Spiced aubergine salad with pistachio yoghurt

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I love pistachio’s and always looking for new ways to incorporate into my dining. This was delicious.

Serves 4

Salad:-

Mixed leaves of choice, Grated Beetroot, Grated Carrot, Cherry tomatoes (halved), cucumber sliced, Feta cheese, Olives (your choice), 1 pomegranate, Olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar for dressing.

Spiced Aubergines:-

3/4 Aubergines (Halved)

1 garlic clove

Olive oil (2 tbsp)

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Pistachio Yoghurt:-

6 tbsps Pistachio’s

Handful of fresh mint

250g natural yoghurt

1 tbsp olive oil

Method:-

1. Preheat oven to 220 deg.

2. Halved Aubergines longways, and make 1cm deep cuts diagonally about 2-3cm apart. Rub the garlic over the top of each one and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in oven for approx 30-40 mins.

3. Mix up aubergines spices and dust over then cook for a further 5 mins.

4. For the yoghurt, mix pistachios, yoghurt, mint and olive oil in a blender until smooth. Set aside until ready.

5. Mix all salad ingredients in a bowl with dressing, serve onto a plate and sprinkle feta cheese over.

6. Cut pomegranate in half and carefully remove seeds, discarding any white pith, sprinkle seeds over salad.

7. Place baked Aubergines on top of salad and serve with the yoghurt dressing.

Yummy!

 

 

Limoncello Sorbet

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Having visited Italy recently, I’ve grown to love Limoncello, it’s so refreshing on the palate. Decided to try my hand at some sorbet.

 

Makes approx 10 scoops.

2 cups water

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup Limoncello

1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 large lemons)

 

1. Combine water, sugar and Limoncello in a pan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves (approx 5 mins)

2. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, set aside allowing to completely cool.

3. Strain mixture through a sieve into a freezable container, discarding any solids.

4. After approx 2-3 hours, remove from freezer and stir around, put back into freezer, after 1 more hour, remove and stir again. Return to freezer for 1 more hour or until solid. Should be ready to serve. Lovely and refreshing for those long summer nights.

Option:- you can also add some mint, which is also delicious.

Scottish Steak Bourgingoun with creamy mash

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Serves 2

400g Scottish stewing steak cubed

2 tbsp flour

8 shallots peeled, halved

2 carrots sliced

1 red pepper

Handful mushrooms

1tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove chopped finely

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp thyme

1 bouquet garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

400ml beef stock

1/2 bottle red wine (red burgandy, pinot noir or a cotes du rhone)

 

1. Coat steak cubes with flour and brown in a pan with olive oil. Approx 5 minutes.

2. Remove with slotted spoon. Fry shallots until coloured, add carrots, peppers and mushrooms fry for about 2-3mins then add meat back to pan.

3. Add tomato paste, garlic and season, cook for further 1 min.

4. Add wine and beef stock with bouquet garnish and thyme, bring to boil then simmer for approx 3 hours until meat is tender.

5. Meanwhile 30 mins before ready, boil some potatoes in a pan for 20 mins until softened. Remove from heat add a knob of butter and 50ml milk or cream.

6. If sauce needs thickened, mix in some cornflour to thicken.

7. Serve all on a plate with some crusty bread to soak up gravy. Oh! and a wee glass of the left over wine…yum…yum!!

Breakfast Muffins

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Makes 4 – approx 110 calories per muffin

4 Turkey Rashers – low fat

3 eggs – whisked

1 pepper (of your choice) – chopped

2 spring onions – chopped

handful chives – chopped finely

ground black pepper to taste

2 handfuls of Baby Spinach

 

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg. Lightly fry turkey in a pan for 5 mins with light spray oil.

2. Meanwhile, whisk eggs and add chives and pepper

3. Spray muffin tray with light oil to prevent sticking. To layer up, place turkey rashers on bottom of each muffin case (I used a cutter to shape them circular so they fit in perfectly), then place the baby spinach in and top with pepper and spring onions.

