It's That Time Again....

 All dishes still to be cooked this week and any in the near future will be with weight loss in mind.  I know that when it comes to this subject, many of us want to run screaming for the hills; fat content, weighing and calorie counting don't figure in my plan life is too short but lots of fresh vegetables, smaller portions and tasty little bites of treats do as does a wee bit of gin and tonic and wine...lets face it, you didn't expect any less. I don't intend to tell you my weight gawd help us all as I don't have scales but when I'm down a few dress sizes, I'll letya know!  

I'll work out the calorie and fat content of some meals for those that requested it last time.

I like something sweet in the mornings so that's when I'll be treating myself: digestive biscuits with margarine and jam, Welsh cake, croissant or cookie but just the one.   Lunches will be soups, light snacks, crackers like Ryvita with goats cheese, tomatoes and salads with light sprinkling of nuts and seeds.

The fridge and freezer heave with leftovers yet I have lots of fresh food; it's a battle over which to eat first.   Fresh veg should always be used so today I made chicken soup with chickpeas and grilled vegetables with halloumi cheese.   The kids had a separate meal of salmon pasta.

Pan-fried Salmon Pasta with Parmesan, Lemon and Peas

Cook pasta as per instructions.   Drain and drizzle with a little olive oil, a knob of butter, a large handful of grated Parmesan cheese, a good squeeze of lemon juice and a heaped teaspoon double cream.   Mix well and add in the cooked salmon, cooked peas and top with a good grinding of black pepper and some more grated Parmesan.

 Chicken Soup with Chickpeas

 

This recipe was taken from Sophie Dahl's 'Voluptuous Delights'.   I highly recommend it, I love this soup!   Mildly but expertly spiced, delicate yet full of flavour, I could live off this for a long time.   I intend to make it at some point with the addition of cubed potatoes, maybe some toasted cumin seeds and serve it with flatbread.   Delicious.

 

1 medium onion, chopped**

**white onion but I used red this time, worked well

2 tbs olive oil

Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon 

Half a teaspoon of ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon of ground turmeric

A pinch of ground cumin

1 swede or turnip, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, washed and sliced

2 litres/8 cups of chicken stock

750g/1.5 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped **

**I used two free range chicken breasts this time around....approx 250g...I think the recipe suggestion is rather a lot of chicken but I think thigh meat would work better

400g/13oz can of chickpeas

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh chopped parsley or coriander/cilantro, to serve

Sweat the onion in the oil in a big, deep pan over a low heat.   Add all the spices, stir to coat and cook for several minutes.   Throw in veg and stir, cooking gently.   Add stock and chicken and cook for a further 15 minutes.   Add chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes.   I put lid on and simmered slowly.   Season to taste.   I added a squeeze of lemon juice too.   Serve with the chopped herb of choice and Sophie recommends a splash of olive oil but I didn't use this time.

 

Grilled Vegetables with Halloumi Cheese

 

Sophie Dahl again!   Tasty although I hate it when veg goes soggy so make sure the veg is thinly sliced so that it crisps up quickly. This was nice but I'm unsure if I'd make it again until my grill is fixed (I used the oven this time).   Thinly slice aubergine and courgette (eggplant/zucchini).   Salt the aubergine and leave for 30 minutes...this will draw out the moisture.   Rinse with cold water and pat dry.   Place with the courgette on a tray, sprinkle with ground cumin and then combine 2 tablespoons olive oil and the juice of half a lemon and drizzle over veg.   Grill for a few minutes (I actually used the oven as my grill isn't working...grilling would be MUCH better) and then turn over.   Add halloumi cheese and blast under the grill under golden. 

Artichoke Tart and Jersey Royal Potatoes with Pesto

Salmon coated in Panko Breadcrumbs with Baby New Buttered Potatoes

The kid's chocolate cupcakes with Nutella and Malteser Topping...well done kids, delicious!

Ryvita with Brie, Pesto, Olives, Cherry Tomatoes, Parmesan Shavings and lightly grilled Parma Ham

 Day One: Today's breakfast was two digestive biscuits with margarine and jam, lunch was crunchy salad and dinner and supper was the chicken soup with a little of the grilled veg.   I ate two chocolates with coffee as I had visitors.   Lets call it dessert.....

101 Ways to Cook Vegetables

I sit here typing, unable to move out of this space as a structure has been built up behind me, ceiling high, made up of cushions, tripods, brushes and blankets; it is precarious, to say the least.   To the left of me is four children, eagerly watching Corpse Bride, heads held in hands, stuck out of said structure.  To the right of me is my husband, drilling a hole in something and cutting wires for reasons unknown to me although I'm sure he explained it less than twenty minutes before.  I feel rather trapped.  

