Oh you are going to love this one! A cheeky little casserole dish that is full of flavour and great for the whole family. This is definitely a dish for my comfort food list.
Serves 4
500g Minced Scottish beef
1 Yellow onion, finely chopped
1 Tsp minced garlic
1/2 Tsp Cayenne pepper
Salt & Black pepper
2 Tsp flour
100ml Beef stock
150g Grated cheese
Handful of Frozen peas
4 Slices of smoked bacon, cut into bite size pieces
10-12 Small Hash Brown Waffles cut in half or quartered
Preheat oven to 210 deg.
In a fry pan add a little oil and fry the onions & bacon with the garlic, add the beef, season with salt & pepper and cook through until browned, add in the cayenne pepper and flour and stir then pour in the beef stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
Fold in the peas and half of the grated cheese, transfer to an oven proof dish then top with the remaining cheese and hash browns. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!
This recipe is so easy to make and is packed full of flavour, great one for the whole family, especially as you can adjust your own Chilli portions. I made it a lighter option too with the lower fat Philadelphia and it tasted delicious, you would never know it wasn’t full fat.
Serves 2
2 Chicken Breasts, diced into bite size pieces
100g Wholegrain Pasta
1 White onion, diced finely
1 400g Tin Tomatoes
1 Red pepper, diced
150g Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 Tsp crushed red chilli flakes
1 Tsp of Italian Seasoning
Handful fresh Basil to serve.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook your pasta until soft (about 8-10 minutes)
Meanwhile, in a fry pan on medium heat, season with salt & pepper the chicken and brown, add in the onions and peppers & cook until softened (few minutes). Next add in the chilli and mix.
Pour in the tin tomatoes and Italian seasoning and mix though, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.
Next add in the cream cheese and mix through until melted, then when pasta is ready, drain and add to the pan, mix through until coated and simmer for a few minutes.
I am always looking for healthier options but without compromise on flavour and enjoy sourcing locally. I started growing my own vegetables last year too and plan to grow more next year, so this recipe uses up homegrown tatties, onions and carrots from my garden (my swede are not quite ready yet).
My local butcher Forbes Raeburn in Huntly provided me with some delicious diced beef this weekend, my initial plan was to make a steak pie for Sundays dinner but having vegetables to use up, this little recipe was the outcome and definitely one I will make over and over again. End of summer is fast approaching and the colder days to set in soon, this recipe is a sure winner for all the family to warm you up from the inside. Very nutritional too as it’s high in protein, low in saturated fat and packs in your vegetable count.
Serves 4
For the Stew
1 Medium Potato, diced small
2 Celery Sticks, chopped small
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
750g Diced Beef
1 Beef Stock Cube
1 Large Onion (or 2 medium)
1 Carrott, diced small
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
1 Tbsp Tomato Puree
2 Tsps Brown Sauce
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt & Black Pepper to taste
For the Mash
1 Large Potato, chopped & peeled
1 Small Swede, chopped and peeled
3 Large Carrotts, chopped & peeled
Pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to Fan 160 deg.
Spray a casserole pan with low calorie oil on medium heat, add the celery, garlic and 3/4 onions and fry for about 10 minutes or until slightly caramelised. Meanwhile in a fry pan heat spray oil on medium heat, season the beef cubes and fry until browned.
Remove the casserole pan with the veg and add in thyme, tomato puree, brown sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock cube with 700ml boiling water. Puree using a stick blender then add to the casserole pan the beef, potato chunks, chopped carrot and rest of the onion, bring to the boil then cover and transfer to the oven to cook for about 1.5-2 hrs until tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile make the mash, put the potato, swede & carrot into a pan of water and bring to the boil, reduce to simmer and cook for about 45 minutes until tender. Drain and mash then season with pepper.
A Healthier Twist to your normal Nacho dish. I had some Bagels left and decided to give this a shot, it worked perfectly adding that little bit of crunch to the bake. Easy to make to & just 30 minutes to bake in total which makes this dish a great quick family meal. I served it with a refreshing homemade spicy salsa which was a great accompaniment.
Serves 4
2 Large Chicken Breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 Bagels, cut into bite sized pieces
Small head of Broccoli, cut into small pieces
400g Tin of mixed beans (or baked beans)
200g Tin of tinned tomatoes
2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
2 Fresh Tomatoes, diced
1/2 Red Onion, diced
Small handful or chopped coriander
1 Chilli, diced
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Lime
1 Avocado, diced
100g Mature Cheddar (lighter option to make it healthier)
2 Tbsp Oil or spray oil
Preheat your oven to 190 deg. Drizzle the bagel pieces with 1 tbsp oil and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15 minutes tossing halfway to brown. Remove from oven.
Meanwhile, spray a fry pan with oil and heat to a medium heat, season the chicken and coat in the paprika then add to warm pan to brown, 10 minutes. Add in the broccoli and mix through for a few minutes. Next add in the beans and tin tomatoes, stir through. Transfer to a baking dish.
Top the chicken mixture with the baked bagels then top with the grated cheese. Place into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
Meanwhile to make the salsa, put the diced tomatoes, chilli, onion, avocado, coriander into a bowl and mix, pour 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar along with half juice of lime and mix through.
This quick and hearty brunch or lunch brings the best out of a good Scottish Tattie (potato). Fluffy potatoes are only made better by the perfectly poached egg sitting on top. Sometimes I like to keep things simple and with this dish I didn’t add too many flavours as a good Scottish Tattie is flavoursome in it’s own right. With the warming flavour of cayenne pepper and a dash of Tabasco sauce, this is sure to keep you satisfied all day.
Cayenne Pepper is also said to be medicinal as capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne peppers, is what gives them their medicinal properties. These peppers boast an impressive nutrition profile, which includes a variety of antioxidants that are beneficial for your health.
One tablespoon (5 grams) of cayenne pepper contains the following:
Calories: 17
Fat: 1 gram
Carbs: 3 grams
Fiber: 1.4 grams
Protein: 0.6 grams
Vitamin A: 44% of the RDI
Vitamin E: 8% of the RDI
Vitamin C: 7% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 6% of the RDI
Vitamin K: 5% of the RDI
Manganese: 5% of the RDI
Potassium: 3% of the RDI
Riboflavin: 3% of the RDI
It also gives them their hot taste. In fact, how hot a cayenne pepper is depends on its capsaicin content. The more capsaicin it contains, the hotter it is.
Serves 2
4 Medium Potatoes, (peeled or unpeeled it’s up to you) diced into bite size pieces
1 Large or 2 Medium Onions, sliced into wedges
1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp Olive Oil or Spray Oil
2 Large Eggs
Tabasco to taste
In a fry pan heat the oil, medium to high heat, add in the onions and cook for a couple of minutes to soften.
Add in the diced potatoes, season with salt & cayenne pepper, mix and place a lid over pan reduce to a low heat and cook for about 30 minutes until potatoes are softened. Give the potatoes a stir every 10 minutes.
5 minutes before potatoes are ready, bring a pan of water to the boil then reduce to a medium heat, crack in the eggs and poach through.
Serve potatoes and onions onto a plate, place the poached egg on top and sprinkle a few dashes of tabasco sauce over, season if required. Enjoy!
If you prefer a bit more flavour, below are a few choices that I have tried.
Smoked:- Add chopped spring onions and some smoked back bacon.
Mediterranean:- Add some spinach, handful tomatoes with 1 tsp all spice, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried coriander.
Spanish: Chopped chorizo, sweet potatoes, 1 tsp cumin, spring onions.
I had seen this ages ago but never got round to trying it, this weekend was that time. After all it is Scotland’s favourite fizzy drink! Iron Bru is quite a sweet flavour which is hard to describe & I wasn’t sure just how sweet this dish would turn out but I was pleasantly surprised, it was really delicious and definitely would make again. I used the Iron Bru Extra which has 0g sugars so helped make this dish not overly sweet.
Iron Bru
Iron Bru was launched in Scotland in 1901 and is still a closely guarded family secret recipe with 32 flavours.
It was back in 1901 in Glasgow that steel workers who were working on rebuilding Central Station in Glasgow were drinking too much beer! Yes too much beer! This is when local soft drinks experts AG Barr introduced them to the caffeinated drink to help get them through the night, and ‘Iron Bru’ was born! One of the most memorable adverts on TV ran for over 20 years with the slogan ‘Made in Scotland – from girders’ & the slogan stuck!
Go on, you know you want to….give it a try, trust me, you’ll love it!
Serves 2
2 Chicken Breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped
15ml Worcester Sauce
1 Tbsp Tomato Puree
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
300ml Iron Bru
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Corn Flour (to thicken sauce after)
100-125g Cooked Rice to serve.
Heat the oil in a pan on medium to high heat and season chicken and add to the pan to brown for a few minutes. Remove, add the onion & garlic to the pan and saute for a few minutes until softened.
Add the chicken back to the pan along with paprika, tomato puree, worcester sauce & Iron Bru, bring to a low simmer, cover with lid and cook on low heat for 4 hours.
Remove chicken from pan to a plate, if sauce is too thin, add the cornflour mixed with a little water and stir through to thicken up the sauce, pour over chicken and serve with some cooked rice of your choice.
This is proper home comfort food and a dish that we love. Using simple ingredients, you’ll love the richness taste of this and with the sweet potato and carrot mash on top it is just packed with flavour! A great family dish that is simple to make that everyone can enjoy. Sometimes I love going back to basics, our ancestors would have cooked this all in one pot as back then there were no fancy cook tops with loads of rings.
We are lucky that we have access to a wide range of different foods and spices these days, so although sometimes it’s great to make classics, it’s also great to try out new flavours and ideas with them. This recipe surely does work with that little change.
If you make it, let me know what you think?
Makes 2-3 servings
250g Scottish Beef Mince (good quality is key)
2 Medium sized Sweet Potatoes, cut into small chunks
1 Red Onion, diced
1 Carrots, diced & 2 Carrots for mash (chopped)
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
50ml Red Wine (I used Merlot)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Handfuls of Frozen Garden Peas
300ml Beef Stock with 2 stock cubes
1 Tsp Mixed Herbs
1/2 Tsp Turmeric
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp oil
1-2 Tbsp Beef Gravy Granules to thicken sauce
Pre heat oven to 180 deg fan. Place sweet potatoes and carrot into a large pan of slightly salted water and bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle boil and cook for 20 minutes until softened.
Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a pan and cook the onions until softened. Add the mince to the pan and cook until browned. Add in the balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, herbs, seasoning and beef stock, bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes, liquid should reduce by half.
Stir in the peas and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add in the Gravy granules and stir to thicken.
Mash the sweet potatoes and carrot with 1 tsp turmeric
Place the mince mixture in a casserole dish, season with black pepper and top with the mash mix, cover with tin foil. Bake in oven for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove foil and bake for a further 20 minutes or until golden brown.