4. Pour into each one the egg mixture and bake for approx 20 mins.

5. Serve on a bed of spinach….yummy!

Sweet Potato and Chicken Curry

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I am loving Sweet Potatoes at the moment, full of flavour and a great source of vitamins and fibre.

 

Serves 2   – This is so tasty!

1 large or 2 small Chicken Breasts – diced

8 Cardamom Pods

1 onion, finely chopped

2 Garlic cloves finely chopped

1 tbsp root ginger, peeled and grated

2 green chillies, chopped finely

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground coriander

250ml coconut milk

1 sweet potato, cut into small chunks

1 lemon juiced

salt to taste

1 tbsp olive oil to fry

 

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the cardamom pods and fry over a medium heat for about 2 minutes

2. Add the onion, garlic, chillies and ginger and fry gently, while continuing to stir, for about 5 minutes

3. Stir in the turmeric, ground coriander and coconut milk. Season to taste with salt and bring to the boil

4. Add the chicken pieces, pressing them down into the sauce. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 5 minutes, covered

5. Stir in the sweet potatoes, cover and continue to simmer for a further 10 minutes

6. Uncover the pan, increase the heat slightly and cook for a further 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, the sauce has thickened and the sweet potato is tender. Stir once or twice towards the end of cooking time to prevent the sauce from burning.

7. Stir in lemon juice, cook for 1 more minute and then serve on a bed of rice or other preferred choice.

Marinated Chicken with Homemade coleslaw

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Serves 2

Chicken Marinade:

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

3 tbsp of soy sauce

2 tbsp of honey

2 tbsp of tomato ketchup

1 tsp of ground ginger

2 Chicken Breasts

Coleslaw:

1/4 red cabbage

4 carrots, peeled and grated

2 spring onions, washed

3 tsp of sweet chilli sauce

1/2 lime, juiced

3 tbsp of mayonnaise (light to save on those calories)

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of pepper

 

1. Combine the garlic, tomato ketchup, soy sauce, honey and ground ginger to make a paste. Flatten the chicken breasts using a mallet or rolling pin, coat the 2 chicken breasts with the paste and marinade in the fridge for a least an hour.

2. Meanwhile, for the coleslaw, finely shred the cabbage and carrots, then finely slice the spring onions.

3. Combine the sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, seasoning and mayonnaise in a large bowl and stir to combine. Mix through the cabbage, grated carrot and spring onion until coated in the dressing and set aside in fridge until required.

4. Heat some oil in a griddle and cook chicken breasts until cooked through, approx 25 mins. Or heat oven to 200 deg and cook on a baking tray for approx 30-40 mins.

5. Serve on chicken on a plate and side with the coleslaw….yummy!

Healthy Five Spice Turkey Stir Fry

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Another 15 minute meal under 300 calories.

Vegetables of your choice, sliced and chopped, I used:-

Courgette, Carrott, Cucumber, Chinese Beansprouts, Red cabbage, Red, Yellow, Green peppers, Spring onion

1. Coat Turkey strips in Chinese Five Spice and brown in a little sesame oil for approx 10 mins.

2. Add all the chopped vegetables and stir fry for 3 mins. Add in some Soy Sauce and cook for further 2 mins.

3. Empty into a bowl, sprinkle some sesame seeds and enjoy. Simple, quick, healthy yet tasty.

If you don’t like Soy, you could add some sweet chilli sauce.

Scottish Stew with Kale

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Using some leftovers, I made a stew and decided to have some Kale with it for a healthier option, I know a bit weird combination, but it really worked!

Serves 1 – Approx 490 calories

200g Scottish Stewing steak – cubed

Flour to coat

1 carrot – sliced

1 stalk celery – chopped

2/3 shallots halved

Handful of broccoli

2 Handfuls Kale

350ml Beef stock

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Bay leaves

 

1. Heat a little oil in a pan and coat the steak cubes with the flour, season with salt and pepper then lightly fry steak cubes until browned.

2. Add in the shallots and cook for a further 3 mins, add in the carrots, celery, broccoli, bay leaf and stock, bring to the boil and then simmer on a very low heat for approx 3-4 hours so the meat is tender. I used Setting No. 2 on my Induction Hob. You can also decant into a casserole dish and cook in a fan oven at 90 deg for approx 8 hours.

