Middle Eastern Style Veggie Burgers with Pickled Red Onions

This is a recipe revamp from my old collection. I previously called them baba ghanoush veggie patties but I realized when I was retesting the patties that they’re much broader than that because they’ve got goats cheese in them. Regardless of that they still came out just as delicious as before. I also wanted to add some zing to them, and made some pickled onions to go with the patties. These are amazing and can go with anything. They’re much like the pickles you’d find in Texas on carnitas tacos. I also used them to serve alongside some pulled pork. They’re pretty versatile and really nice to snack on. The recipe for the burgers makes about 6.

Delicious in a burger or on it's own.

Ingredients:
1 400g tin cannellini beans – drained and dried
1 medium aubergine
1 medium red pepper
125g goat cheese
50-75 bread crumbs (Or 2-3 slices of white bread whizzed up in the food processor)
1 egg
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. cumin
¼. tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. turmeric
Salt to taste
Handful of cilantro
Oil to fry

To start:
Slice the eggplant and red pepper in half, roast in the oven with a little oil until soft and mushy.
Drain the beans and rinse. Drain thoroughly.
In a food processor whiz the beans, goats cheese, roasted aubergine, red pepper and spices and half of the bread crumbs.
When combined add the egg and whiz again.
Depending on how wet this batter is adding some more breadcrumbs as needed. The consistency you’re looking for is of thick pancake batter.

To cook:
Heat a couple of tablespoons in a pan until very hot.
You’ll want to spoon the batter in the hot oil.
Make the patties the size you desire and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side.
These will be very delicate so take care when flipping.

For the pickled onions: (Note: Adapted recipe from here.)
100g thinly sliced red onions
1 medium cinnamon stick
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
Juice of one lime – if it’s not juicy enough use two.
1 c. apple cider vinegar
75g caster sugar
1 tablespoon salt

Method:
In a small saucepan bring all of the ingredients slowly up to a bowl so that the spices have time to steep and the sugar has time to dissolve.
Blanch the onions for 10 seconds with freshly boiled water and drain immediately.
Shove the onions into a jar.
When the sugar is dissolved in the brine pour carefully over the onions and let sit until room temperature.
When cool cover and refrigerate for up to a week.

After 10 minutes in brine it's ready!

Curried Piccalilli Scotch Eggs with Curry Ketchup

Who doesn’t love a scotch egg? I know I do! I have made a few attempts at making them but it always turned into a disaster. I watched a few videos on how to do the breading and I think I have it down! I wanted to incorporate the traditional dip ‘piccalilli’, that goes with scotch eggs, into the actual sausage meat. If you’re willing to take a little time to make these they make great picnic accompaniments. They’re rather large so you can assume it will fill you up! I could easily split one with someone else on a picnic. This recipe makes 4, and unfortunately it’s hard to make them any smaller because the eggs are quite large to begin with. It was a bit of a messy job making these so it was harder to photo the entire process, so I only have the end result. Enjoy!

Delicious oozy runny yolks :)

Ingredients:
500g lean pork mince
200g piccalilli (chopped up very finely)
8 large eggs (4 for breading 4 for boiling)
2 tbsp. curry powder (reserve 1 tsp. for the curry ketchup)
4 large eggs
200g bread crumbs (or about 5 cups)
150g seasoned flour
Oil for frying
Cling film
½ c. ketchup to serve

To Start:
Get on a pot of water to boil.
When the water is boiling gently put the eggs in and boil for six minutes exactly. Take out and run under cold water; peel and set aside.

To Prep:
Pull out 4 large pieces of cling film; set aside.
Make breading stations, 3 bowls with b
Next chop the piccalilli as fine as you can and mix it with the pork mince.
Divide in four equal portions.
Place one portion on a piece of cling film and press out into a circle.
Place the egg in the middle and bring the cling film together, twisting tight and bring the meat to the egg covered completely.
Repeat for all eggs, and refrigerate for 1hr.

To Bread: (THE MESSY PART)
Take the chilled sausage and eggs out of the fridge, dip in the flour first, then into the egg, then into the bread crumbs.
From the bread crumbs, toss back into the egg to coat, and then back into the breadcrumbs.
Set aside while you do the others, and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

To Cook:
Heat your oil to about 180C – I did not have a temperature gadget so I just eyed it.
They should take about 6-8 minutes until golden brown.
When done remove and let sit on a paper towel for 20 minutes before digging in as they are hot!