I am always looking to experiment in the kitchen and today was no different. Green Lentil Curry was on the menu but rather than serving rice or naan bread, I thought I’d try my hand at Tortilla Bowls. I’ve seen these on numerous posts & feeds and they look really good.
Green lentils, unlike their yellow and brown counterparts, hold on to their shape while cooking. I infused them with garlic, ginger, coriander, and cumin, for a dish that’s a perfect weekend meal. I love lentils, they are such a great source of protein and filling too.
Serves 2
For the Green Lentil Curry:
125g Green Lentils – Presoaked overnight
1 Tsp Garlic Paste
1 Tsp Ginger
2 Tsp Ground Coriander
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1 Tsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Carrot, diced
500ml Water
Salt & Pepper to taste
Handful Chopped Fresh Coriander to serve
1 Tbsp Creme Fraiche to serve
For the Tortillas:
4 Tortilla Wraps (I used Corn Wraps)
Tin Foil & 4 Ramekins (or something similar)
Add a little oil to a pan and add the ginger, garlic, ground coriander & cumin, mix. Then add the onion and cook until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Add the lentils, turmeric and 500ml water, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, add the carrot and season, continue cooking for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile for the Tortillas, pre heat the oven to 180 deg. Warm the tortillas in a microwave for 90 seconds, lightly grease the ramekins on the outside, turn upside down. Place the wrap over the ramekin and mould to the shape, secure with the tin foil and fold into the ramekin. Place upside down into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove ramekins from oven and gently remove the foil and tortilla bowl from the ramekin, it should hold it’s shape. If you are struggling to remove, use a blunt knife to prize the tortilla away from the ramekin. Place the tortilla bowls back into the oven turned the right way and bake for a further 8-10 minutes until slightly browned.
Serve the green lentil curry into the bowls and serve with the creme fraiche and fresh coriander.
Inspired by North Africa, this quick and easy one pan meal draws the warmth of cumin and rich depth of smoked paprika to beautifully layer with the peppery flavour of the lentils. Lentils are an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. They’re also a great source of plant-based protein and fiber. To make this dish vegetarian, just omit the chicken and replace with you favourite vegetables.
Another great one pot meal that is not only quick but simple to make too. Very nutritious and filling.
Serves 2
2 Chicken Breasts, cut into large pieces (or you can use thighs)
4 Rashers of Smoked Bacon, chopped small
1 Onion, diced
2 Stalks of Celery, diced
100g Green Lentils (or Red if you prefer)
1 Garlic Clove, diced
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
8-10 Whole Cherry Tomatoes
300ml Chicken Stock
1 Tsp Chilli Flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Small Handful of Chopped Fresh Parsley to serve.
Pre heat your oven to 200 deg Fan.
Add the oil to a fry pan on medium to high heat. Dry the chicken pieces with a piece of kitchen paper and season. Add to the pan and brown all over to seal. Remove with a slotted spoon.
If needed add a little more oil to the pan. Cook the bacon, onions, celery, garlic, cumin & paprika for 3 minutes. Add back the chicken, add the lentils and sprinkle the chill flakes, mix through.
Decant into an oven proof dish, add in the stock and tomatoes, bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Turn on your grill at the end of cooking for a few minutes to brown the tomatoes.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with parsley and Serve. Yum!
This is a great mid week dinner when you are short for time, easy to prepare and quick to bake. You can also make ahead and pop in fridge until ready or if you have a delay timer on your oven, pop it in the oven in morning and time for when you are due home. One of my favourite features on my oven is the 24hr programmable timer, I use it all time, I organise myself in the morning then I don’t have to worry about remembering to switch oven on later.
Oven Timer
This dish is healthy and packed with protein and vitamins, it also provides a richness with the Gruyere cheese, what’s not to like?
Serves 3-4
300-400g Broccoli Florets (you can use frozen or fresh)
40g Butter
1 Large White Onion, sliced
350-400g Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
100g Creme Fraiche (use light for a healthier option)
200ml Chicken Stock
30g Breadcrumbs (about 2-3 slices)
50g Gruyere Cheese, grated
1 Tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
1 Tsp Dried Mixed Herbs (or any herb of your choice)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 200deg. Bring a Saucepan of water to the boil and cook the broccoli for 5 minutes, Drain.
Melt the butter in a fry pan on medium to high heat and cook the onions until soft, remove with a slotted spoon.
Season the chicken and add to the pan and brown all over, about 3-5 minutes, set aside.
Add some butter to the fry pan and cook the breadcrumbs until slightly browned. Remove.
Layer up the chicken, broccoli and onions in an oven proof dish, season well. Pour over the chicken stock and creme fraiche, sprinkle the chilli flakes and herbs.
Sprinkle on top the breadcrumbs and finish with the grated cheese.
Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes until golden brown on top. Serve.
Although I maybe working from home during this pandemic, somehow I still don’t find the time to be preparing and making mid week dinners, so this recipe is a great quick throw together meal that is massively flavorful and satisfying. Only takes 20 minutes. I served it with some Egg Fried Rice. I do have a confession to make, it was microwaveable Egg Fried Rice, after all it only takes 2 minutes and to be honest is a great alternative when you don’t have time to make the real thing. Most brands now offer these ready packets such as Uncle Bens, Tilda, Blue Dragon and even supermarket own brands, they are are a great store cupboard essential or at least they have been during this pandemic lockdown period. Well, we all like to cheat sometimes, don’t we?
If you like it a little sweeter, you can add 1 tbsp of honey to the recipe. I use Heather honey which is a darker semi-sweet honey and delicious, it is made with the nectar collected from the tiny purple bell-shaped flower of the common Scottish Heather plant.
Serves 2
1 Packet 250g Microwave Egg Fried Rice
2 Chicken Breasts, diced into bite sized pieces
1 Tsp Minced Garlic
1 Tsp Oil
1 White Onion, diced
1 Tbsp Cornflour
150ml Good Quality Teriyaki Sauce
2 Tsp Sesame Seeds
1 Handful Garden Peas (I used frozen)
1 Tbsp Honey (Optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a pan on medium to high heat and fry the garlic & onions until softened.
Season the chicken, add to the pan and cook until slightly brown all over.
Add in the garden peas along with 150ml of teriyaki sauce & honey (if using) and about 100ml water, place lid on pan and reduce to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. If the sauce is too thin, mix the cornflour with a tbsp of water and add to pan stir through to thicken the sauce.
Serve with some cooked rice (of your choice) and sprinkle over some sesame seeds for that extra crunch and nutrition. Yum! Enjoy!
Yes, I know what you are thinking, this isn’t chicken? It looks like Beef? That’s because of the soy Sauce and dark honey in the recipe marinating into the chicken.
One pot meals are always my go to when I am working, simply because they are easy and less washing up to do. I used some Scottish Heather Honey for this recipe and oh my……..this was a super tasty meal that I am so proud of. I had 2 recipes in mind to cook tonight, 1 was Honey and Garlic roasted Chicken and the other was a Soy Glazed Chicken, yes, you guessed it, I went for it and mixed it all up. I do love it when you change your mind last minute and get a successful NEW recipe!
Known as the ‘Champagne’ of all honeys, expertly gathered by bees that visit the legendary flower of Scotland, Heather. Scottish Heather Honey is dark and semi-set. A highly intense, distinctive, warm, woody and floral aroma reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands. I use honey from Heather Hills Farm, they are a family run business based in Blairgowrie, Perthshire since 1945. Click to their website for more details :- http://www.heatherhills.co.uk/.
Pure honey is full of natural antibacterial and antimicrobial goodness. As well as the high antioxidant qualities, manganese plays a role in helping to make and activate enzymes in the body involved in protecting tissues from damage and in the metabolism of nutrients. It also helps maintain healthy bones.
Serves 4
3-4 Large Chicken Breasts, cut into large chunks
1 Red Pepper, diced
1 Yellow Pepper, diced
2 White Onions, cut into wedges
4 Tbsps of Heather Honey (you can use clear honey if you can’t get this)
3 Tbsps of Dark Soy Sauce
2 Tsps Dried Garlic Granules
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tsps French Mustard
1 Tsp Curry Powder
Salt & Ground Black Pepper
Heat the oil in a pan, season the chicken, add to pan and brown.
Add in the garlic, peppers and onion and cook for a few minutes.
Mix in a jug or bowl the soy sauce, honey, curry powder and mustard. Season.
Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables, add 100ml water and stir to combine.
Cover and cook on a low heat for about 2 hours.
Remove lid season if need and cook for a further 20 minutes.
Serve with some boiled potatoes or mash or anything you like. Enjoy!
Due to the Covid 19 Restrictions most of us aren’t able to go visit our favourite restaurants to enjoy our best bites to eat or even get takeaways, so if you fancy a wee curry then this is for you. This 15 minute dish is quick and easy to make, and using staple ingredients that most of us have in our kitchen cupboards, its quicker than phoning a takeaway and can be made more healthier too by adding in your favourite vegetables.
This was a full flavour curry with loads of sauce, great for scooping up the rice. The flavours were so good that my other half said I needed to make this sauce again for his chips….lol! Yes, curry chips is his thing! If you make, let me know what you think.
Serves 4
2 Large Chicken Breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 White Onions, cut into wedges
Handful of Frozen Garden Peas (optional)
2 Tbsp oil
1 Tsp Soy Sauce
2 Tsp Cornflour
350ml Chicken Stock
4 Tsps Curry Powder
1 Tsp Turmeric
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 Tsp Brown Sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
50g per person of Cooked Rice (of your choosing) to serve.
Heat 1Tbsp oil in a pan or wok on high heat. Mix together the soy sauce and 1Tbsp oil in a bowl add in the chicken pieces and coat, sprinkle 1 Tsp of cornflour over to coat, season, then add to the hot pan and brown all over, remove with a slotted spoon.
Add the onions to the hot pan and stir fry until softened and slightly brown, about 3-4 minutes.
Add to the pan the Frozen Peas, Curry Powder, Turmeric, Ginger & Sugar, mix through for about 1 minute to release flavours.
Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, mix 1 Tsp cornflour with a little water and slowly pour little at a time into the sauce mix until it starts to thicken slightly. Add back to the pan the cooked chicken and mix through and simmer gently for about 5 minutes.
With the weather being very dreich (dull & gloomy) recently, we wanted to transport ourselves to a warm sunny place & with that not being possible in these unprecedented times I turned to my Kitchen Cupboards to see what I could make for dinner. Having some tinned pineapple, beans and rice in the cupboard we decided on visiting the Caribbean. This dish has a great blend of popular Caribbean spices, such as ginger, paprika and allspice which transports you right onto the Islands.
