the lamb to the simmering stock.
Then, add the second 2 sprays of oil and fry the rest of the lamb until browned. Again, transfer to the stock when browned. If the lamb has left some residue on the pan, just add a splash of water to deglaze and add this to the simmering pot.
Next, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. When it’s bubbling, add the onion. Stir gently for 3-5 minutes, until lightly coloured. Then add the garlic and continue to fry for a further minute. Add the onion and garlic mixture to the simmering stock.
Next, add the chopped carrots and fry gently for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. You should lightly season the carrots with salt and pepper. Transfer the carrots to the simmering stock.
Next, add the chopped celery to the pan and fry gently for 5 minutes until lightly browned. You should lightly season the celery with salt and pepper. Also, transfer to the stock.
Stir to make sure all the additional ingredients are combined. Bring the pot back to the boil for a minute or so. Then reduce the heat to low/medium and partially cover the pot with a lid and leave to simmer for a minimum of 1 hour until the lamb is tender. You might need to add another splash of boiling water if the sauce is reducing quite a lot.
To make the dumplings. Line a baking tray with tin foil and add the spray oil.
Mix the cheese and egg together in a large bowl with a fork until they have a creamy consistency.
Mix the flour, stock cube, garlic granules and parsley together and fold into the cheese/egg mix. Mix together for a minute or so until well combined.
To shape the dumplings, take a teaspoon of the mixture and roll into a sausage shape approximately an inch and a half long in the palm of your hand. (Wetting your hand helps). Place on the baking tray and continue with the rest of the mixture.
When the lamb has been on for half an hour or so turn the oven to 180°C to bake the dumplings. Bake the dumplings for 20 minutes until golden brown, turning once. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
To complete the dish, turn the oven to 200°C When the lamb is done, remove the bay leaf and bouquet garni. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
Transfer the lamb to an ovenproof dish, top with the dumplings and then sprinkle the grated mozzarella on top. Bake in the oven for approximately 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling.
Remove from the oven. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve in warmed bowls.

Arancini - Crispy Risotto Balls

2010-05-26T13:36:00.001+01:00

Arancini is a rustic Italian dish that's a great way to use up any left over cooked risotto rice. In my version, a little low fat cheese is hidden inside a ball of cooled risotto rice, coated in breadcrumbs and gently pan fried so the outside crisps up, while the cheese inside melts. Perfect as a starter, they are great served with a little Tomato Pesto or pasta sauce on the side for dipping.

Also, this post is the 100th recipe I've posted on the site. Since it's been set up in February, over 2,500 unique visitors have viewed more than 5,000 page impressions and I'd like to thank you all for your support and encouragement. Here's to the next 100!

This recipe should give you approximately 10 risotto balls.

Ingredients

• 100g of risotto rice. Cooked as Basic Risotto and allowed to cool

• 40g of low fat mozzarella. Cut into 10 x 4g cubes

• 1 medium egg. Lightly beaten

• 100ml low fat milk

• 2 slices of Weightwatchers wholemeal bread (To be blitzed into bread crumbs)

• 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

• ½ vegetable or chicken stock cube. Crumbled

• 4 sprays of Fry Light One Cal spray oil

• a good twist of black pepper

Method

In a small bowl, mix the egg and milk and beat with a fork to combine.
Blitz the bread with a hand blender or food processor. Add the Italian seasoning and stock cube and transfer to a shallow bowl.
To shape the balls, take about a teaspoon of the risotto mixture in the palm of your hand. Place a mozzarella cube in the centre. Take another teaspoon sized portion of rice and place on top. Shape with both hands ensuring the cheese is completely covered. Place onto a sheet of tin foil or a clean plate while you continue to shape the rest of the balls. The balls can be refrigerated at this stage, then coated and fried when you're ready to serve them.
To cook the risotto balls, heat a large pan over a medium heat and add the spray oil.
Quickly dip the risotto ball into the egg/milk mix and lightly "splash" to ensure it's coated. Next place it into the breadcrumb bowl and sprinkle breadcrumbs over them. Remove and very lightly shake off the excess and place onto a clean plate.
When you have the first 5 risotto balls done. Transfer them to the pan and fry gently for 8-10 minutes, turning regularly. (A little longer if they have been refrigerated before frying). I find it's easier to shape the balls into cubes, using a pallet knife or the back of a fork, as you can then turn them to ensure all sides are crispy. When they are cooked, transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat the process with the remaining mixture and then serve with a twist of black pepper.