For the curry ketchup:
In a small saucepan, heat up the ketchup and 1 tsp. of curry powder just until heated through.
Let cool and use for dipping the egg!

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Baileys Buttercream Icing

I am always trying to keep up with the seasons by buying seasonal items, as well as making recipes for holidays and giving people tips for entertaining. Today I decided to celebrate Irish heritage and searched through loads of recipes. I had a chocolate cake in mind and I wanted to incorporate Guinness. I think I have seen Guinness chocolate cake on a menu once. So I searched through many recipes and combined them into my own. I must say this is one of the best chocolate cake/cupcake recipes I’ve ever made on my own. I have no idea where these recipes started from but the base idea is the same. I tweaked it to fit my own needs and you should make it and see how it goes! I also decided “Hey, if I’m getting Irish, I might as well make something with Baileys! Right?” I thought it was a great idea. I have no idea how to really make buttercream but I went on my instincts from watching my mom make icing and it really worked. Came out really good! I encourage anyone to try this for St. Patty’s Day or for any occasion you want to impress. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes but can easily be doubled for a larger group. Oh and if you omit the Baileys in the icing it would be appropriate for children, but as the recipe goes they’re for adults. Enjoy!

*Note: For all my American readers, it’s really hard for me to convert this recipe into US measurements, I suggest you get a scale, or if you’re in a pinch, message me on my Facebook page and I can walk you through it in US measurements.

Very light and fluffy.

Ingredients:
125g unsalted butter
125g self-raising flour
100g dark brown soft sugar
50g Silver spoon Half Spoon (If you don’t have this use 100g granulated white sugar)
50g Green & Blacks Cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
75ml non-fat yogurt ( I used Yeo Valley)
125ml Guinness draught

For the Icing:
55g unsalted butter room temperature
200-300g icing sugar
3-5 tbsp. Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur

To start:
Heat an oven to 175C or 350F
In a medium saucepan combine, butter, brown sugar, Guinness, cocoa powder and vanilla on a low heat until the butter and brown sugar is melted – do not boil. Take off heat and leave to cool slightly.
In another big bowl, sift together flour salt, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Slowly pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and stir to combine until smooth.
Next add the egg and yogurt and stir well until combined and no lumps.

To Bake:
Line 12 muffin cups and pour the batter in evenly through the cups.
When the oven is hot place them in the middle and bake for 20-25minutes.
At about 20 minutes check them with a tooth pick, if it doesn’t come out clean cook for a further 5 minutes.
These cupcakes are REALLY soft and will feel uncooked.
Take them out and leave them to cool completely before trying to eat them or ice them.

To Finish with Buttercream and Ice:
You can do this while the cupcakes are baking.
There really isn’t an easy way to explain this; it’s a bit of trial and error getting the mixture right.
The idea is to mash all the butter until soft and have it absorb the sugar a little at a time.
When the butter has absorbed some sugar, add a little bit of Baileys, then more sugar then repeat until you have a good thick consistency and enough icing for your cupcakes.
These measurements did my cupcakes no problem.

Halloumi Stuffed Peppers with a Spicy Tomato Sauce

I love a good vegetarian dish for supper as well as a good Moroccan spiced dish. This fortunately combines both! It’s fairly easy to put together as well, but once it’s together you shove it in the oven and forget about it. There are also a million things you can do with the couscous stuffing. You can eat it as a side by itself or stuff it into a chicken or lamb roulade. You could also integrate other ingredients; the options are endless! I made this dish to serve as a main course for two people making 4-5 peppers. It can easily be a side dish as well, just up the ingredients a bit.

Light lunch, dinner or a side dish!