Also a great dish for batch cooking as you could quite easily make a big pot and freeze for later. A very nutritious dish with the beans high in fiber and the chicken giving you a good intake of protein. A good filling meal for any family table.
Serves 4
2 Chicken Breasts – cut into bite size pieces
1 Red Pepper, diced
1 White Onion, diced
4-6 Spring Onions, diced (for serving)
1 Tbsp Oil for cooking
1 Tbsp Curry Powder
1 Tbsp Smoked Sweet Paprika
1/2 Tsp of AllSpice
1/2 Tsp of Ginger
200g Cooked Wholemeal Rice (about 50g per person)
Juice of 1 Lime
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
1 Tin Pineapple Chunks
1 400g can of Black Beans, drained
Handful of Garden Peas
20-30g Cashews, chopped (for serving)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a pan on medium to high heat, season the chicken and brown all over.
Add the peppers and onion to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes until softened.
Add to the pan the paprika, curry powder, ginger, allspice, brown sugar and chillies, mix through for about 1 minute to coat, then add the black beans, peas, cooked rice, pineapple and lime juice, mix through to combine.
If too dry, add 1-2 Tbsp of water and stir, put lid on pan and heat through for about 5 minutes. To serve sprinkle the spring onion and cashews. Enjoy!
Healthier Eating is always at the fore front of my mind and especially this time of year, your body needs those extra nutrients & vitamins to function well and fight of those colds & flu’s. I know a salad doesn’t sound ideal when it’s minus degrees outside but trust me your body will thank you for it. I normally have a warm bowl of porridge in the morning, not only does that heat you up it also keeps you full for longer.
Choosing foods for your lunch or dinner that are rich in vitamin C, such foods like sweet potatoes, tomatoes, red peppers and citrus fruits, try adding these to your meals as vitamin C plays an important role in the immune system and energy levels, especially important if you regularly exercise.
During the winter months, we can come into contact with viruses that can cause colds or flu. So, it’s important that our immune system functions normally and zinc contributes to this. Foods such as shellfish, spinach and lentils are good sources of zinc.
Fish such as salmon, tuna & cod as well as milk, eggs and cheese, are a great source of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system and also contributes to a reduction in tiredness and fatigue.
Spices like chilli’s are a good source of antioxidants and rich in vitamin A, as well as minerals such as iron and potassium.
This Superfood Salad bowl I have for my lunch, which gives me a good boost for afternoon working. It is rich in nutrients, flavour and vitamins so a good all rounder for the whole family. Serve with some wholewheat crackers for a more filling dish or serve as a side with some fish for dinner.
Serves 4 portions
1 x 400g Tin Mixed Beans
200g Baby Spinach – chopped
2 x Tins of Tuna (or fresh if you can)
100g Cherry Tomatoes, sliced into quarters
1 x Cucumber sliced into quarters
Handful of chopped mix nuts & seeds
3 Tbsps of Sweet Chilli Sauce (more if you want it sweeter)
2 Chillies, Chopped finely (optional)
Chopped fresh Parsley (Optional)
Drain the tin of mixed beans and decant into a large bowl, add the spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, tuna, chilli’s (if using) and mix through
Pour in the chilli sauce and mix ensuring everything is coated.
Sprinkle Nuts & Seeds (of your choice) and chopped parsley (if using) on top and serve into bowls.
This time of year (January) it is very cold, wet, windy and snowy, so your immune system can take a bit of a battering. We tend to reach for medications such a cold & flu capsules, ibuprofen etc, which can help, however, I am a great believer that you can repair your body and fight infections from within and eating right does play a big part on that.
This recipe contains the following, so it is the ultimate winter fighter food.
Chillies contain Capsaicin which helps clear mucus. Ginger contains natural antibodies & anti-inflammatory agents & the ability to clear congestion. Garlic has antiviral & antibacterial properties. Butternut squash & wholemeal rice is good for boosting Vitamin C for your immune system. Cashew nuts are good source of fibre & magnesium both good for bone health & energy boosting.
This is also a great dish for batch cooking. It really is a win win all round.
Serves 4
2 Large Chicken Breasts – cut into chunks
2 Tbsp Thai Green Curry Paste (1 used the Blue Dragon Paste, but feel free to make your own)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil or Olive Oil for cooking
1 400g Tin Coconut Milk
1 Vegetable Stock Cube
1 Tsp Turmeric
300g Butternut Squash, cut into chunks
200g Cauliflower, cut into small pieces
150g Baby Spinach
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
Salt & Pepper
Juice of 1 Lime
30g Chopped Cashews (to garnish)
Handful chopped Spring Onion (to garnish)
50g Wholemeal Rice per person, cooked as per pack instructions.
Heat the oil in a pan on medium to high heat, brown the chicken and remove with slotted spoon.
If needed, put a little more oil in. Stir fry the curry paste for about 2 minutes to heat through and release the flavours.
Crumble the vegetable stock cube into the coconut milk and stir, pour into the pan with the curry paste and mix through. Add 1 Tsp of Turmeric.
Add back to the pan the chicken, butternut squash and cauliflower, mix and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
5 minutes before curry is ready, add in 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce, Juice of Lime and Spinach, mix through continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Serve with some wholemeal rice, spring onion and cashew nuts.
My meal plan somehow didn’t go to plan this week as I seemed to run out of store cupboard essentials like tin chopped tomatoes etc. This dish was the result of that, having looked a what I had and what needed to be used up I decided on a simple, quick and one pot dish. This turned out so delicious that I am sharing it with you, not only is it an easy to make dish but one that could be made ahead of time and frozen for later. The flavours in this dish can be enjoyed with the whole family. The good thing about this dish is that you can add whatever vegetables you like, to be honest anything goes here.
Serves2 – 3
250g Scottish Beef Mince (you could also use minced lamb)
1 Onion, chopped
1 tsp Ground Garlic Granules or 2 Garlic Cloves
100g Frozen Garden Peas
120g Pasta (I used fusilli but penne will do too)
400ml Beef Stock
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp oil
100g Grated Cheddar Cheese
Handful of Chopped Parsley
Heat the oil in a pan on medium to high heat and fry the onions until softened and slightly browned
Add in the beef mince, season with salt & pepper & brown.
Add in the tomato paste, garlic, paprika, chilli flakes and frozen peas, mix through. Add in the pasta and beef stock, bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook covered until pasta is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
Remove lid and sprinkle over the cheddar cheese and parsley, put lid back on, turn off heat and leave for 5 minutes. The heat in the pan will gently melt the cheese. Serve and Enjoy.
This North African dish is named after the earthenware pot it is traditionally cooked in. I have used Chicken which is simmered with the traditional flavours of sweet spices and vegetables. A Typical Moroccan style dish would use beef which has always been their staple diet with sweet spices & dried fruit. I used my heavy Cast Iron Pot for this, which is great for slow cooking and low temperatures.
If you have read through some of my other recipes, you’ll see that I love One Pot Cooking, it is simple and good for batch cooking if you prepare meals ahead of the week. It also means less dishes to wash…lol!
Serves 2
2 Chicken Breasts – but into big chunks
6 Shallots
2 Carrots – chopped
30g Butter
1 Tsp Saffron
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
200g Tin Broad Beans or Butter Beans (you can even use Chickpeas)
50g Dates (Optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Fresh Coriander – Chopped
Fresh Parsley – Chopped
Preheat a little oil in the pot on medium to high heat and brown the chicken.
Peel and chop 3 shallots into rings and 3 into quarters. Add into the pan with the carrots, butter and brown gently.
Pour in 400ml of cold water, just enough to cover the chicken, bring to the boil slowly and reduce to a gentle simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add in the saffron, ginger, paprika, dates(if using) and beans to the chicken pot, stir and put the lid back on, continue to simmer for a further 30 minutes. Season with Salt & Pepper.
Serve and garnish with some chopped coriander and parsley. For a more filling dish you can also serve with some couscous.
In Scotland, before the 19th century, bannocks were cooked on a bannock stane (Scots for stone), a large, flat, rounded piece of sandstone, placed directly onto a fire, used as a cooking surface. Most modern bannocks are cooked in a pan or skillet and made with baking powder as a leavening agent, giving them a light and airy texture. Bannocks were known as flat cakes or bread baked from grains, although if you visit the town of Selkirk in the Scottish Borders their Bannocks are more like fruit loaves.
120g of Scottish Oats – I blitz Scottish Porridge Oats into a fine flour.
80g Plain Flour
2 tsps Baking Powder
Pinch Salt
150ml Buttermilk
In a bowl or mixer combine the flour, oats, salt and baking powder
Slowly mix in the Buttermilk, little at a time until the flour has combined, lay on a floured surface and shape the dough to about 1″ thick and about the same circular diameter as your pan. Indent the dough about 0.5 – 1cm in, as if you were cutting a pizza shape.
Heat a little oil in a pan or skillet on medium heat (you don’t want it too hot or it won’t cook through properly), place dough into pan and cook gently for about 15 minutes on 1 side then flip over and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Remove and place on a bread board, allow to cool for a few minutes then serve.
Step by step of Bannock Bread
I usually have this bread with Soup but you could also spread a little butter or Jam and would be just as nice.
Cullen Skink is an authentic Scottish Thick Soup from Cullen, North East Scotland. It’s main ingredients are Smoked Haddock, Potatoes and Onion, which makes a lovely home comforting dish that lasts through the years. It’s one of our most popular dishes in my household, especially in the Autumn/Winter Seasons. Traditionally it is served with bread.
Initially, Cullen Skink referred to a type of broth made with the scrapings of beef from the front legs of cattle, hence ‘Skink’ as this means shin. Hard times in the early 1890s left the Northern people unable to buy this product. By this time, Cullen Harbour (completed in 1819) had become the thriving centre of herring fishing and the village also specialised in the production of smoked haddock. With many families in the local villages having a fishing background, they turned to smoked haddock which was in plentiful supply. By using smoked haddock and various other products all put together, a distinctive delicious soup was made.
Makes 2 large bowls
2 Smoked Haddock Fillets
1 White Onion, Diced
1/2 Leek, sliced, white part only
350g White Potatoes, peeled and diced
300ml Milk
100ml Single Cream or Creme Friache
1 Bay Leaf
40g Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
Handful of Chopped Parsley
Melt the butter in a pan and add the onion & leeks, cook for a few minutes then add the potatoes and continue to cook for a few minutes.
Add the milk, bay leaf & season. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Gently add the haddock to the pot and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon remove the haddock,from the pan place onto a chopping board and remove the skin, break into chunks, add back to the pan along with the cream and mix through, heat through gently for a few minutes.
Remove the Bay leaf and sprinkle over the parsley then serve into bowls.