Pan Fried Nut Crumbed Pork

2010-05-25T14:33:00.001+01:00

Pan fried pork on the menu today! In this recipe the pork is dipped into a mix of breadcrumbs, ground nuts and herbs to give it a delicious crust. The crust seals and protects the pork inside and allows it to cook gently in the pan. Great served with some steamed veg, it also works very well with some Whole Wheat Pasta and a stir in sauce like Tomato Pesto.

The pork in the post was provided by Bord Bia - Irish Food Board at the food blogger event organised with The Good Mood Food Blog- Donal Skehan last week. Prior to the event, Bord Bia sent pork packs to Irish food bloggers, but I was unable to get mine as we were out of the country for a few days. Big thanks to Maeve Desmond from Bord Bia who arranged for me to get some choice cuts from GMIT butchery lecturer Pat Conway's handiwork to make up!

The seeds I used for the crust are the pumpkin mix made by Good4U as part of their smart seeds range. Thanks to them also for the samples they provided.

The following recipe will coat two large pork chops.

Ingredients

• 2 pork chops. Trimmed of any visible fat

• 1 medium egg. Lightly beaten

• 100ml low fat milk

• 2 slices of Weightwatchers wholemeal bread (To be blitzed into bread crumbs)

• 10g of pine nuts

• 20g pumpkin seeds

• 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

• ½ teaspoon garlic granules

• ½ vegetable or chicken stock cube. Crumbled

• 4 sprays of Fry Light One Cal spray oil

• a good twist of black pepper

Method

In a small bowl, mix the egg and milk and beat with a fork to combine.
Blitz the bread, pine nuts and pumpkin seeds together with a hand blender or food processor. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic granules and stock cube and transfer to a medium sized plastic food bag.
Next, heat a large pan over a high heat and add the spray oil.
Dip the chop into the egg/milk mix, then place in the bag of breadcrumbs and lightly shake until it's well coated. Shake off the excess and place the chop into the pan.
Repeat the process with the second chop and place it into the pan also.
Allow the chops to brown for 5 minutes, the carefully turn them and brown the other side for a further five minutes.
Reduce the heat to low/medium and allow the chops to cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes until fully cooked.
Transfer to warmed plates and serve.

Sundried Tomato & Olive Wholemeal Pizza

2010-05-24T15:23:00.001+01:00

Delicious healthy pizza on the menu today. The classic combo of sundried tomato and olives served over tomato sauce with melted cheeses.

This pizza base recipe is made with half white and half wholemeal flour to keep it on the light side. You could easily add a little more veg or some chopped cooked meat if you want to make the pizza go a bit further.

The recipe will make 1 large pizza that serves two people.

Ingredients for the base

• 160g of wholemeal flour

• 160g of plain white flour

• 1 vegetable (or chicken) stock cube (low sodium cubes are best). Crumbled

• 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

• 2 level teaspoons of dried powered yeast

• 1 teaspoon of olive oil

• approximately 250 ml of warm water (a little more if needed)

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

Ingredients for the toppings

• 150g of tomato sauce. Pasta Sauce, Red Pepper & Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce or Tomato Pesto would all work