Ingredients:
1 400g tin of tomatoes
2 medium onions
75g dried whole wheat couscous
225g block halloumi
4 large peppers
3 cloves garlic
50g dried dates
50g dried pistachios
2-4 tbsp. ras el hanout rub
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. olive oil

For the Sauce:
Dice one onion and chop garlic.
In a saucepan combine tinned tomatoes, onion, garlic, and 1-2 tbsp. ras el hanout.
Bring to a boil and let it reduce until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. (You might need to add half can of water)

For the Couscous:
Dice the other onion and garlic.
Slice the dried dates and pistachios.
In a small pan heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic, and dates until soft.
At the end add the pistachios and take off heat.
In a bowl mix the dried couscous with the friend onions, garlic, dates, and pistachios.
Pour about 250ml boiling water on to the couscous, cover with cling film and set aside.

To Assemble:
When the sauce is done take off heat.
Cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds and veins.
Cut the halloumi in about 24 chunks (six pieces for each pepper)
Place a ladle of sauce at the bottom of the dish.
Place halloumi in each pepper arranged so you can still fill with the couscous mixture.
By now the couscous should be rehydrated and ready to fluff and fill. Use a large table spoon to fill each pepper evenly and repeat for all of the peppers.
Pour the rest of the sauce over the peppers.
Cover with foil and bake for about 45mins-1hr at 180.
Enjoy!

Creamy Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Green bean casserole is such an American classic, typically associated with Thanksgiving dinner. I think it’s such a great dish and could be made with any special dinner. I really enjoy making it, but I was tired of the canned cream of mushroom soup that makes the sauce. I sought out recipes, and was open to the idea of something dairy free that didn’t require a load of cream or butter. I stumbled on a few recipes and here is my rendition of what I found! This is mostly adapted from a vegan recipe that got great reviews. Once I tried it I was hooked. This is quite possibly the most delicious green bean casserole I’ve ever made! The pictures show a half version that I did but the recipe is for the full version. I will be making it in the future. This recipe serves about 8. Enjoy.

Ingredients for the Green Beans:
500g-1kg fresh green beans rinsed and chopped (you can use tinned/frozen)
1 whole onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. pepper
Salt to taste

For the Casserole:
1 diced onion
1 diced green bell pepper
2-3 cloves garlic
200g chestnut mushrooms (any mushroom, just not shitake)
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 glass white wine
Pinch paprika
Olive oil
Fried onions for garnish (the French’s American ones)

For the Sauce:
1 c. unsalted cashews soaked in water for 1hr
1 tsp. corn starch
1c. +1c to thin the sauce vegetable stock (I use marigold vegan bouillon powder)

To start:
Get your cashews soaking immediately.
Make your stock.
Clean up your green beans and get them on to boil.
Boil them for about 30-45 minutes or until very soft.
Drain and set aside.

For the Casserole:
Dice your pepper, onion, garlic and slice the mushrooms.
Make the sauce; in a blender (a small fast one works well for this), blend the soaked cashews, corn starch, and stock for at least 3 minutes until thick and creamy. Set aside.
In a big sauté pan, heat a couple table spoons of oil, and begin to sweat off the onions, and peppers. When the onions are soft, add the mushrooms and the garlic.
Salt the mushrooms, and as they begin to soften add the white wine.
Cook off at a boil for a few minutes.
When the wine is cooked off, turn down the heat and add the sauce and sauté for a few minutes.
Next add the drained green beans, paprika and thyme.
Stir to combine, add more stock as it thickens and let cook for about 2-5 minutes until thick.
Put in a casserole dish and sprinkle with French’s fried onions and bake at 175C or 350F for about 30 minutes.

Roasted Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons

Two of my favourite things in the world is a good roast chicken, and anything Moroccan flavoured. I absolutely love layering flavours and while I’ve tried it once on a roast chicken I decided to put some extra effort in with the ingredients and try to come up with something a little more authentic, of course while not taking up a lot of my time in the kitchen as well. I used preserved lemons in this dish which is a Moroccan ingredient, and pretty easy to find at your local supermarket. If you can’t find these I would cut slices of lemon in half and salt them until you’re ready to use. I also realize that not many people have access to ras el hanout which is one of the main spice ingredients used in Moroccan cooking as a go to. If you don’t have it, and want to grab the flavour I suggest mixing half teaspoon each of, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, allspice and clove. Use what you have, if you only have two or three of those spices use them. It’s all about making it work.

Ingredients:

1.4kg small/med chicken whole

1-2 tbsp. Ras el hanout

2 preserved lemons (about two halves for each side of the breast)

To prep:

Preheat oven to 200C (400F)

Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat try. Cut off any thick excess pieces of skin.