This quick and easy vegetarian meal is perfect for those Autumn and Wintry Days, a warming bowl of goodness in your tummy. Full or nutrition and good vitamins, with only around 300 calories per bowl is a great healthy option to a takeaway Curry. This is also a good recipe to batch cook with. You can serve with a toasted naan on the side for a more filling meal.
Serves 4
300g Sweet Potato – chopped and diced into 2cm cubes
300g Butternut Squash – chopped and diced into 2cm cubes
2 White Onions, diced
2 tbsps Mild Curry Powder
2 tbsps Garam Masala Powder
1 x 400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 x 400g Tin Coconut Milk
1 x 400g Tin Green Lentils
200g Spinach – chopped
Sunflower & Pumpkin Seeds to garnish (yoghurt optional)
Steam cook the Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash, place in a microwaveable bowl with 2 tbsps water and cover, cook on medium level for 10 minutes. (you could always roast in oven for about 35 mins too)
While cooking add a little oil to a pan and cook the onions until softened, add the curry powder, garam masala powder and mix through. Add the tin tomatoes and coconut milk, bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes to allow sauce to thicken slightly.
To the sauce add the sweet potato and butternut squash along with the lentils and spinach, season and mix through, allow to simmer for a few minutes.
Serve into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of seeds.
A Moroccan inspired recipe and perfect for coming into the Winter months, it’s hearty, filling and warming. It is also a great batch cook recipe, make the soup up to 3 days ahead, cover and keep in the fridge. Freeze portions in food bags for up to 3 months. Add a splash of water when reheating.
Serves 4
300g Scottish Steak Mince (or any good quality beef mince)
1 Red Onion – chopped
1 Garlic Clove – crushed
400g Tin Tomatoes
1 tbsp Gram Masala
2 tsps Harissa Paste
1 litre Beef Stock
250g Puy Lentils (I used the pre cooked ones from Merchant Gourmet, my fav)
1 tbsp Dried Coriander
150g Spinach, chopped
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Heat a little oil in a casserole dish on medium to high heat, add the mince with seasoning and brown, about 6-8 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon.
Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add in the Gram Masala, Harissa Paste and stir, next add the tin tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes to reduce down slightly.
Return the mince to the pot with the beef stock, bring to the boil then simmer and cook covered for about 30 minutes.
Add the lentils, spinach and coriander to the pot and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
It is my favourite time of the year, Autumn, the colours on the trees, the fresh crisp air, walks in the park, comfy jumpers and warming food. What’s not to like? After harvesting some of my vegetables from the garden today I decided to use them in this warming Hotpot. Nothing says home comfort food that a big pot a deliciousness & straight from the garden too.
The good thing with this recipe is that you can use just about any root vegetable and it will work just as good.
Some of my winter harvest this morning. Parsnips, Carrots & Potatoes
Makes enough for 2 large portions
4 Large Potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
2 Large carrots, cut into bite size pieces
2 Parsnips, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 Onion, sliced into wedges
6-8 Rashers of Smoked Bacon, sliced
2 Chicken Breasts, cut into chunks
500ml Chicken Stock
1 tsp oil
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cornflour to thicken sauce if needed.
1 tbsp flour
First coat the chicken with seasoning and the flour, heat the oil in a large pot or casserole dish then brown the chicken and remove.
Add in the garlic & nutmeg along with the onion and fry until softened then add the bacon and fry until cooked slightly, few minutes.
Add to the pan the potatoes, carrots, parsnips and mix, then add in the chicken stock & bring to the boil.
Reduce to a low simmer and cook covered for about 2 hours. Alternatively you can cook in the oven at 140 deg for about 2 hours.
Remove lid and if you like a thick sauce like me just add a little cornflour and stir through. 1 tsp mixed with water should be enough.
Serve with some lovely fresh crusty bread. Or if you are Scottish it has to be Plain Bread!
Who doesn’t love a Curry? Especially when it’s a healthier version. This Curry came about when I was trying to use up leftover Almond Milk, nutritionally, store-bought almond milk (like Alpro or Almond Breeze) is a low-calorie product with about 56 calories per 100ml. It’s typically low in fat, with just 1.5g per 100g – all of which is largely unsaturated fat.
This Curry is a great family curry as its low in spice but with great flavour. It’s also great if you love batch cooking as you can make a hug pot and freeze into portions.
Chicken Curry with Almond Milk
Serves 2
2 Chicken Breasts – cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
300ml Almond Milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp Chilli powder
Handful of Cauliflower Florets (I used frozen)
Handful of Peas (I used frozen)
Curry Paste (see below)
Curry Paste:
1 Onion
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp gram masala
Sea salt
Mix all the Curry Paste ingredients into a blender and mix until you get a smooth paste.
Heat a little oil in a pan on medium to high heat, add chicken, season and brown.
Add the Curry paste to the pan and heat through for about 2 minutes.
Next add the tomato paste, almond milk, cinnamon and chilli powder and mix through.
Reduce the heat, cover and simmer on low for about 1 hour. 15 minutes before serving add in the cauliflower & peas, mix through and cook for remaining time.
The weather was turning a bit colder this weekend & there is no better dish than a warm chilli to heat your soul. I decided to slow cook this time and it definitely paid off as the flavours were more intense and the sauce lovely and thick. Chilli is always good the second day too, so this can be made in advance. Some cooks swear by lots of different spices from mustard powder to even cinnamon & I’ve even heard of chocolate in chilli…..(not sure about than one…lol), this combination I found works for me.
Heat the oil in a casserole dish or large pan on medium to high heat & fry the onions with the garlic until softened. Add in the Red pepper and cook for a further few minutes until softened.
Add in the Beef mince, season and brown.
Add in the tomato puree, spices & mix through.
To the pot add the kidney beans and tin tomatoes & mix. Sprinkle over the beef oxo cube & the herbs, add in the water, bring to the boil, cover and simmer on a low heat for about 2-3 hours. If the sauce hasn’t thickened, remove lid and cook uncovered for about 10-15 minutes to help thicken sauce.
I Served with Taco’s, Grated Cheese and sprinkled some fresh spring onions on top…yum! Also nice served with rice and soured cream.
When I think of Caribbean Food, I think beans, rice, peppers, sweet potato & tomatoes to name a few. This dish is a mix of all my favourites and I was using up leftovers too. I hope you enjoy. This dish would be lovely with Lamb too.
Serves 2
300g Scottish Beef Mince
150g Diced Butternut squash (or sweet potatoes)
1 onion, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 cm fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp sweet hot paprika
120ml Beef Stock
200g chopped tin tomatoes
200g Black Eyed beans
Handful of peas
Salt & Pepper to taste
Heat some oil in a large pan and brown the mince.
Add in the butternut squash, onion, red pepper, garlic, ginger, paprika and mix through, cook for 1 minute then add in the stock, tomatoes, peas and beans, bring to the boil then simmer covered for about 30 minutes. Season.
If using Lamb I would slow cook this so the Lamb in tender.
I am now back to work after a long furlough period due to this Covid19 pandemic. Being back at work means that I prefer quick and easy cooking meals for mid week dining. Last thing I want is to finish a long work day and stand cooking for an hour, who’s with me?
This dish takes just 15 minutes, so its a quick throw together in one pan kinda dish, but packs flavour and spice. Good on its own or can serve with some rice. I also used freshly picked Spinach from my new veggie beds (furlough project).
Homegrown spinach
Serves 2
200g chickpeas
200g chopped tomatoes
80g chorizo – sliced or cut into bite size pieces
1 brown onion – chopped
1 yellow pepper – chopped
Handful of Spinach – chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp basil flakes or fresh leaves to serve if you have
Salt & pepper to taste
100g Wholemeal or Basmati Rice if serving. (cooked as per packet instructions)
Spray a pan with oil and heat on a medium to high heat
Brown onions in pan for a few minutes
Add in the pepper and chorizo with garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a few minutes
Add in the tin tomatoes and chickpeas, mix through, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
1 minute before serving, add in the spinach and basil flakes, mix through. Season
I recently harvested my first sweet potatoes, so decided to have a little quick potato lunch today. If you love sweetness, you will love this. I served with some crushed goats cheese for that extra creamy texture.
Serves 2
2 medium sweet potatoes – sliced into 1″ thick slices
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch Salt
Preheat oven to 160 deg and grease a baking tin.
Mix the Lemon juice with melted butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon
Places the sweet potato slices in baking tin and pour over the mixture, cover with tin foil and bake for about 40-45 minutes.
The last 5 minutes, remove the tin foil to allow glaze to thicken and brown in oven. Remove and sprinkle some goats cheese. Serve.
sweet potatoes, lemon and glaze
Sweet potatoes ready for oven
Lemon Glazed Sweet potatoes
Lemon glaze sweet potatoes served with goats cheese
I am craving home cooked comfort foods these days, maybe it’s because we are all out of routine in life at the moment.
A traditional Highland Hotpot is normally made out of a Brace of Grouse (a brace is one male & one female grouse) and rabbit, however, my partner is not a big fan of these meats so I decided to make my version with free range chicken. This is a great slow cook one pot meal. Easy to make and delicious.
Hot pot meal
Makes enough for 2
2 chicken breasts – cut into cubes
1 tbsp flour
Salt & black pepper seasoning
1 white onion – cut into wedges
2 sticks celery – sliced
Cabbage – shredded
4-6 rashers of smoked bacon – chopped
spray oil
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp All Spice (cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves)
1 pint of vegetable stock
2 medium potatoes – cubed
Preheat your oven to 160 deg on fan.
In an oven proof dish with lid, heat spray oil on hob at medium to high heat. Coat the chicken with seasoning and flour then brown in the pan, remove with a slotted spoon.
In the same pan fry the onion and brown the bacon rashers for a few minutes.
Add the potatoes & celery & mix through for a few minutes.
Add back to the pan the chicken and add all spice & white pepper along with the stock, mix & bring to the boil. Then add the shredded cabbage mix, put lid on pot and transfer to the oven and cook for about 2 1/2 hours.
The stock should have absorbed into the meat & veg. Serve. Yummy!
This is my best homemade curry yet! (as said by my partner) I have to admit this was very delicious. I do surprise myself sometimes with my combinations out of a hat…lol! We had just come back from a mini hike nearby so we were pretty hungry, the weather was scorching (now scorching in Scotland is about 21 deg of sunshine…lol!), we fancied something light and refreshing. Looking in my cupboards & fridge, I had coconut milk, chicken and spinach to use up, so a wee light curry it was. Perfect with a light beer too!
Beer & Curry
Serves 2
2 small or 1.5 large chicken breasts – chopped into bitesize pieces
1 jar roasted red peppers
1 can coconut milk (full fat for more flavour)
1 tbsp harissa paste
Spray oil
1 red onion chopped
1 tsp curry powder
100g Spinach – I chopped finely
Seasoning (salt & pepper)
Using a food processor, blend the roasted red peppers with the harissa paste and coconut milk until smooth.