This makes me consider the need for emergency supplies; a secret squirrelling of sweet and salty snacks to keep me going for an undetermined level of time, hidden beneath my computer desk.   I'd start with a kettle that plugs into a hard drive surely such a thing has been invented? for that ever needed cup of tea or coffee.   A supply of Reese's Cups would be nice or my own version, tucked into an airtight container.   Some crunchy Kettle crisps would be a must and maybe a bottle of fizzy or two coke, Irn Bru, champagne...... A packet of midget gems or Sports gums could keep me alive here for years 20 minutes and some sweet tomatoes with a little packet of salt to dip them into.

Or I could just crawl over the couch.

Take a blagged bucket of veg, fresh from a farm and ponder their fate:

Way no. 13:

Vegetable Curry

Chop, peel and wash fresh veg and sliced garlic and fry in a little oil with cumin seeds, ground ginger, ground cumin, kalonji seeds, cinnamon stick and curry powder.   Add a little turmeric.   Add tomatoes.   Stir gently and add a little vegetable stock and cook until soft.  Add a little coconut paste and yoghurt and serve with homemade cumin bread......

Cumin Bread with Kalonji Seeds

Mix together equal quantities of wholemeal and white flour with a pinch of salt and a sprinkling of kalonji seeds and toasted cumin seeds.   Add a little oil and mix.   Add some cold water, enough to form a nice ball of dough and knead for five minutes.   Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.  

Remove from fridge and roll out on some sprinkled flour until roughly the size of the pan you are cooking it in.   Heat a little oil in said pan and when really hot, dump in the dough.   It will brown and start to rise immediately.   Press down all over and after a minute, turn over.   Press down once more.   Brush with a little melted butter and sprinkle with salt.   Eat with curry and a spoonful of yoghurt on the side.   Mmmm.

Way no. 42:

Spinach & Rocket Pesto Pasta with grilled and toasted vegetables

Place quartered onions and tomatoes in a hot oven, drizzled with olive oil, salt and a sprinkling of oregano.   Thinly slice the courgette and griddle or grill after brushing with yet more olive oil.   Sprinkle with salt and pepper when cooked.   Cook pasta and toss with a little pesto...basil pesto works just as well.   Top with veg and chopped, fresh basil and some more black pepper....enjoy.

The Time Has Come, The Walrus Said.....

Good afternoon, fellow bloggy peeps, friends and family who read this blog, my apologies for my absence once again but the holidays are over with, my plans have evolved and I now have time to sit here at my favourite indoor place and talk about grub!   Isn't life grand?

The food budget remains at £50 per week and I find it easier as the good weather comes in; salads, light soups, citrus-y chicken and feta dishes all are the order of spring and the best quality still costs low.   Meals this past week:

Salmon Nuggets

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets, cut into bite sized chunks

Either: 1 packet plain crisps, crushed or two good handfuls breadcrumbs, seasoned

1 Egg, beaten and seasoned

Oil, if frying

Dip salmon bites into seasoned, beaten egg and then into bowl containing crushed crisps or breadcrumbs.   If frying, heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook over a medium heat until outside is crispy brown and inside cooked.   Cut one open to check; they shouldn't take long because of their size.

Alternatively, place them in a hot oven for approx. 8 minutes.   Serve with petit pois and broccolli.

Cupcakes 

I use a lemon Madeira cake recipe for the cupcakes and a butter icing with vanilla, food colouring and little iced flowers.   I had friends coming over so this was for them and for the kid's tea.

 

Sausage n' mash

Ingredients:

1 packet of sausages

6 large Maris Piper potatoes, peeled or equivalent, suitable for mashing

Knob of butter

Dash of milk

Sea Salt

Pepper

Gravy to taste 

Boil potatoes in salted water until very tender, drain and dry for 20 seconds over heat, making sure not to burn.   I do this with the heat off.   Mash potatoes with a masher and then add butter, salt, pepper and milk.   Mash some more until soft, adding more butter if required.   Using a fork, mash through once again to ensure the potatoes are soft and fluffy.

Whilst the potatoes are cooking, fry sausages in a pan over a medium heat.   I prick a few of the sausages and therefore don't need to add oil to the pan as the fat comes off the sausage meat.   Turn every few minutes to ensure even browning.

Place mash in a bowl, stick sausages in and pour a little gravy round the side with the rest served in a gravy boat.   This is lovely served with fried onions or beans.

Tomatoes stuffed with cheese and herbs

 Ingredients:

Small, ripe tomatoes, approx. two per person

Handful of basil leaves, chopped

Handful of grated Parmesan

Optional: chopped feta cheese

Olive oil

Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

Halve the tomatoes and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper.   Stuff with feta, if using and a good teaspoon of basil leaves.   Drizzle with a little more oil and top with a teaspoon of Parmesan cheese.