Place on baking tray, and slide your finger in between the breast and the skin, there is a little nook to do this without piercing the skin itself. What you want is to create a huge pocket for the lemons and seasoning.

After creating the pocket, slide two halves on to each breast spreading equally apart.

Rub the entire chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with ras el hanout seasoning

To Cook:

Cook at 200C For 20 minutes.

Reduce heat to 190 and cook for a further 60 minutes.

To see if it’s done pierce the thickest part of the thigh and will be done when there is no resistance and the juices run clean.

This is my go to settings for most roast chicken, and if your chicken is larger cook for a further 15-30 minutes or until the thigh juices run clear. Stay tuned for my moroccan rice pilaf that I served with it!

Whole Wheat Turkey Lasagna

This can be a bit of a long recipe, but the benefits will definitely make up for it! You can certainly buy a store bought tomato sauce for Spaghetti if you don’t have time but I went a few extra steps and incorporated a store bought sauce with an extra bit of extra veggies. Adapt it any way you’d like and the point is you learn how to make lasagne the American way, or at least how I learned to make it growing up. This was made in an 8x8 baking dish, so my ingredients will reflect that size.

Ingredients:
5-8 sheets whole wheat lasagne pasta
500g ricotta cheese
300g mozzarella cheese (half fat)
2 whole eggs
1 c grated parmesan cheese divided in half
400g turkey mince (you can use any mince)
2-3 small carrots
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
½ green pepper
½ red pepper
1 glass of wine
½ tsp. each dried basil, oregano, rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 jar of light tomato pasta sauce 500g
2 tbsp. oil

For the sauce:
Dice carrot, onion, pepper, garlic, and peppers.
Heat oil in a large stock pot, when hot, add the mince and brown for 5 minutes, then add diced veggies and sauté until they begin to soften and become fragrant.
Add 1 glass of wine and reduce down at a high boil.
After the wine has reduced into the vegetables, add your jar of pasta sauce, dried seasonings, bay leaf, and bring to a small boil, stirring frequently. Cook about 20 minutes.

Next:
While the sauce is cooking prepare your filling by mixing the ricotta cheese, eggs and half the parmesan cheese.
Add salt and pepper.

To finish:
When the vegetables in your sauce are finished ladle a scoop in the bottom of your baking dish and spread it around. (enough to just prevent the pasta from sticking)
Take pieces of lasagne noodles and arrange to fit as many on the bottom that will cover a layer almost completely (break into several pieces if you have to)
Next ladle another scoop of sauce on top of the pasta.
Next put a few spoonfuls of the ricotta on top of the pasta sauce, carefully spreading it out over the sauce and to cover it as a layer.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and mozzarella.
Next repeat these steps, pasta sauce, pasta, ricotta cheese, parmesan and mozzarella.
Make sure you save enough to put a good topping of mozzarella on the top, that’s what you always want on the top so try to eye your layers to make sure it won’t over flow in your casserole dish.

This can be a tedious dish or it could be very simple, depending on how you want to work with it, but it will definitely not stay in your fridge for long! Freeze any leftovers after 3 days, and they will keep for up to a month.

Satay Noodles With Grilled Pork Loin

I love satay noodles; I can eat them cold or hot, for lunch or for dinner! It’s really a versatile menu item, and can be as easy or as interestingly difficult as you’d like it. I tend to keep it simple, but sometimes I jazz it up. This recipe I jazzed it up a bit but you can feel free to add in or omit any items depending on what you have and how you like it. Serves 4-6 (Leftovers are awesome!)

For the Sauce:
1 tbsp. sesame oil (toasted kind not the clear kind)
1-2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1 tsp. dried ginger
1 tbsp. soy sauce (light)
2 tbsp. crunchy peanut butter (Use creamy if that’s what you have)
1 juice of a lime

For the dish:
400-500g (~1lb) pork loin
Pak choi (can substitute snow peas or any green crunchy veg)
Carrots (sliced)
Onion (sliced)
Red/green/yellow peppers (sliced)
250g fettuccine noodles

To Start:
Make the sauce by incorporating all the ingredients until smooth, if too thick add a little bit of water and thin it out. Set Aside.
Slice all vegetables if you need to at this point.