Sauce blend in KitchenAid processor
2. In a pan heat a little oil, season the chicken and fry until browned. Then add the onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the curry powder and mix.
3. Pour in the Sauce mix and cook for about 10 minutes on a medium to high heat.
4. Add in the chopped spinach and mix through cooking for about 2 minutes.
5. If the sauce is still to thin, bring heat up to a slight boil to help thicken the sauce.
6. Serve with some brown rice or naan bread. I cooked some rice and added it to the pan mixture and mixed though.
This dish could be made vegan and gluten free by adding chickpeas instead of chicken and serving on its own.
Having some Chickpeas to use up, I decided to spice them up with some Middle Eastern Spices. This dish was delicious & my partner agreed…..happy days!
I also love this dish as its a one pot cooking meal which means less washing up….lol!
Serves 2
250g Scottish Beef Mince
200g Tinned Chickpeas
400g Tinned tomatoes
200g Red Kidney beans or you can use Black beans
250ml Beef Stock
70g Rice (Basmati is good, but I had some Red and wild rice left)
1 tsp Dried garlic granules
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Dried coriander leaf (fresh if you have it)
1 tsp Dried parsley (fresh if you have it)
Spray oil
Salt & Pepper
Heat a little spray oil in a pan and brown the mince, remove with a slotted spoon, set aside.
Put Rice, Garlic, Ground coriander, Cumin & Turmeric into pan and coat the rice. Add the Beef stock, bring to the boil then simmer for about 15-20 minutes until rice is softened.
Add back to the pan the mince along with the chickpeas, tin tomatoes & kidney beans, mix through. Heat through uncovered for about 5 minutes.
Add the parsley & coriander if fresh to serve. If using dried, add with the beans etc.
My taste buds were swaying towards a Chilli tonight, but fed up with the same old serving of Chilli mince on top of a bed of Rice, I decided to try something a bit different. It worked a treat, a mix between meatballs and chilli….Yum! At under 500 calories per portion too this dinner is perfect and nutritious.
Serves 2 portions
For the Balls
300g Lean Scottish Mine Beef
40g Basmati & Wild Rice Mix (you can just use Basmati Long grain if you wish) Cooked
1 tsp dried Garlic Granules
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Dried Coriander
For the Chilli Sauce
200ml Beef Stock
1 Red onion – diced
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
200g Tinned tomatoes
200g Red Kidney Beans, chopped
Salt & Pepper
Few dashes of Tabasco Sauce
Cook your rice as per packet instructions and ensure it is very soft, once cooked allow to completely cool before added to your bowl of mince.
In a bowl, add Mince, Garlic, Cumin, Coriander and season with salt & pepper. Once Rice has cooled add to bowl and mix through.
Heat a little oil in a pan. With wet hands take small amounts of the meat mixture and roll into balls (you should get about 12 balls), place into your pan and brown all over. Remove.
Add the onions to the pan and fry until browned, then add the tinned tomatoes, chilli flakes, kidney beans and beef stock then season with salt & pepper. Bring to the boil then reduce and bring to a simmer. At this point add back the meat and rice balls and cook covered for about 15 minutes.
Just before you are ready to serve, add a few splashes of Tabasco sauce for that extra kick! (please take out if you don’t like it spicy hot)
Wanted some home comfort food today and trying to use up leftovers this little dish was perfect, tasty & filling.
Makes 2 servings
1 1/2 chicken breast (large)
1 Green Pepper
1 Large Leek
3 large Potatoes
250ml chicken stock
50ml Cream or milk
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried garlic granules
Salt & pepper to taste
Grated cheese (I used cheddar but Gruyere is nice if you have it)
Paprika to taste
Pre heat your oven to 180 deg (or if you have a class 9 Hotpoint use the Potato Gratin function)
Heat a little spray oil in a pan and slice the chicken into small strips, season with salt & pepper & nutmeg then brown, remove with a slotted spoon.
Heat a little butter in the pan, slice the leek and gently saute the leeks with the garlic until slightly browned, remove with a slotted spoon.
Add the peppers are cook until slightly softened and browned. Remove.
Peel and slice thinly the potatoes.
Lightly butter a baking dish and start by layering the potatoes then the chicken mix with vegetables then potatoes then chicken mix then potatoes. Pour in the stock and milk and finally finish off with the grated cheese sprinkled on top. Then sprinkle with the paprika to taste.
Oh Yum, this dish I found on the Whole Earths website, I just love their Peanut Butter especially the crunchy one….yum! My curiosity got the better of me because I wouldn’t have thought to put sweet potato and peanut butter together but wow, this was so tasty.
I also used my automatic setting on my Hotpoint Class 9 oven, the Potato Gratin setting. This was great as I didn’t need to worry about what temperature or oven function to set for a perfect bake the oven worked it all out for me.
This made 4 small servings (2 bakes in a 19cm x 30cm baking dish)
3 large Sweet Potatoes
2 tsp Crushed Chillies (or 2 chopped chillies)
100g Spinach – Chopped
300g Creme Friache
3 tbsp Peanut Butter, Crunchy
2 tsp dried coriander leaves
Salt & Pepper to taste
If not using automatic programmes, preheat oven on fan to about 200 deg then finish off under the grill to crisp and brown.
Peel & Slice the sweet potatoes to about 1/2 cm thick and place in a bowl, add the chopped spinach, coriander, chillies, salt & pepper.
Mix the creme friache and peanut butter together until smooth ad combined then pour into the sweet potatoes and mix until potatoes are coated.
Spray a baking dish with spray oil and then layer the sweet potato in the dish making two rows.
Cover with Tin foil and bake for about 30 minutes, remove the tin foil and continue to bake for the further 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are softened and slightly browned.
A bit of Meal prepping today while I have some time. I have been doing this for a few weeks now and have found it to be very beneficial to us. Sometimes I don’t get in till late from work and its always nice to have a healthy dinner ready for you. Also it means the 1/2 hour I save on making dinner means I can get some exercise in…..no excuses now.
Makes 4 Servings
1 tsp Ginger powder or 1″ piece fresh ginger minced
2 garlic gloves – minced
1 yellow onion – diced
2 tbsp Harissa Paste
Florets from 1 Caulifower
2 x 400g Chickpeas, drained
1 x 400g coconut milk
300ml vegetable stock
200g baby spinach
Salt & pepper to taste
Heat a little oil in a large pan, add the garlic, ginger and onions and fry until softened.
Add the Harissa Paste and coat the onions. Add in the Cauliflower and mix until coated.
Pour in chickpeas, vegetable stock & coconut milk with seasoning and mix through, bring to the boil then simmer and cook covered for about 25-30 minutes until cauliflower has softened.
Add the spinach and mix through, cook for a further minute or until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and either serve or allow to cool before freezing.
Serve with some Bulgur wheat or rice for a filling meal.
I do love creating with leftovers, I always amaze myself what you can do with leftovers in your cupboards or fridge. Today was a quick, tasty & filling lunch. With potatoes to be used up, I decided on mini loaded jackets. Using my Automatic Jacket Potato setting on my Hotpoint Class 9 Combi Microwave too they were ready in under 16 minutes too!
I made 4 small Jackets
4 medium sized Scottish Maris Piper Potatoes
2 tbsp butter
handful spinach – chopped
20-30g Cheddar Cheese – grated
Cracker Black Pepper
Salt to taste
First wash potatoes and prick with a fork
Place onto the Crisperplate or Microwave dish.
Set to Automatic, Recipes, Vegetarian Dishes, Baked Potatoes, Set weight and Extra Done. Start. Turn half way through.
When ready remove and allow to cool slightly
Cut potatoes in half lengthways and scoop out potato and put into a bowl then mash
Place butter and spinach into potato bowl and mix through & season
Spoon the potato mixture into the Jacket Potato skins and sprinkle with cheese then place under a high grill for a couple of minutes until cheese is melted. Season with some Cracked Black Pepper. Yum!
You could also add in some chilli and paprika for extra flavour & spice. Really anything of your choosing.
Oh yum! I still had some pakora batter left so decided to try these little bites….super good and tasty.
Pakora Batter
150g gram flour
200ml water
1/2 tsp chilli
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp gram masala
1/2 tsp Turmeric
2 cloves garlic or 2 tsp ground garlic
small handful coriander (chopped finely)
Pinch salt
1. Put all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together, make a well in the middle and gently add water little at a time while stirring, continue to add water until you get a smooth batter, it shouldn’t be too thick or too runny. Set aside.
1 x Cauliflower, cut into small florets.
I steamed my cauliflower using my steam pot for about 6 minutes, but if you don’t have this, you can cook in a pan of salted water on a gentle heat for about 20 minutes then drain.
Dip into the pakora batter and fry gently at 180 deg in rapseed oil for a few minutes until golden. Remove and place onto some kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
Oh yum, this was absolutely delish! Another great low calorie option from Pinch of Nom
I don’t know why I don’t have butter beans more often, a meaty & creamy texture and filling too. This is a great healthier option curry for the weekend or mid week.
Serves 4
Low cal cooking spray
1 onion, diced
1 red chilli, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp tomato puree
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 medium sweet potatoes, diced
250ml vegetable stock
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
Salt & pepper
1 x 400g Butter Beans
100g Baby Spinach
For the Spice Mix:
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp gram masala
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Spray a large pan with oil, add the chopped onion and chilli and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and spice mix and continue to cook for another minute.
Add the tomato puree and lemon juice and mix
Using a food processor or stick blender, blitz the onion mix to a smooth paste and return to the pan. Add the sweet potato and stir until coated.
Add the stock and chopped tomatoes and season. Stir, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
Drain the butter beans and add to the pan along with the spinach, stir through and cook for about 3 minutes until beans are heated through and spinach has wilted.
Serve and enjoy! I served with some rice and some chopped fresh coriander.
3 low fat sausages (I sliced them after they were cooked)
Spray a large dish with oil, add the chicken and cook over medium heat to brown.
Then add in the onion, peppers and celery, cook for a few minutes
Add in the garlic, cajun spice, paprika and oregano, stir and cook for a few minutes.
Add the rice, chopped tomatoes, stock & worcestershire sauce. Place the sausages in and bring to the boil then reduce to a low heat and cook covered for about 30 minutes.
Serve, Yum!
This is a great dish that you can batch cook with and freeze.
Oh yum, this little dish was delicious! Looking to be more healthier this year, so I decided on a veggie pie rather than meat. Super delicious and filling too.