• 8-10 olives. Pitted and halved. All green, all black or a mixture are fine

• 2 sundried tomatoes. Soaked in warm water for 5 minutes, then finely chopped

• 50g of low fat mozzarella cheese. Sliced

• 40g of low fat cheddar cheese. Sliced

• 10g parmesan cheese. Finely grated

• ½ teaspoon of dried oregano

• a good twist of black pepper

Method

Place the flour, stock cube and Italian seasoning into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.
Mix the yeast, warm water and olive oil together in a jug and mix to combine.
Add about half the liquid and mix to form a rough dough. Mix in the centre, drawing the flour from the sides.
Add the rest of the water, one tablespoon at a time and continue to bring the dough together for another minute or so. If the dough is still a bit too floury add another splash of water, if it's looking too wet, add a little more wholemeal flour.
Flour a clean board or work surface well with wholemeal flour and tip the dough onto it. Next dust the top of the dough and flatten it out slightly. Knead it gently to bring it together for approximately 2 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl and allow to rest for 30 minutes covered with some cling film, sprayed with a little spray oil. You should then cover the entire bowl with a clean cloth or tea towel and leave in a warm place like a window sill. The dough should raise slightly.
When you're ready to bake the pizza, turn the oven to 220°C degrees and line an upturned baking sheet with tin foil. Add a couple of sprays of oil to the tin foil.
To prepare the pizza base, dust a clean board or work surface lightly with wholemeal flour and tip the dough onto it again.
Next take the dough and flatten it out slightly. Dust with flour again and roll/press the dough flat into a rounded rectangle shape approximately half an inch thick and place on the lined tray.
Next, spoon the tomato sauce onto the pizza base, leaving a gap around the edges. Next add the olives, then the cheeses, then the seasonings evenly and bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes at the centre of the oven until the base is cooked and the cheese and melted and turned golden brown.
Carefully remove from the oven and slice into 6 and serve.

Smoked Trout with Creamy Pasta

2010-05-21T13:43:00.001+01:00

Smoked trout is a great standby product to have in the fridge. It's fully prepared and can be added to cooked pasta or rice to make a great dinner or simply added to salad or served with Wholemeal Bread for a filling lunch. It's also very good for you as it's a great source of Omega 3 oils and is full of vitamins.

Supper Satisfaction was out and about yesterday at an event for the Irish food blogging community organised by Bord Bia - Irish Food Board & The Good Mood Food Blog- Donal Skehan. They very kindly arranged some samples from Irish food producers including the fantastic smoked trout used in today's recipe which was provided by Goatsbridge Premium Irish Trout.

The following recipe serves two.

Ingredients for the pasta
• 120g pasta
• 1 vegetable or chicken stock cube
• ½ teaspoon salt (Or better still low sodium salt)
• 2 pints of water

Ingredients for the sauce
• 120g low fat (or better still extra low fat) cream cheese
• 200ml of low fat milk
• 75g of peas. Fresh or frozen would both work
• 15g parmesan. Finely grated
• juice of half a lemon
• Half a vegetable or chicken stock cube. (Or low better still low sodium). Crumbled
• a good twist of black pepper
• 100g Smoked Trout. Roughly flaked and checked for small bones
• Fresh parsley. Finely chopped for garnish

Method

Add the water to a large pan and bring to the boil. Add the stock cube and salt and stir to combine. When it's back to boiling point, add the pasta and stir to ensure it's not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and let it bubble away for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a medium pan over a medium heat and add the cheese and milk and stir gently to combine.
When the cheese has melted, add the peas and stir to combine.
Next add the parmesan and stir in. Let it the sauce bubble away until the pasta is ready.
When the pasta is ready, remove from the heat and drain in a colander.
Next, add the lemon and stock cube to the sauce. If the sauce has thickened a little, add another splash of milk to the pan. If it's a little watery, you can add a little more parmesan.
Taste to check the seasoning and adjust as necessary adding black pepper.
Next add the pasta to the sauce along with half the flaked trout and stir to combine for a minute or so.
Transfer to warmed bowls and flake the other half of the trout on top.
Garnish with the parsley and serve.

Wholemeal Bread

2010-05-20T13:00:00.003+01:00

A bit of baking on the menu today! This wholemeal bread recipe is kept light by using a mixture of white and wholemeal flour.

While perfect for finger sandwiches, it's a good idea to have some soup in the house when baking this loaf as it's simply perfect for dunking!
This recipe will make one small loaf.