3. Approx 10 mins before serving, bring a pan of water to boil and put in Kale, reduce and simmer for approx 8-10mins.

4. Drain Kale, put on plate. Remove stew with a slotted spoon and place onto Kale, you don’t want to much of the gravy as the Kale would be soggy. Season with some cracked black pepper. Yum!

 

Healthy Bacon and Egg Flower Pots

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My Bacon and Egg flower pots.  – Avg calories per serving 250.

 

4 Lightly Smoked Turkey Rashers

2 Medium Eggs

2 tomatoes

Handful of kale

1/4 Avocado sliced

Ground Black Pepper to taste

 

1. Pre-heat oven to 190 deg.

2. Lightly spray a few holes in a muffin tin with spray oil

3. Lightly fry the bacon until slightly browned, approx 4 mins. Place into the muffin tin to make a base.

4. Crack the eggs into the bacon base and sprinkle some cracked black pepper on top to taste.

5. Half the tomatoes and place into one of the muffin spaces to cook.

6. Bake in the oven for approx 15 mins or 10 mins if you like eggs runny.

7. Meanwhile bring large pan of water to boil, add Kale and then simmer for 8 mins, drain.

8. Place Kales on a plate then top with bacon/egg cups, tomatoes and avocado. Yummy!

 

Pistachio Cake/ Bread

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I had some Pistachio’s in the cupboard and didn’t know what to do with them, so I made a cake/Bread! Not sure what to call it, it looks like bread but tastes like a cake…lol!

I still have 50g of pistachios left and will try a topping for chicken through the week for something different. Watch this space.

 

My Pistachio Afternoon Cake/Bread – Serves approx 10-12

300g Self Raising/All purpose flour

1.5 tsp kosher Salt or table salt if you don’t have.

1 tsp baking powder

100g unsalted butter (room temp)

300g caster sugar

5 large eggs

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp fresh orange juice

2 tsp grated orange zest

1 tsp grated lime zest

150g un-shelled pistachio’s

 

1. preheat oven to 160 deg.

2. Flour a baking tin and remove excess. Approx size 9x5x3 inch

3. Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl, set aside.

4. Beat butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy, then add in the sugar and mix until well blended

5. Add in eggs, 1 at a time ensuring well blended, then add remaining juices (ie:lemon,lime,orange)

6. Now add the dry ingredients (flour mix) and mix.

7. Crush pistachio’s in a mixer until coarsely chopped, add in about 3/4 of pistachio’s and mix well in.

8. Pour mixture into baking tin and sprinkle remaining pistachio’s over top.

9. Bake in the oven for approx 1.5 hours or until knife comes out clean.

Amaretti Low Carb Biscuits and Disaronno Coffee

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Amaretti Low Carb Biscuits – Makes approx 16-20 – Per biscuit: 51 calories, 0.5g carbs, 4g fat, 2g protein

 

150g Almond flour

3 Tbsp Splenda Sugar or alternative (Truvia)

2 Egg Whites

1.5 tbsp Amaretto Disaronno liqueur

1. Pre-heat oven 170 deg

2. Whisk egg whites until stiff

3. Mix flour and sugar together, then add flour mixture to the egg mixture 1 tablespoon at a time mixing in.

4. Add in Disaronno liqueur and mix well.

5. Line baking tray with greaseproof paper and spoon into small round shapes or roll into a small ball in hands and then flatten. Make sure there is at least 2 cm between as they will expand slightly.

6. Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden brown. Let cool and store in an airtight container until desired.

Goes well with a lovely Disaronno Liqueur coffee

1. Make up some real coffee ie: filtered or beans whichever is your preference.

2. While coffee is filtering, pour some milk approx 100ml into a jug and whisk until frothy, you can also heat milk up first before whisking.

3. Pour approx 25ml of liqueur into a tall latte style mug.

4. Pour coffee slowly in and then top with the frothy milk.

Serve with amaretti biscuits….Yummy afternoon delight!