For the Pasta:
Heat a large pan of water and cook pasta as directed.

For the pork:
Salt and pepper.
Heat a grill pan with oil until near smoking.
Set the pork on it and let sit grilling for at least 6-8 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile the veg:
If your grill pan is big enough add the sliced pak choi, carrots, peppers and onion.
If it’s not add in another pan and cook separately.

To Finish:
Drain the pasta, immediately mix with the sauce and toss completely.
Add in the cooked vegetables.
When the pork loin is done, let rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice on the diagonal and serve accordingly. Enjoy!

Low-Carb Mustard Herb Crusted Pork Loin with Butternut Squash

I’ve always thought that mustard was a great pairing with pork. I’ve also tried this recipe a few times and it ended up getting too salty, even without adding any salt. So I changed it up a bit. You can also roast any vegetable you like with it, I happen to think that butternut squash has such a nice flavour when roasted with the loin. You can also change the herbs, I used rosemary but thyme, sage or even fennel will work. Make it your own, it’s all about making this your own and using what you have. This can serve 2-4 depending on the size of the loin and squash. Enjoy!

What You’ll Need:
600-700g Pork fillet (roughly 1.5lbs)
1 small to medium butternut squash
1 large onion
1 sprig fresh rosemary (1 tbsp. chopped or 1 tsp. dry)
¼ c. Dijon mustard (I only use Maille)
3 tbsp. light mayo
1 tbsp. freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

To Start:
Preheat the oven at 190C or 375F
Line a large pan with foil.
Peel and dice the butternut squash and lay on the pan with a space for the pork loin to go in the middle.
Peel and dice the onion and lay on top of the squash.
Drizzle the oil over the vegetables, salt and pepper them and mix to combine.

For the Pork:

In a bowl mix the mustard, mayo, half the fresh pepper, and rosemary.
Slather on top of the loin, not too thick or it will burn.
Place on the baking sheet with the squash.
Sprinkle with the remaining pepper.
Ovenize for about 30-45 minutes depending on your oven. Or alternatively check that the temperature is between 160-170. Enjoy!

Low-Carb Shepherd's Pie

This is a traditional shepherd’s pie recipe with a twist. It has a cauliflower mash topping instead of the potato. If you don’t want to do the low carb version that’s completely ok too. You can just make the mash the exact same way you prepare the cauliflower. I know the peas aren't low-carb but a must have with shepherd's pie! This is a play on a Gordon Ramsay recipe which I’ve always found one of the best recipe’s I’ve tasted. It’s really simple to make and provides such tasty leftovers!

What you’ll need:
1 extra-large head of cauliflower
2 egg yolks
25g butter (2 tbsp.)
¼ c freshly grated parmesan cheese (save a few pinches for the top)
1lb (500g) lamb mince
1 large carrot
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. tomato puree
250ml red wine (large glass)
300ml chicken stock (1 c.)
Handful thyme leaves
1 sprig rosemary
1-2 tbsp. oil

For the Cauliflower (or Potatoes):
Chop the cauliflower into small pieces and steam until mush.
Blend in a food processor, food mill, or mash by hand until it’s creamy.
Add egg yolks, butter and ¾ths of the parmesan.
Salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

To start the Mince:
In a food processor (you can also do this manually), shred the carrot onion and garlic.
Prepare your chicken stock if using a bouillon.
Chop the herbs.
In a large sauce pan, heat the oil and add the ground lamb; season with salt and pepper.
When browned, add the shredded carrot, onion, and garlic; continuously stirring.
Next add the Worcestershire sauce, herbs, and tomato puree and mix thoroughly. Cook about 5 minutes.
Add the wine and turn the heat up so it reduces quickly. Reduce until there is barely any liquid left.
When the wine is reduced add the chicken stock and reduce in the same fashion.
When it’s done you want the consistency of a thick sauce, not watery or liquidy.

To finish:

Place the lamb mixture a small-medium casserole dish (make the pan is small enough so the meat mixture goes up half way) and spread out evenly.
Dollop the cauliflower on top of the meat and spread out completely covering the meat mixture.
Run the fork across the top of the cauliflower, creating small ridges.
Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
Bake at 190C or 375F for 20-30 minutes until slightly golden. Enjoy!