Serves 3/4
1 onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 tsp tomato purée
3 tsp plain flour, 1 tsp thyme
Vegetable stock pot, made up to 200ml
2 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 x 400g tin adzuki beans
1kg Potatoes peeled and halved
75ml milk
25g butter
75g mature Cheddar, grated
1 tbsp English mustard
75ml milk
To cook the Soffrito (A soffrito is a flavourful mix of diced onion, carrot and celery gently fried in oil. It forms the basis of many dishes, including soups, stews and sauces. Add chopped garlic or herbs for even more flavour, if you like.) Heat a little oil in a pan and cook the celery, onion & carrot for a few minutes.
Cut a piece of baking paper the same diameter as your pan and lay on top of the veg, cook for a further 10 mins. ( The circle of baking paper helps to keep the vegetables moist and retain their flavour as they cook. It’s also useful when cooking the base of curries, soups and stews, but you can do without if you don’t have baking paper.)
Add the tomato puree and stir through the add the flour and combine.
Pour in the stock, beans & thyme and bring to the boil then reduce and simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
Transfer to an oven proof dish and allow to cool. Preheat your oven to 170deg fan.
Meanwhile, to make the rarebit mash:- Boil the potatoes until tender and mash.
Stir in 75ml milk & 25g butter
In a separate bowl mix the 75g grated cheese and mustard together. Slowly stir in the 75ml milk, until smooth.
Stir in the cheese mixture to your potatoes.
Spoon the mash over the pie mixture evenly. Note: (The bean mixture should have formed a thin skin while cooling. Don’t stir it before adding the mash because this helps keep the layers separate while the pie bakes).
Sprinkle with some thyme and bake for about 30-40 minutes until golden brown. I have a browning setting on my oven and its great for things like this.
This little recipe was from Hotpoints Website , a great little find, these were super tasty & I do love Italian flavours so was a perfect little lunch today.
I made the dough yesterday and left in fridge overnight so it was ready to use today.
Makes 6
For the Dough:-
400g Bread Flour
7g Dried Yeast
300ml Luke warm water (approx 35-40 deg C)
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
Pour the yeast and sugar into the luke warm water and allow to activate, approx 10 minutes or until you see it frothing.
Sift flour into a mixer bowl with the salt and make a well in the middle. Pour the yeast into the flour and on a low speed start to bring together the dough. Knead in the mixer on low speed for approx 10-15 minutes until it becomes elastic.
Put into a slightly oiled bowl and place in the oven on rising programme for 2-3 hours. (or leave at room temperature for a few hours or until doubled in size)
Remove from oven and knock back, separate into 2 or 3 batches if not making the full 6. I only made 3 and used 250g of dough which I put back into the oven to prove again for 1 hour. I put the other 2 amounts (approx 200g each) into an airtight bag and froze. You can freeze this dough for up to 3 months and use as pizza dough later.
For the Filling:-
8-10 cherry tomatoes – halved or quarted
Edam cheese – cut into cubes
2 tsps of Mixed Italian Herbs
2 tsps of olive oil
Salt & pepper
Place the tomatoes, oil, S&P & herbs into a bag (or bowl) and coat.
Spray a tin with spray oil and roll out the dough, not too thin, and press dough into the tin, allowing enough for the lid.
Spoon the mixture into the dough case and top with the Edam cheese, pull the lid over and seal.
Brush with a little milk and if you have any left over tomatoes press 2 into the top of the dough.
Bake in a preheated oven at 185 deg for approx 25-30 minutes.
I recently purchased a new cookbook by Pinch of Nom, I loved their last one so had to get their new one. This is a recipe from their Fakeaway options and at under 400 calories per serving it is definitely my new takeaway at home. Super tasty no compromise on flavour at all. I served with a little Basmati and Wild Rice along with my homemade Sweet Potato Roti, a perfect Saturday night home takeaway.
Makes 2 Servings
2 Chicken Breasts – cut into small chunks
1 red onion – diced
1 garlic clove – grated
1 cm piece of ginger – grated
1 tsp chilli flakes or 1 red chilli- diced
1 tsp curry powder**
1 tsp mixed spice**
**(I used this as an alternative to gram masala as I didn’t have any)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
100ml chicken stock – 1 stock cube
1 red pepper – diced
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander to serve.
Heat a little low fat spray oil in a fry pan on medium heat
Brown the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger together for a few minutes
Add the chicken and brown all over.
Next add in the curry powder, cumin, mixed spice, ground coriander and mix through until coated.
Add in the tin tomatoes, red pepper and stock and bring to the boil then reduce and cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes lid on, then 15 minutes with lid off to help thicken the sauce slightly.
Looking for something a bit more tastier and a healthier more nutritious option to go with my healthier option curry tonight, having a sweet potato left over from last weeks shopping I decided to try this……and well, it turned out amazing, super tasty and the structure held very well too.
Makes 6
1 large Sweet Potato
1 cup of plain flour
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
Start by steam cooking the sweet potato (I used my steam pot and steamed for 6 minutes by slicing into 1-2cm thick slices), do not roast as this will not give you the same flavour.
Allow potato to cool in a bowl then mash and add the spices and flour. With your hands bring to a dough.
Flour a surface a cut the dough into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece as thin as you can.
Heat a little oil (not too much or it will burn too quickly) in a fry pan on a very high heat and cook until you see the dough start to bubble, then turn over and cook for a further minute, remove & continue with the rest.
If you have any leftovers simply vacuum pack and store either in the fridge for later of you can freeze.
It was Blowin’ a Hoolie here today (very windy) & that just calls for something warm and home comforting. This was a tasty quick option in my kitchen tonight and certainly hit the spot.
Makes 2 portions
150g Butternut Squash – chopped into cubes
150g Sweet Potato – chopped into cubes
1 onion – chopped finely
60g Chorizo – sliced
1 garlic clove – minced
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp dried sage
Salt & pepper to taste
Handful of chopped carrots, sweetcorn and peas (I used frozen)
300ml chicken stock
50ml cream
150g Spinach
Heat some low fat spray oil in a pan and fry the chorizo for a few minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a kitchen towel.
Add to the pot the onion, garlic, sage & nutmeg and fry until onions are softened.
Add the sweet potato, butternut squash and vegetables and stir until coated.
Add the chicken stock with seasoning and bring to the boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes or until squash and potato are cooked.
Remove lid, add back to the pan the chorizo and spinach and stir in the cream allow spinach to wilt for a few minutes, stir through. Serve.
You could also sprinkle some nuts over for a more nutritious serving.
I have seen Pizza Skulls on social media and gave me the idea to make these for my Horror theme Hogmany coming up. I changed it from Pizza filling to a Chilli Con Carne filling. These are amazing and so much fun too. I got my pan from Nordic Ware and opted for Black & Red dough too using Red Malt flour and Activated Charcoal powder.
Makes 6
For the Pizza Dough (I made extra, which I stored for later use)
3 x 350g Wholemeal Bread Flour (you can use strong white too)
3 x 1 tsp salt
3 x 1 tsp caster sugar
3 x 3 tsp baking powder
3 x 170ml warm water
20g Red Malt Flour, plus 1 tsp red food colouring for the Red
3 tbsp charcoal powder plus 1 tsp black food colouring for the Black
Mix everything using a mixer until it come together like dough, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Mix 3 lots ie: plain, black & Red
Once ready to use, cut amount you need and store the rest. Place on a floured surface and roll out, not too thing or too thick. It will be stretchy, just keep stretching it until you have the size you need. Approx 7 x 4″
Brush your skull pan with melted butter and lay the dough into each skull pressing gently. Place the filling in and fold over the excess dough, if you have too much just trim.
For the Chilli
350g Scottish Beef Mince
1 Red onion, finely chopped
1 Red pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried chilli flakes (omit if you don’t like it too hot)
2 tsp chilli powder
200g Tin tomatoes
200g Kidney beans
200ml beef stock
light fry oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Grated Cheese of your choice.
Heat the fry oil on medium to high heat
Fry the onions and pepper with the garlic until softened
Add the beef and brown
Add in chilli powder, cumin, salt & pepper with chilli flakes (if using) mix through to coat
Add in the tin tomatoes, kidney beans and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes cover. The uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken sauce. Allow to cool.
Once skulls are filled, refrigerate for 30 minutes then bake at 200 deg for 25 minutes. Serve.
I first saw this recipe on Pinch of Nom site, I got their first book and have preordered their second, its full of healthier option recipes that do not compromise on flavour. This Lasagne was both delicious and lower in calories.
Makes 4 portions
400g Scottish Mince
1 Carrot, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 Oxo cubes
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp Mixed Italian Herbs
2 tsp Dried Garlic Granules
For the White Sauce
350g Natural Yoghurt Fat Free
1/2 tsp Mustard
120g Low Fat Cheddar
2 eggs
Lasagne Sheets – I made my own but you can buy ready made
Heat pan with a little low fat spray oil. Fry onion, carrots, pepper and garlic for a few minutes until softened.
Add the mince and brown.
Add the Italian herbs and Worcestershire sauce and stir through
Add in tomato paste, oxo cubes, tin tomatoes and 200ml water and mix through until combined.
Put lid on and simmer for 30 minutes
Spread a layer of the beef mixture into a deep oven dish and then layer the lasagne sheets, then another layer of beef mixture, then layer lasagne sheets until you reach near the top.
To make the sauce, mix yogurt, mustard, eggs & salt to taste with the cheese in a bowl until combined. (leave a little of the cheese to sprinkle on top)
Spread the sauce mixture over the lasagne dish and garnish with pepper and leftover cheese.
I baked using my Lasagne setting on my oven, or you can bake in an oven at 190 deg for about 30-35 minutes until browned.
Its definitely soup season, I woke to -5 deg this morning….very cold. Using up some leftovers in my fridge, mainly carrot and onion I decided to make a warming soup. This was delicious and hit the spot right. I used my steampot, so steaming the vegetables made this even more nutritious and flavorsome.
Makes 3 Servings
4 large carrots
1 large onion
500ml Vegetable Stock
60g Bulgur Wheat
1 tsp garlic granules
1 1/2 tsp Cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried coriander
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chop up the onion & carrots into chunks and place in the steam pot with 200ml of the vegetable stock and cook on steam setting for 8 minutes.
Remove steam pot lid and add in the rest of the stock then blitz with a hand blender until well blended and smooth.
Stir in the spices/herbs and bulgur wheat and cook on microwave at 750w for 3 minutes.
Remove and stir. Season and serve.
you can of course make a big batch and freezer for later.
In a bid to eat a bit healthier, this little dip was perfect as I love Beetroot and always looking for different ways to use it. I saw this from The Veg Space, a great website if you love vegetables, some great ideas too.
The great thing is you can freeze hummus, so I made a big batch and split into smaller portions for later.
Makes approx 600g
3 Large cooked Beetroots, diced
1 can 400g Chickpeas
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Juice & zest of 2 Lemons
4 tbsp tahini
2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt & Pepper
Drain the chickpeas and keep the juice.