Ingredients

• 150g white flour. Plus more for dusting when kneading

• 175g wholemeal flour. Plus more for dusting before baking

• 1 vegetable stock cube. (Low sodium if possible). Crumbled
• 2 sweeteners. Crushed with the back of a spoon

• 2 level teaspoons of dried powered yeast

• 2 teaspoons of olive oil

• approximately 100 ml of water mixed with 100ml of low fat milk. Warmed slightly by heating in the microwave for 1 minute on full power

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

Method

Place flour, stock cube, sweeteners and yeast into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.
Add the olive oil to the warmed water/milk mixture and add about half the liquid to the bowl and mix to form a rough dough. Mix in the centre, drawing the flour from the sides.
Add the rest of the liquid, one tablespoon at a time and continue to bring the dough together for another minute or so. If the dough is still a bit too floury add another splash of water, if it's looking too wet, add a little more flour.
Flour a clean board or work surface well with white flour and tip the dough onto it. Next dust the top of the dough and flatten it out slightly. Knead it gently to bring it together for approximately 8 minutes until the dough has a slightly elastic feel to it.
Transfer the dough to a tin, lightly sprayed with the One Cal Spray Oil and allow to rest in a warm place for 45 minutes covered with some cling film, sprayed with a little more spray oil. The dough should rise slightly.
When you're ready to bake the bread, turn the oven to 200°C degrees.
Remove the cling film and lightly dust the loaf with wholemeal flour. Bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven until golden brown. If the top is browning too much, you can cover the loaf with some tin foil and continue to bake.
Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Cover the loaf with a clean cloth or tea towel to stop it becoming too crispy as it cools and a medium security cordon to stop it being eaten while you're making soup!

Spicy Bean Burgers

2010-05-19T16:24:00.000+01:00

These veggie burgers are a great combination of veg, breadcrumbs and mixed beans. Fantastic served on a bun with a little low fat mayo and ketchup, they also go great served with some thai sweet chili sauce on a bed of Brown Rice as a main meal.

Alternatively, they also work with Wholemeal Wraps, Wholemeal Pitta Breads or Flour Tortillas as a filling lunch.

The following recipe makes 8 burgers.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon/5g of low fat butter spread

• ½ onion. Finely chopped

• ½ yellow pepper. Washed and finely chopped

• 1 medium/2 small cloves of garlic. Finely chopped

• 75g mixed peas and sweetcorn. Fresh or frozen. Soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes before use.

• 2 x slices of Weight watchers whole meal bread, blitzed with a hand blender

• 1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled

• ½ teaspoon of chili powder

• ½ teaspoon of chili flakes

• 400g tin of mixed beans. Drained and rinsed in cold

• a little salt and a good twist of black pepper

• 1 medium egg. Lightly beaten

Method

Heat a pan over a medium heat and add the butter. When it's bubbling, add the onion and pepper and stir fry for 5 minutes or so until softened.
Add the garlic and continue to fry for a further minute or so.
Add the drained mixed peas and sweetcorn and continue to fry for a further minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Meanwhile combine the breadcrumbs, stock cube, chili powder, chili flakes and beans in a bowl and mix to combine, mashing the beans with a fork.
Next add the stir fried veg and stir to combine, seasoning well with salt and black pepper.
Add the lightly beaten egg and mix in. If the mixture is too wet, you can add a few more breadcrumbs. If it's too dry, you can add a splash of low fat milk).
To shape the burgers. Divide the mixture into eight pieces. (Divide in half, then quarters, then halve these to make eighths). Roll each section into a golf ball sized ball and then flatten out. Keep the burgers on a clean plate or sheet of tin foil until you're ready to grill them.
Heat the grill to a medium to high heat and add the burgers. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes until they are browned and warmed through, turning frequently. (A slanted grill like a 'George Forman' would also work well).
Transfer the burgers to warm plates and serve.

Banana & Bran Muffins

2010-05-18T14:17:00.004+01:00

These banana and bran muffins are a light and very moist, yet surprisingly filling. Ideal as a breakfast on the go, or a great top up your daily fibre later in the day.

You could easily increase the fruit content by folding in some fresh blueberries or blackberries to the completed mixture. A handful of chopped nuts would also work, but make sure to count the extra calories if you are watching your weight.

The recipe will make approximately 12 muffins.