Perfect Pesto Quiche

I had never made a quiche worth eating, but I was determined to throw one together with the leftovers I had in the house. I even made the crust! It was so much easier than I thought and even more delicious than I could have ever imagined! I suggest everyone try it, because of its simplicity. It’s so much better to eat a homemade quiche than a processed store bought one. Remember that this recipe was made on what I had available at the time, use what you have, even a pre-made crust, but I’d make sure to pick up the pesto! Serves 4!

What you’ll need (as a guide):
1 small chard (or 250g of leafy greens like spinach)
1 courgette (zucchini)
1 small head broccoli
½ red onion
3 cloves garlic
½ c. pesto
3 eggs
1 ½ c. milk
Salt
Garlic powder
Parmesan shavings for the top
1 tomato sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil

For the crust:
1 c. + 2 tbsp. flour (125g)
½ tsp. salt
¼ c. butter about 50g
2-3 tbsp. milk

Start the crust:
Get the crust started by mixing the cold butter into 1 c. flour and salt until forms small pebble sizes.
Slowly add milk until dough comes together. (You might not need all the milk).
When the dough turns stiff roll out on a very floury surface and lay in a 9inch pie tin. Set this aside and star the filling.

For the filling:
Dice chard, courgette, broccoli, onion and garlic.
Heat in a pan olive oil, and stir-fry all the diced vegetables until soft.
Turn off the heat and add the pesto and stir to combine.

To Finish:
Mix together eggs and milk and whip until well combined.
Add the cooled cooked vegetables to the milk and egg mixture.
Pour the mixture into the pie dish.
Top with parmesan shavings and tomato slices.
Bake at 190C or 375F for about 40-50 minutes or when it looks golden.
*To test that done stick a spoon in the middle and look for firmness.

Polish-Style Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

This is an excellent way to use up a head of cabbage, and ground beef. I have always thought of cabbage rolls as being Polish, but for anyone on a low-carb diet it would work as an excellent main dish served with a salad. That’s how I served it! It’s also versatile in that you can use beef, pork, turkey or whatever ground meat you wish. Even make it with vegetables, or just bring your own ideas to it. This recipe serves 4. Enjoy!

What you’ll need:
500g or 1lb ground beef, turkey, or pork
1 small onion
1 head of cabbage; about 10 large outer leaves
1 tbsp. garlic puree or 3-4 cloves garlic
1 stalk celery
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
¼ green pepper
2 tbsp. tomato puree
1 tbsp. dill
1 tbsp. thyme
1 tbsp. vegetable granules (bouillon cubes will work)
1 tbsp. olive oil

To start the sauce:
Dice the onion, celery and mince garlic.
In a small sauce pan, heat the oil. Once heated add the onion celery and garlic until softened.
Next add the tomatoes and stew down for about 20 minutes while you gather the rest of your ingredients.

Next:
Tear the outer leaves of the cabbage and wash them thoroughly and steam them until soft enough to roll. You could alternatively lightly boil these too.

To make the filling:
Dice the onions and peppers finely.
Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, beef, onion, peppers, garlic, tomato puree, dill, thyme, salt, pepper, vegetable granules until well incorporated.

To finish:
Take a cabbage leaf and place a small ball inside and spread it out length-wise, wrap it up on the ends and roll it.
Place it in the pan opening side down, and repeat until the meat is gone.
Pour the sauce over the top, trying to cover as much as you can.
Cover tightly with foil and bake at 190C or 350F for about 45 minutes.

*For an added treat, mix garlic and mint with Greek yogurt for a special topping (sour cream would also work good here)

Easy Peasy Chocolate Mousse

I went looking for a recipe that I could make for a romantic dinner that would be easy and something I could adapt to my own style of cooking. It took 20 minutes to make and a few hours to set in the fridge and it was complete. It’s luscious and delicious, and definitely something I recommend trying on that special occasion. My recipe is for two large martini glasses, but you could easily stretch to four small.

Ingredients:
1 100g Lindt 90% cocoa bar
300ml double cream (I used Elmlea double light cream, with less calories/fat)
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp. caster sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. Baily’s liquor or liquor of your choice (optional)
Couple handful of raspberries or berries of your choice.