Put the chickpeas, beetroot, lemon juice & zest, tahini, paprika, garlic and seasoning into a blender or food processor and blitz to a smooth paste.
Gradually add about 1-2 tbsps of the chickpea juice until you get the consistency you want.
Oh Yum, the flavours from this were amazing. I got this recipe from Scott Baptie’s High Protein Handbook 5, full of goodness too. You can check out his website here.
Serves 2
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
300g Scottish steak mince
1 tsp Chilli powder
2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp turmeric
150g Basmati rice
300ml Beef Stock
100g frozen peas
2 handfuls of Spinach
Seasoning (salt & pepper)
Heat oil in a pan on medium to high heat
Brown onion and garlic for a few minutes
Add in the mince with seasoning and brown
Add the spices and cook for a minute, add the rice and mix through until coated.
Pour in the stock and simmer for about 15-20 minutes
Add the peas and spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed.
I do love breakfast time, and one of my favourites is omelettes. They are very nutritious, packed with protein and have over 15 essential vitamins and minerals.
Cook eggs on their own, either scrambled, poached, boiled or fried, or use to make dishes such as omelettes, frittatas, soufflés, pancakes, sauces or cakes, or use to glaze breads and pies. The list is endless, I love it.
Makes 1
3 eggs
30g Gruyere Cheese, grated
30-40g Ham Hock shredded
1 tsp nutmeg
1 handful of spinach
Salt & pepper to taste
Heat some spray oil in a fry pan on medium heat
Whisk together eggs, nutmeg, ham & cheese and pour into pan. Season.
I put the lid on my pan and cook lightly until puffed up, 1 minute before ready lay on your spinach and cover again. (by covering it adds more steam and allows the omelette to puff up more)
It’s Halloween Season, my favourite time of the year, beautiful crisp air, colourful leaves on the trees, dark cosy nights, everything spooky and weird, and amazing food flavours around. To be honest this is my first time with Pumpkin, I’ve never cooked it before myself, I thought I would try steam cooking it for more flavour and making a creamy soup as it was a really cold day here today. Was delicious.
Makes 1 large portion
250g chopped pumpkin
30g sliced leek
30ml double cream
300ml vegetable stock
30g Bulgur Wheat
Salt & pepper to taste
Place the pumpkin and leeks with 100ml of the stock into the bottom of the steam pot and cook on dynamic steam for 8 minutes. Otherwise, place stock in a pan with pumpkin & leeks, & additional 100ml stock then bring to boil, reduce slightly & cook covered until soft.
Remove lid and pour in the rest of the stock and the cream, season with salt & pepper and blend with a hand blender until smooth.
If using pot its the same method as above.
Add in the Bulgur Wheat to the creamed soup and cook on microwave 900w for 3 minutes.
Or simmer in pan for 5 – 7 minutes.
Remove from microwave/pan and serve with some toasted pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of olive oil.
You can also add in some toasted croutons if you like.
I recently purchased the new High Protein Handbook No. 5 from Scott Baptie, and this little recipe was my first one I tried, I have to say it was super tasty and very nutritious too.
Serves 2
1 tsp coconut oil
2 Chicken Breasts – chopped into chunks
1 sweet potato – chopped into chunks
1 onion – chopped
1 tsp dried garlic granules
1 tsp ginger
1 red pepper, chopped into chunks
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp fish sauce
200ml coconut milk
1 tsp chilli powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Melt the coconut oil in a pan, season the chicken and add to the pan to brown then removed with a slotted spoon.
Add the onion, pepper, sweet potato, garlic and ginger and brown.
Add the chicken back to the pan and add the fish sauce, paprika, curry powder, chilli and coconut milk, reduce to a low simmer and cook covered for about 1-2 hours.
Remove lid, turn heat up slightly and allow to cook uncovered for about 20-30 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Serve on its own or with some steamed wholemeal rice.
In a bid to get more vegetables into our diet, this little Tagine was simply super tasty and super healthy. One pot cooking too so nice & easy. I do love Moroccan flavours. Idea came from a recipe from PON and as usual I added and took out bits to suit my own tastes. Delicious!!!
Serves 4
Low calorie spray
1 Large carrot, cut into chunks
200g Turnip (swede), peeled and cut into chunks
2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
6 shallots – peeled and cut into wedges
1 red pepper, cut into wedges
200g peeled and deseeded butternut squash, cut into chunks
This is a classic dish in the U.K, good British pub food, I was keen to give it a go. Easy One pot cooking and can be slow cooked too. Traditionally its served with roast potatoes, however, having loads of rice to use up in my cupboard this was my preferred choice.
Serves 4
For the Chicken
4 Chicken Breasts
4 Bacon slices (smoked)
3 shallots, diced
2 tsp garlic granules or 2 cloves
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp crushed chilli flakes
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp sugar
80g reduced fat cheddar (healthier option)
For the Rice
150g Wholemeal Log Grain Rice
1 x 400g tin of mixed beans
Pinch of Saffron
300ml Vegetable Stock
75-100g chopped Chorizo
Preheat oven to 180 deg.
Wrap each chicken breast with the bacon slice and secure with a cocktail stick
Put all of the other ingredients for the chicken into an ovenproof casserole dish with a tight lid.
Place the chicken on top of the ingredients, put lid on and cook for about 1-2 hours.
Remove from the oven and remove chicken breasts from the dish, set aside. Using a blender blitz the sauce until smooth.
Place chicken into a dish, cover with the sauce and sprinkle the cheese over the top, place under a hot grill to melt the cheese.
Place the rice, beans, chorizo, stock & saffron into the steam pot and cook on Steam setting for 20 minutes.
I do love my salmon. This was a last minute little dish as I was going to have steamed teriyaki salmon and sweet potato fries tonight for dinner, but changed my mind as I fancied a warming soup type dish. It was delicious and with the lemon zest added that extra bit of flavour.
Makes 2 portions
2 Salmon Fillets – cut into chunks
1 large sweet potato – cut in 1 cm chunks
1 cup sweetcorn (I used frozen)
1 cup baby carrots ( I used frozen)
1 cup garden peas (I used frozen)
1 onion – chopped finely
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp dried dill
Salt & Pepper
200ml water
2 tbsp flour
150ml Milk
Grated Lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon
In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the onion.
Add in the sweet potato, sweetcorn, peas, carrots, dried dill, salt & pepper and mix.
Pour in the water and bring to the boil, reduce and simmer covered for about 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.
Whisk the flour into the milk and slowly add to the pan while stirring through.
Add in the chunks of Salmon, remove the lid and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes or until salmon is opaque. Be gentle but stir every now and again but watch not to beak up the salmon pieces.
Squeeze in lemon juice and grated lemon zest. Serve with a turn of rainbow peppercorns.
I have been wanting a Cast Iron Casserole Dish for a while now and my best friend came to the rescue, just out of the blue she gave me this lovely pot, so I just had to come up with a recipe to use it this weekend.
Pre heat your oven to Slow Cook Setting or around 90 deg.
Brown the onions in a little oil, then add the peppers and brown, remove from pan
Add the Beef mince and brown all over, adding salt & pepper to taste
Add back to the pan the onions & peppers along with the sweetcorn, beans, tomatoes, seasoning and stock. Mix through and cook in oven for about 5-6 hours.
This is a very simple and quick satisfying dinner & a healthy nutritious one too. The added crispy onions on top just give it a lovely little crunch. I used Corn Tacos for extra flavour.
Heat a little oil in a fry pan on medium to high heat
Add in the pepper and sweetcorn and cook for about 5 minutes
Add in the black beans, chilli, garlic, onion granules, cumin and pinch of salt, mix through and cook for about 5 minutes
Add in the baby spinach and 2 tbsp water, cover and let spinach wilt for about a minute of 2. Mix through. Finished with 2 tbsp coriander and juice from 1 lime.
To serve, heat up the corn tacos under a grill (or tortillas if using). 2 tbsp of bean mix, top with sour cream, cheese and crispy onions. Yummy!
Oh yum! I wanted to try broccoli rice in my new KitchenAid mini Food Processor and then decided to turn it into little fitters, these were super tasty and so nutritious. These are freezeable so you can make a large batch for later in the week.
Makes 8
200g Broccoli – fresh
1 egg
80g Gram Flour (Chickpea Flour), you can use almond flour or plain flour too.
30g shredded cheese (I used Le Gruyere but parmesan would be nice too)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mixed pepper
1 tsp onion granules
1 tsp garlic granules
In a bowl add flour, salt, pepper, paprika, onion and garlic granules, cheese, flour and egg, mix together
Blitz the broccoli in a food processor and add to the mixture, bring together. If its a little too sticky, just add in some extra flour.
Taking a ladle, scoop some mixture and place into a hot pan with a little oil or Crisperplate (if using), cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until slightly browned. You could also bake in an oven at about 200 deg for about 20-30 minutes.
I’ve had an Indian Superfood Cookbook for ages but for some reason never actually attempted to make anything from it. So today was that day it got opened. I wish I had opened it up sooner, this dish was super tasty and full of good antioxidants. I served it with a chickpea chapati, made from my original Chapati recipe, I changed the plain flour for Gram Flour.
Serves 2
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp gram masala
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2-3 chillies chopped or 1 tsp chilli flakes
250g scottish beef mince
225g can of chickpeas
Small handful of Fresh coriander to serve.
Heat the oil in a large fry pan
Add in the onions with the cardamom, cumin, garlic, ginger, salt, turmeric, gram masala & chillies. Cook until onions are slightly browned and softened.
Add in half of the tin tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes or until the excess juices have dried off.
Add in the mince, mix well and cook until mince has browned all over, about 5 minutes.
Add in the remaining tomatoes & chickpeas, bring to the boil, cover & simmer for about 30 minutes. If the consistancey is too thick just add a little water.
Oh yummy, I was going through all my cookbooks and found this dish from Jamie Olivers Superfood Book. Was easy to make, very filling and very delicious. Fresh flavours and so nutritious. Squash is packed with Vitamin A which helps us see in the dark. Laksa originates from Southeast Asia, it is usually a noodle based soup with coconut.
Serves 2
2 sticks of lemongrass
2 cloves garlic
10cm piece of ginger
2 fresh chillies
3 spring onions
1 bunch of fresh coriander
80ml coconut cream
Splash white wine vinegar
Splash of Fish Sauce
Chicken Stock Cube with 700ml water
150g brown rice or wild rice
1 butternut squash
2 chicken breasts (or thighs)
1 tbsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp unsalted peanuts
1 lime.
Preheat your oven to 180 deg.