Ingredients

• 80g bran flakes

• 250ml low fat milk

• 2 medium bananas. Peeled and mashed

• 150ml cold water (a little less if your bananas are very ripe and mushy)

• 1 egg. Lightly beaten

• 3ml (approximately 6 drops) of vanilla essence

• 6 sweeteners. Crushed with a spoon

• 60g self-raising flour

• 60g wholemeal flour

• 1 level teaspoon / 5g baking soda

• 1 level teaspoon / 5g baking powder

Method

Add the bran to a large bowl and add the milk. Leave to soak for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, mash the bananas and water until it forms a paste. It's fine to leave some larger lumps.
Next add the lightly beaten egg, vanilla essence and sweeteners and stir to combine.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a muffin tin with paper cases.
When the bran has soaked for 10 minutes, add the banana mixture to bowl and stir to combine.
Next sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into the bowl and stir to combine. (Just add the husks from the wholemeal flour to the bowl also).
Spoon 2 tablespoons of the mixture into each cases until all the cases are approximately half filled.
Bake on the top shelf for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. The muffins might be a little sticky if eaten before they're fully cooled. Store in an airtight container or biscuit tin.

Oriental Salad Dressing

2010-05-17T12:56:00.001+01:00

The weather does seem to be getting a little better. Well it's warmer, if not quite sunnier at least and salads will soon be on the menu again!

This recipe is a light oriental salad dressing that can be thrown together in no time. Fantastic with a mixed leaf salad, the dressing also goes great poured over Soba / Buckwheat Noodles. It would also work as dipping sauce served along side Vegetable Spring Rolls, Wontons or Oriental Meatballs.

The dressing will coat 100g of mixed leaf salad and serve two people.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce

• 2 table spoons of orange juice. (Unsweetened is best. Fresh if you can manage)

• 1 sweetener (Add a second sweetener if your orange juice is a little bitter)

• ½ teaspoon of chili flakes (more if you like it spicy)
• a good dash of white pepper and a little salt

• several drops of sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds (you can dry roast them in a dry pan on a medium heat for a couple of minutes if you're feeling fancy!)

Method

Mix the soy, orange juice and sweetener in a container or jar with a lid. Put the lid on and shake well until combined.
Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine and serve poured over mixed leaves and toss to coat well.

Sesame Egg Fried Noodles

2010-05-14T15:32:00.002+01:00

Egg fried noodles are a big favourite from the takeaway, but can contain lots of oils and calories. This recipe uses spray oil to keep the calories down, but still retains the traditional taste.f

This dish can easily be padded out with additional veg such as blanched broccoli, asparagus or mange tout to make it go a bit further. You can also add cooked chicken, prawns or ham.

The following recipe makes noodles for two people.

Ingredients

• 2 bundles of soba buckwheat noodles. Simmered in boiling water for 5 minutes, then rinsed in cold water

• 2 sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray oil

• 2 eggs. Lightly beaten

• 4 sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray

• 2-3 tablespoons of light soy sauce

• a good dash of white pepper

• several drops of sesame oil

• 75g mixed peas and sweetcorn. Fresh or frozen

• 2 spring onions. Topped, tailed and finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds

Method

Heat a large frying pan on a high heat and when hot (almost smoking), add the two sprays of oil. Next add the beaten eggs and stir constantly, breaking the omelette into small pieces. This should only take a minute or two. When cooked, transfer to a plate and keep to one side.
Next add the mixed peas and sweetcorn to a small bowl and pour 100-200 ml of boiling water over them. Leave to one side.
In the pan you made the eggs, wipe the pan clean of any egg residue and return to the heat. When hot (again, almost smoking) add the four sprays of oil or and add the cooked noodles. Stir well to break up any lumps.
Continue to fry for 3-4 minutes. Stirring constantly.
Next add the cooked egg and stir fry for 30 seconds or so.
Drain the water from the mixed peas and sweetcorn and add them to the pan also.
Next, add the soy sauce and stir in. (The pan should sizzle when you do this). Continue to stir fry for 30 seconds.
Give the noodles a good dusting of white pepper and add 5-6 drops of sesame oil and stir again for a further 30 seconds.
Finally, add one of the chopped spring onions and stir in.
Divide between two warmed bowls, garnish with the other chopped spring onion and sesame seeds and serve.