To Start:
On a clean cutting board shave all of the cocoa and place in a bowl.
In another bowl beat half of the cream until stiff peaks.

Next:
Heat remaining cream until ALMOST simmering – DO NOT BOIL/BURN.
In another bowl mix egg yolks and sugar until fluffy.
Pour some of the hot cream into the egg yolks to temper.
Next pour all of the tempered egg yolks and sugar back into the remaining heated cream to create custard.
Cook for about 2 minutes on very low heat.
Next pour the custard through a sieve onto the shaved cocoa and stir until completely melted and creamy.

To finish:
Fold the whipped cream in.
Add some berries to the bottom of the martini glass.
Pour half the mousse on top of the berries and then top with berries.
Place in the refrigerator for a couple hours to set. Enjoy!

Lamb Moussaka with Courgettes

Moussaka is a dish found in many Mediterranean areas including Greece, and I’ve only eaten it at Greek restaurants. I have always wanted to try to make it, and in this case I replaced the traditional aubergine with only courgettes, because it’s what I had at the time, and this came out to be a really lovely meal accompanied by peas, but I do think some roast potatoes would go along nicely. It freezes well. Or serves 4.

Ingredients:
500g lean lamb mince (~1lb)
3 courgettes (zucchini)
1 large onion
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
Pinch of cinnamon
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. flour (divided half and half)
1 Packet Coleman’s savory white sauce mix OR white sauce recipe (see below)
1 egg yolk
½ c. grated cheddar cheese
Salt

Simple White Sauce:
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 ½ c milk (~300mls)
Salt and pepper
touch nutmeg if you have it

To Start:
With a sharp knife ), slice the courgette lengthwise as thin as you can get (if you’re not sure do thin round slices).
Place the courgettes in a colander and salt liberally so moisture is released.
Dice onion and garlic, set aside.

To Cook:
In a large pan, sauté the mince lamb with the onion, garlic, basil, cinnamon and oregano.
When completely brown, try to lean the pan out and spoon some of the grease into the bin.
After most of the grease is gone add the canned tomatoes and 1 tbsp. flour.
Stew for 10-15 minutes on medium heat.

To Make the White sauce (with packet):
While the mince is cooking, follow directions on the white sauce packet, see below for cream sauce from scratch.
When the white sauce has come together and thickened, add 1 egg yolk and half of the grated cheese.
Set aside.

To Assemble:
After draining some of the liquid off the zucchini, rinse thoroughly and pat dry to remove salt.
In a shallow casserole dish or baking pan, begin layering the zucchini with the mince lamb mixture until both the courgettes and lamb mixture are used up.
Make sure to layer to leave ½ at the top of the dish.
Carefully pour the white sauce over the top of the casserole.
Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Cook in a 170C (350F) oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.

White Sauce topping: (If no packet)
Melt butter in a pan.
Add the flour and mix thoroughly until a paste.
Move that paste around in the pan for 1-2 minutes on a low-medium heat just to get some of the flour flavor off.
Slowly add 300ml (~1 ½ c milk), and stir with a whisk to ensure no lumps (may need a bit more milk to thin it out).
When thickened add half the cheese and yolk.
Continue with the recipe above.

Addendum: I have since revised this recipe with potatoes on May 7, 2014 Moussaka with Courgettes and Potatoes

Grilled Marinated Prawns with Creamy Blue Cheese Sauce

I would normally never make something as rich as this for a dinner, but I had a few ingredients lying around, and a tiny bit of patience to cook with. I wanted something hearty and tasteful but also was within the confines of my restrictive diet. I have to tell you about this product before I continue with the recipe, hopefully you can find this alternative to cream in every grocery store, but it’s delicious and has nearly a quarter of the calories that regular cream has. It is absolutely delicious and acceptable in replacing in any dish with cream. If you’re not able to find this then a simple cream sauce will work equally well (if you want to know how to make one let me know).

Ingredients for Marinated Prawns:
300-400g fresh Prawns
Handful fresh parsley
1 small chili
3 tbsp oil
3 garlic cloves
Juice half a lemon

Ingredients for Pasta Sauce:
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp flour
250ml Alpro Soya Cream
50-100g blue cheese (as much as you like, depending on how much you like it)
½-1 c milk (depending on how thick you like it)
¼ grated parmesan cheese
1tbsp. butter

To start Marinate the Prawns:
Chop, chili, garlic, parsley add to a zip lock bag.
Add oil and lemon juice and put in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.