Bash the lemongrass and remove outer layers, peel the garlic and ginger and chop the spring onions and chillies roughly. Place all in a blender. Add the coriander, (reserving a few leaves for garnish) coconut cream, vinegar and fish sauce, blitz the mixture until smooth. This is your Laksa paste.
Crumble the chicken stock cube into your oven dish and add 700ml boiling water to dissolve. Add in the rice.
Cut up the butternut squash into 4 rounds off the bulbous part, removing the seeds.
Cut the chicken breasts into large bite size pieces. Cover the chicken and butternut squash pieces with the Laksa paste. Place them into the oven dish with the rice & water. Drizzle 1 tbsp sesame oil over the top.
Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Before serving, toast the peanuts and chop into small bits, sprinkle on top with the coriander leaves and squeeze the juice from lime over the top. Serve.
Love home comfort food? This is a great little dish that never fails to satisfy. Easy to make, economical and very filling. Using the Gruyere cheese gives it a lovely rich flavour and the panko breadcrumbs give it a lovely bite.
Serve 2
2 Chicken Breasts – cut into bite size pieces
200g broccoli florets – fresh
1 tbsp butter
1 brown onion, sliced thinly
100ml creme fraiche
200ml chicken stock
40g panko breadcrumbs
55g Gruyere Cheese, grated
Salt & pepper to taste
Pre heat your oven to 200 deg.
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and add the broccoli, cook for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan and cook the onions until browned and softened, about 4 minutes.
Layer the broccoli, onion & chicken in an oven proof dish and season well with salt & pepper.
Pour over the stock and creme fraiche, mix through.
Using the remaining butter in the pan from onions add the breadcrumbs and cheese and mix through, only heat for about 1 minutes until panko crumbs go slightly brown and cheese is combined.
Sprinkle the panko crumbs and cheese over the chicken in the dish and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown.
This was a recipe I put together trying to use up leftovers in my fridge. It was absolutely delicious, if I do say so myself. Next time, I would probably use 2 less filo sheets though and maybe omit the panko breadcrumbs.
Makes 1 roll (about 8 slices)
6-8 filo sheets
1/2 a large white cabbage – finely sliced
1 carrot – shredded
2-3 orange sweet peppers – finely sliced
60g chopped chorizo
small handful of panko breadcrumbs
Salt & rainbow pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter – melted
1 tbsp dried onion granules
Preheat your oven to 190 deg. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Heat a little spray oil in a pan on medium to high heat and add in the onion granules, cook for about 30 seconds.
Add in the cabbage, peppers and carrot and stir through for about 10 minutes.
Then add in the chorizo and continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until everything is softened and slightly browned. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile, unroll the filo pastry and with the melted butter brush lightly on 1 filo then sprinkle some panko breadcrumbs, then lay another filo sheet onto, then brush with butter, then sprinkle some breadcrumbs over, then another filo sheet on top and so on and on until you have used all the sheets.
Take the cooled cabbage mixture and place in the middle of the sheets, leave about a 2″ border all the way and brush with melted butter.
Take the 2 short ends and fold into the mixture
Then gently roll up the filo pastry, place onto the baking tray and bake for about 30 minutes.
Remove, slice and enjoy. (Beware, it is very crumbly..lol)
This little dish is so refreshing. It was a lovely sunny day here this weekend so decided I wanted something cool and refreshing & this done just that job. I served with my pulled peanut butter chicken and was delish.
Makes enough for about 4 people or 8 smaller side portions.
1/2 large white cabbage – sliced finely
100g or more of peanuts – chopped
5 spring onions – chopped
3-4 sweet peppers sliced – various colours
1 large handful of coriander – finely chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
For the dressing:–
2 tbsp Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sweetener (I used a low calorie option)
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp Hot Sauce (less or more if you like it spicy or not)
3 tbsp toasted peanut oil
In a bowl mix up the dressing thoroughly until combined.
Place all the slaw vegetables in a bowl and season
Pour over the dressing and mix to combine.
Serve immediately or keep in fridge for up to 1 day.
This is really quick and east to pull together and tasty too. Quicker than phoning out for a chinese takeaway…lol.
Serves 2 portions.
100ml oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic minced
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp of Hot sauce or Sriracha
300g Rice Noodles or any kind of thin noodles
4-5 Spring onions, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 Pak Choi – chopped
200-300g Beansprouts
In a small bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and Hot Sauce and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large wok over medium high heat. Add noodles and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes, set aside.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the wok. Stir in pak choi until just wilted, about 1 minute.
Stir in noodles and oyster sauce mixture until well combined, about 2 minutes. Stir in bean sprouts and spring onions.
This recipe is so easy to make and a great quick and satisfying classic. The word ‘Dirty‘ comes from the fact it looks dirty with the colour of the minced beef. Made with rice and vegetables this is so healthy too, at only approx 300 Kcal per serving.
Serves 4
150g Long Grain Brown Rice (or white if you prefer)
1 Chicken Stock Cube – (300ml water if steaming, using Steam pot)
400g Scottish minced beef
1 red onion – chopped finely
4 bacon medallions – diced
3-4 tsp Cajun seasoning (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 carrot, diced
1 red pepper, diced
100g gardens peas
200ml beef stock
1 beef stock cube
bunch spring onions, sliced
Cook the rice as per packet instructions. I used my Steam pot, decant rice into pot, add the frozen peas and chicken stock, cover and cook on Auto Rice setting for 18 minutes.
Meanwhile, spray a fry pan with low fat cooking spray, brown the mince, onions and bacon.
Add in the Cajun seasoning, salt & pepper, worcestershire sauce and stir. Then add in the carrot, peppers and beef stock. Simmer for a few minutes until peppers are softened.
Add the cooked rice to the pan and mix through. Finish with the spring onions and serve. We served with some Corn Folded Flatbreads. Yummy!
Yummy little dish, I got this recipe from Pinch of Nom and added my own stamp to it. I do love one pot cooking and especially slow cooking too, it is sometimes so good just to put something in the oven and carry on with your daily tasks. This was slow cooked for 5 hours and was delicious. A really good simple throw together meal.
Makes 2 large servings
300g Scottish beef mince
350g passata
300g tin tomatoes
60g chopped chorizo
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 carrot, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 stick celery, diced
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 beef stock cube crumbled
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
100g dried wholemeal pasta
150ml boiling water
40g low fat cheddar
Salt & pepper
Set your oven to slow cook setting if you have one, if not this can be done in a slow cooker on med-high setting.
Firstly brown the mince in a pan with salt, pepper and garlic then remove and place into an oven proof dish
Next add in all the other ingredients with the exception of the pasta, cheese and boiling water, cover and bake for 4.5 hours
Add in the pasta and boiling water to the dish and mix through, bake for a further 30 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.
10 minutes before ready, sprinkle on the cheese and allow to melt through.
Sloppy Joes is a traditional United States Dish and usually served on a Brioche Bun, but as I’m always looking for healthier options, this little alternative was simply superb and still very very tasty without the carb guilt. Thanks to PON again for another fab recipe.
Serves 2-4
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
400g 5% fat scotch minced beef
1 tsp mustard powder
3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
120ml water
sea salt & rainbow pepper
1 red pepper cut lengthways
1 yellow pepper cut lengthways
40g reduced fat cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 200 deg.
Spray a fry pan with a little oil and heat to medium heat.
Add the onion, garlic & green pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes
Add in the minced beef, turn up heat slightly and cook mince until browned
Then add in the mustard powder, worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, red wine vinegar and water, turn heat down and cook for about 5 minutes, season with salt & pepper
Divide the beef mixture between to pepper halves, scatter the cheese over and bake in oven for about 10 minutes.
Quick & Easy to make, full of flavour, refreshing, light and only 190 Kcal per serving, whats not to like. We had these for lunch with a cheeky wee low cal beer. Yummy!
Serves 2
2 small Fresh cod Fillets cut into strips
1/4 tsp mild chilli powder
1/4 tsp garlic granules
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Salt & rainbow pepper
Handful of mixed leaves (I used watercress, spinach & rocket)
2 spring onions – finely chopped
4 small corn tortillas (or low calorie ones)
2 x Wedges of lime
4 tsp Low fat greek yoghurt
1 tsp chilli flakes
Heat a little oil in a pan on high heat.
Sprinkle Chilli powder, garlic and coriander over the fish slices and add the fish to the pan, cook for about 4 minutes then flip and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until slightly browned & crisp.
Meanwhile, heat your tortillas as per packet instructions and place the green leaves, chopped spring onion and a little coriander onto the tortilla.
Once fish is cooked through, place onto the green leaves, season with salt & pepper, add a dollop of yoghurt, sprinkle with chilli flakes and squeeze lime juice over, Serve. Yum Yum!
OMG! Super tasty meal, super healthy & low in calories, at only 417 Kcal per portion. Another thanks to PON for this recipe. The meat is so tender due to the slow cook match with cuban spices this is a real treat.
Serves 4
500g stewing scotch beef (fat removed)
Salt & pepper
2 onions sliced
240ml beef stock (2 stock cubes)
1 x 400g tin tomatoes chopped
2 green & red peppers, cut into strips
4 garlic cloves – crushed
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp fresh coriander
50ml red wine (or you can use a stock pot for less calories)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Cooked rice to serve (corn tortilla wraps optional)
Season the meat well and brown over a high heat in a pan, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onions to the pan and saute for about 3-4 mins
Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and the browned meat
Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook on low for about 2 hours. (Or in an oven at 140 deg fan for 2.5 hrs)
Pull the meat apart with 2 forks, serve on a bed of rice or with a low calorie corn tortilla.
Monday morning breakfast was a case of trying to use up leftovers. I had some fresh bread and spinach that needed to be used, so decided on some easy breakfast cups. Quick and easy to make. There are so many flavours you can use for these too.
Made 3 with left overs
1 piece of bread per cup – crustless
Eggs
Baby Spinach
Cheddar Cheese (low fat – optional)
Salt & pepper to season
chilli flakes – optional
1 tsp paprika – optional
1 tbsp butter – melted
Firstly preheat your oven to 180 deg.
Brush your bread with the melted butter both sides and cut diagonally, place the bread into the muffin tin overlapping and making sure the bottom is covered.
Bake the bread in the oven for 5 minutes and remove
Place the spinach & cheese with seasoning and chilli into the cups and then crack the egg into them. Sprinkle with paprika and bake for a further 15 minutes. A bit less if you like your eggs really running.
I got this recipe from Food for Fitness , a great site for everything healthy and fitness. I’m still on my journey to find a better balance of nutrients and this little dish packs loads of protein. At only 500 calories approx per serving it’s perfect for a tasty healthy dinner.
And my favourite part, yes it’s one pot cooking (if you’ve a oven ready hob pot). This is still on my wish list.
Serves 2-3
2 large chicken breasts – chopped into bite size pieces
you can of course make a big batch and freezer for later.