Potato Rosti

2010-05-13T13:00:00.002+01:00

Potato rostis are a great alternative to mashed or boiled potatos. They go great with chicken or fish and can be impressive if entertaining.

The secret to making great rostis is to remove as much liquid as possible from the potato onion mix and not poking around too much when it's in the pan!

The recipe will give 2 rostis.

Ingredients

• 100g of potato. Washed, grated and split into two even portions

• 2 spring onions. Washed, topped, tailed and finely sliced

• a little sea salt

• 1 teaspoon of low fat butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place the chopped onion and grated potato into the centre of a clean dry cloth or tea-towel and combine. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and allow to sit for a minute or so, to draw the moisture out.
Heat a small frying or omelet pan to a medium to high heat.
Bring the four corners of the cloth together and twist the bundle to wring out the moisture. Twist as hard as you can while holding the cloth over a sink.
Add half a teaspoon of butter to the pan and when it's bubbling, sprinkle half the potato mixture on and press it down to make a round with a spatula or egg lifter to flatten it out.
Don't touch the rosti and allow to fry until golden brown for approximately 5 minutes.
Carefully turn it over and cook on the reverse for a further 3 minutes or so.
Transfer to warmed plates and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the other half of the potato mixture to make the second rosti.

Fajita Seasoning

2010-05-12T14:35:00.004+01:00

Most of the large supermarkets offer fajita seasoning packets. Many are quite expensive and tend to contain lots of salt and flavour enhancers to make them last longer. This simple mix tastes great and can be kept in an airtight container for a couple of weeks.

The mix is just sprinkled over cubed chicken and fried with peppers and onions to make fajitas. Add a little boiling water to the pan when the veg and chicken are cooked. This can be served with Wholemeal Wraps or Flour Tortillas or over Brown Rice.

This recipe makes enough seasoning for 2 chicken breasts.

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons of cornflour
• 2 teaspoons of chili powder

• 1 teaspoon of paprika

• 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube. (Or low sodium cubes). Crumbled

• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon in cumin. (Crushed seeds or powdered would both work)
• ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes (more if you like it spicy)
• ½ cayenne pepper
• 2 sweeteners. Crushed with the back of a spoon

Method

Combine all the ingredients. Transfer to an airtight container until you're ready to use it.

Pasta & Beans

2010-05-11T13:00:00.003+01:00

I've mentioned before that we try to have at least one veggie meal a week. A vegetarian, if not quite a vegan option is a great way to cut the calories, save a little money, not to mention saving the planet!

This pasta and beans dish is a great one pot supper that requires minimum effort. The veg can easily be chopped before hand and cooked off when needed.
The recipe will give 2 generous portions.

Ingredients

• 4 sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 1 onion. Red or white. Peeled and finely chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 teaspoon of chili flakes. A little less if you don't want it too spicy
• 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
• 2 medium carrots. Washed, topped, tailed, peeled and roughly chopped

• 2 sticks of celery. Washed, topped, tailed and roughly chopped

• 2 medium potatoes. Washed and roughly chopped into cubes

• 1 pint of vegetable stock

• 1 x 400g tin of butter beans (mixed beans or kidney beans would also work.) Drained, rinsed under the cold tap and patted dry.

• 100g wholemeal pasta shapes. Penne or swirls would work.
• 2 ripe tomatoes. Washed and roughly chopped
• parmesan cheese. A couple of shavings.

• a small bunch of parsley, finely chopped and a twist of black pepper to serve

Method

Heat a large pot over a medium to high heat and add the spray oil. Add the vegetables, chili flakes and Italian seasoning and let them soften for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the stock, beans and pasta and stir well to combine. Turn up the heat and bring the pot to the boil for a minute or so. Once it's boiled, reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the pasta and potato is cooked through.
To serve, transfer to warmed pasta bowls and add the chopped tomato and parmesan shavings.

Lamb Tagine

2010-05-10T13:00:00.002+01:00

Lamb Tagine on the menu today. A tagine is the name given to an earthenware dish that is used in North African cookery and the meals made in them. This take on a tagine is done on the the hob with lamb and vegetables simmered gently, spiced with cinnamon, cumin and chili powder, then sweetened slightly with a little honey.