Bake in medium oven for approx. 10-15 minutes until tomatoes are soft and cheese has coloured.   Serve with scallops, salad, pasta or as a side with lamb escalopes, chicken or anything else that takes your fancy.

 

 Serving the tomatoes with pan roasted scallops and salad with pine nuts

Tomato Sauce

I use this tomato sauce as a base for pizzas, pasta sauces, pies and dips.   It is very simple and easy to make and freezes beautifully.

Ingredients:

1kg Passatta (sieved tomatoes)

Quarter pint vegetable or chicken stock

Two tablespoons olive oil

Tablespoon sugar

Teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion

2-4 cloves garlic, depending on taste

Place garlic and onion in a food processor or blender and blitz to a pulp.   Scrape out into a pan with olive oil and coat by stirring.   Cook for 10 minutes until soft, over a low heat, ensuring the mix doesn't colour or burn.   Add passatta and bring to the boil.   Simmer for five minutes and add stock, sugar, salt and pepper.   Simmer for a further 10 minutes and taste.  It should be pleasant, with a slight sweetness and saltiness.

Keep it as is for pizza or for pasta, add a good handful of finely chopped basil.   For meatballs, add milk.

Tomato sauce used for pizza

Coloured Pancakes

 Pancake mix of 4 oz each of flour, sugar, milk and eggs (1 large, 2 small) with added food colouring.  

 

Blend until mixed and cook in pan.

 

Serve with coloured drinks.   Watch kids be happy.

Feta and Chorizo Pasta

  

Ingredients:

Spaghetti (100g per person)

Chorizo, diced, small handful per person

Knob of butter

Dash olive oil

Onion, chopped

Garlic clove, crushed

Thyme leaves from a few sprigs

Feta, chopped

Light chicken stock, approx. 2 oz. (and white wine, optional)

Double cream or creme fraiche, 2 large tablespoons

Freshly grate Parmesan

Lemon juice, optional

Boil spaghetti as per instructions

Fry onion and garlic and thyme in butter and oil for a few minutes, without colouring.   Add chorizo and leave for a minute or so before stirring to coat the onion mix in the lovely red juices from the sausage.   Simmer for 5 minutes, add wine and simmer until reduced by half if using, then add stock.   Bring to the boil and then simmer until a coating consistency is reached.   Add cream, stir and take off heat.   Add a handful of Parmesan and feta and a squeeze of lemon juice.   Check seasoning, add some freshly ground black pepper and throw in the spaghetti, toss in sauce and serve with more grated Parmesan.

Pan-Fried Salmon with Linseeds, Spinach and Baby Potatoes

 

Ingredients:

1 salmon fillet per person

Sea salt

Golden linseeds

Handful spinach per person

Baby potatoes

Margarine

Sesame Oil

Green peppers

Lime juice

Boil baby potatoes until tender, crush lightly with a little margarine, butter or olive oil and some sea salt.   Set aside.   Score the skin of the salmon and rub in a little sesame oil (or flavoured oil to taste).   Get a frying pan really hot and place the salmon skin side down.   Thrown in the peppers.   When the skin side is brown, turn salmon over and turn heat down slightly; cook until a lovely golden colour.   Depending on the salmon fillet thickness, at this point, I sometimes shove the salmon into a pre-heated hot oven for 4 minutes.

Thrown in a handful of linseeds and a tiny drizzle of sesame oil to coat the peppers.   Squeeze over some lime juice.   Place dry spinach leaves on a plate and place the peppers and linseeds on top with another squeeze of lime juice.   Plate up the fillet of salmon and the potatoes; the salmon is ready when it has lost it's opaqueness, has turned from orange to pink and flakes away easily; do not over cook.   Enjoy.

Dolly for Anna

The competition will resume in the next few weeks; everyone already entered will be put forward.

We don't need no education.

Schools out for summer! Woohoo!! I love love LOVE the summer holidays. I get to have my kids back, the sun shines (bwahahaha I hear the Scots cry) and we get to go on adventures. At heart, I'm an adventurer and the kids even more so. I look forward to this time of year and we use our powers of invention to come up with weird and wonderful activities. Watch this space!

I think the path to true adventure is to look in small places, to go on little trips and to chat to the most unlikely people. Me and the kids find it wherever we go. It usually involves little or no money, old clothes and mud. And strange people. I LOVE strange people. Don't ask me why, it's just the way it is.