This dish is great served with Brown Rice or Lemon & Coriander Couscous.

The following recipe makes two generous portions.

Ingredients

• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

• 2 teaspoons of tomato puree

• Half a pint of boiling water

• 3 sweeteners

• 2 chicken stock cubes, crumbled (or low sodium stock if prefered)

• 1 teaspoon of chili powder

• 1 teaspoon of cumin. Seeds or powdered cumin
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

• 4 sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 400g lamb. Leg steaks are the leanest. Trimmed of any visible fat and cubed

• 1 green pepper, washed, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 2 sticks of celery. Washed, topped, tailed and finely chopped
• 2-3 carrots. Washed, topped, tailed, peeled and roughly chopped

• 5g / 1 teaspoon of low fat butter spread

• 1 medium onion. (Red or white). Peeled and finely sliced

• 2 cloves of garlic. Peeled and finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons of honey
• Salt to taste

• A good twist of black pepper

Method

Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, stock cubes, boiling water and sweeteners to a large pot. Turn the heat to a high heat and bring the pot to a boil. Once it’s boiled, reduce the heat to medium and add the chili powder, cumin and cinnamon and stir in.
Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan on a high heat and add 2 sprays of oil. Add half the lamb and fry for 3-5 minutes until browned. Transfer the lamb to the simmering sauce.
Then, add the second 2 sprays of oil and fry the rest of the lamb until browned. Again, transfer to the sauce when browned.
Next, add the chopped peppers and fry gently for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned. You should lightly season the peppers with salt and pepper. Transfer the peppers to the tomato sauce.
Next, add the chopped celery and fry gently for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned. You should lightly season the celery with salt and pepper. Transfer to the tomato sauce.
Next, add the chopped carrot and fry gently for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. You should lightly season the carrot with salt and pepper. Transfer to the tomato sauce.
Finally, add the butter spread to the pan and, when bubbling, add the onions. Stir gently for 3-5 minutes, until lightly coloured. Then add the garlic and continue to fry for a further minute. Add the onion and garlic mixture to the tomato sauce also. You can add a splash of boiling water to dissolve any residue left in the pan. Add this to the tomato sauce also.
Stir the tomato sauce gently to make sure all the additional ingredients are combined. Bring the pot back to the boil and let it bubble for a minute or so.
Reduce the heat to low/medium and partially cover the pot with a lid and leave to simmer for approximately 1 and half hours. Stir the pot every 30 minutes or so to ensure the sauce is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Add the honey and taste to check the seasoning and add some salt and pepper as needed.
Divide into two portions and serve.

Aubergine & Tomato Bake

2010-05-07T13:00:00.000+01:00

This Italian vegetable bake is a delicious mix of cooked aubergines and ripe tomatoes, baked in the oven with parmesan cheese.

Ideal as a light meal, or great as a starter. It can easily be assembled before hand and popped into the oven when needed.
The following recipe makes 2 portions.

Ingredients

• 4 sprays of Spray Light One Cal spray oil

• 1 medium aubergine sliced into half inch slices
• a little salt and a good twist of black pepper
• 4 sprays of Spray Light One Cal spray oil
• 4-5 ripe tomatoes. Washed, patted dry and chopped into eighths

• 15-20g parmesan cheese
• a little salt and a good twist of black pepper
• garnish with chopped parsley and a little black pepper

Method

Heat a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. When it's hot, add the sprays of oil and add the slices of aubergine in batches. Season with the salt and pepper and allow to fry for 3-5 minutes until browned, turning once. When done, leave to dry on kitchen paper.
Heat the oven to 190°C and add the four sprays of spray oil to a shallow oven proof dish.
Add the slices of aubergine to the dish, staring with the slices from the larger end. Top with the sliced tomato pieces. Sprinkle with parmesan and season with salt and pepper.
Repeat this until you have 3 layers.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes in the centre of the oven until the cheese has melted and the aubergine has started to crisp a little.
When done, remove carefully from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Transfer to warmed plates making sure to scrape the dish for the crispy parmesan and sprinkle over. Garnish with the chopped parsley.