To celebrate the end of school and the beginning of summer, I tried to book us into our local restaurant Massimos for pizza. The girl answered the phone after a loooong time ringing and when she eventually answered, she sounded bored out of her skull:-
Me: "Can I book a table for this evening please?".
BW: "Well, that depends..."
Me"....really, what does it depend on?"
BW: "How many people it's for!" (Unspoken..."Like, duh! Moron!" *eyes rolling*)
Me: "There will be five of us"
BW: "We-ll, I have no booths left...."
Me: (Unspoken..."Did I ASK for a booth??") "Ookay, do you have a TABLE?"
BW: "Uh....no...maybe. (Silence)"
Me: (Silence...quietly banging my head off the wall)
BW: "I could give you a table outside the restaurant..."
Me: (Unspoken..."What, in the restaurant across the road where the staff are MUCH more professional?") "No thank you, we don't want to eat outside the restaurant"
BW: "Um....ok.....*click...brrrrr*

Sooooo, we had pastafest instead! The kids were delighted and Kelly said it was MUCH better here anyway. I love that gal.

We tucked into macaroni cheese, creamy papardelle with feta, pine nuts (yes!...pine nuts...I have them!) and cherry tomatoes alongside a nice crusty baguette.

Creamy Papardelle with Feta, Pine Nuts and Cherry Tomatoes

This is enough for two incredibly greedy people or four smug, not so greedy people.
Papardelle, cook as per packet instructions
Scant tablespoon olive oil
Onion, chopped small
Garlic clove, sliced thinly
Cherry tomatoes, around 8
3 tablespoons of cream or more to taste
Handful grate Parmesan
Pine nuts, dry toasted (very hot pan, add nuts and shake..for this dish, until dark)
Feta cheese, around a small handful, cubed

Add chopped onions to olive oil, heated in frying pan. Cook for five minutes until softened...if they look like they may catch and burn, add a droplet or two of water and stir. Add garlic..do not add earlier or it will burn...and stir, cooking for a couple of minutes. Add half the tomatoes whole and the others halved. Squeeze them about a bit. Stir, add cream, stir, add lots of freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt. Drain pasta when ready and add to onion mixture, coat with sauce, throw in the Parmesan and pour into serving dish. Sprinkle over toasted pine nuts and feta cheese. You could of course add any kind of herb or even a little grating of nutmeg but it's perfect as it is.

My ankle is still swollen but it is much better, my knee is a scabby mess and I won't be surprised if they run away from me at the swimming pool, crying and screaming but otherwise, I'm fine. Lucy is all better by the looks of her running round in circles shouting 'Flapjack!' at the moment. I still have lots of work to do and have to cancel some activities we had planned because we are going on holiday this Sunday and we just don't have time to do everything. But I'm relaxed, chilled and think someone may have slipped some Valium in my wine....

Thank you Shona for a wonderful brunch this morning...bacon rolls, crusty ciabatta with roasted peppers and melted mozzarella, little cupcakes with fresh raspberry icing, fresh strawberries, blackberries and raspberries, fresh orange juice and hot, wonderful coffee...Maureen, Anne, Karen and I were delighted. It was a lovely way to end the year.

Pasta Supper

Want a really quick, tasty but low fat (and cheap) pasta supper? Then try the following recipe I just made for my tea; it was really good, it took 10 minutes to cook, preparation was minimal and I couldn't eat it all as it was incredibly filling.
Pasta Supper
4 Tomatoes (or more) cut into quarters
Pesto (yes, I know but I love the stuff and I made A LOT!)
Goats Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Spaghetti (100g)

Put oven on to around 200 Celsius
Drizzle pesto over tomatoes, around a tablespoon and add sea salt & black pepper.
Crumble over a little goats cheese to taste...feta would work just as well.
Place in oven. After around 5 or so minutes, put water on to boil for spaghetti. Cook spaghetti as per instructions and drain.
Take tomatoes out of oven and blend 3/4 of them in a blender...if no blender then mash with a fork.
Pour blended mix over spaghetti and bowl up! Arrange the remaining tomatoes around the plate. Enjoy.


I'm not a calorie counter...life is too short, right? However, I'd say I'm more aware these days and for future reference, I've worked out that this pasta comes to 458 calories for the full serving. See the following breakdown:
350 calories for 100g uncooked spaghetti
0 calories for tomatoes
58 calories in pesto although as you are all well aware, mine was made without pine nuts!
50 calories for the goats cheese (the creamy kind, used around 25g)
Total calories 458 which is pretty good going; I didn't finish mine tonight as it was too much. The amount of sauce was enough for 2 so if you were to add another 50g pasta then the total for two would be 633 or 316 per serving. No wonder I'm losing weight.

The approx. cost of this per serving is 55 pence. Yup, you heard right.
Asda Spaghetti on offer at 2 for £1, 1kg pasta. Per 150g therefore is 15 pence.
Tomatoes approx. 14 pence each x 4=56 pence
Goats cheese cost 25p (Asda £10 per kg)
Pesto I'm just going to estimate at 15 pence per tablespoon although it could well be less.
Total Cost=£1.11/2= 55 pence per serving!! Goodness...who says you can't eat well for less?