For the Sauce: (Also good time to start up the pasta water)
Melt the butter in the pan and add the garlic, when the garlic becomes fragrant turn the hob down to the lowest setting.
Add the flour and make sure it’s incorporated completely and cook the paste for about 5-6minutes, being careful not to darken the ‘roux’.
Next add the cream and milk stirring with a wisk to remove lumps. Cook about 5-8 minutes on low heat, pepper only at this point.

Next Cook the Prawns:
Heat a grill pan on high heat.
Dump all the prawns in the pan and flash cook them until just done. Turn off heat and let rest.

To Finish:
Add the parmesan cheese into the sauce, if needs more milk to thin it, add some.
Add the drained pasta with a little water into the sauce, and then add the prawns. Voila!

Lighten Up! Southern Jambalaya

This recipe is definitely not Texan, but I can say it’s been part of my life as I am from the South. If I cook it the traditional way I use American long grain rice and chorizo sausage (Spanish dried sausage), and it really got greasy, so I tried to change a few ingredients lower some of the fat, and add some more nutrition. I replaced the white rice with whole grain brown basmati rice and replaced the sausage with a smoked reduced fat pork sausage. This recipe makes a lot, enough to feed more than 4, but it also freezes well and makes great freezer meals.

400g (12-14oz) diced chicken breasts
200g prawns (shrimp)
1 200g link of sausage (preferably reduced fat)
1 large onion
3-4 ribs celery
1 bunch of spring onions
1 large red pepper (or whatever colour you want)
3-4 cloves garlic
2 c brown basmati rice (or whatever you have)
4 cups water (about 2 pints)
1 chicken stock cube
4 tbsp. Paprika divided
1 tsp. cayenne
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. olive oil ( you will need less if you use chorizo sausage)


To start:
Dice celery, onions, pepper and garlic set aside.
Dice into chunks the chicken, and slice the sausage set aside.
Make your stock.
Keep your spices out.

To Cook:
In a large stock pot, heat oil.
When hot add chicken, sausage and half the paprika and sauté about 8 minutes until the chicken is half cooked.
Remove from pan.
If you need more oil add another tbsp., and then add the vegetables, garlic and brown sugar. (if dry add ¼ c water. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften.
Add the rice and the stock, stir and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes.
Continue stirring, and add the remaining spices.
Make sure the pot is at a steady simmer and keep it there for 20 minutes.
Return to stir, and add prawns/shrimp, sliced spring onions last 5 minutes of cooking.
The Jambalaya will be done when the rice is soft. If it hasn’t gotten soft enough simply add more water.

Mamma's Beefy Enchiladas

Finally I have put together my Mexican fiesta meal. It’s a treat for me to make because no matter how you make it, it tends to be higher in calories. I tried to skim the calories wherever I could, but adapt it to whatever you like and use whatever type of ingredients you want. I got this recipe from my mother that got it from her mother in law when she first married my dad. I managed to get it to taste just about the same even with the lighter ingredients. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Will post Spanish rice soon. (PS, it's hard to get the cheese right for this in Britain, I can't stress this enough how hard it was to make them here)

Ingredients:
½ lb mince beef (ground beef) preferably lean
2-3 tbsp chili powder (I used Sainsbury’s mild chili powder)
2 tbsp whole meal flour (whole wheat, any kind you want really)
1 ½ tsp cumin
2-3 cloves garlic minced
2 c (or 450ml) water
12 white corn tortillas (the only place in Britain I've found the right kind are at http://www.coolchili.co.uk)
250g grated cheddar (I used Tesco mild lighter cheese)
½ onion shredded/grated

For the sauce:
Brown the beef with the spices and minced garlic. Salt and pepper as you like.
When fully cooked sprinkle the flour and stir till it’s dissolved into the meat and cook for 3-5 minutes on low until the flour taste is cooked through.
Next add the water, stir and bring to a small boil. Stir continuously. If the sauce is too thick after boiling for 1-2 minutes just add a little more water (1/4-1/2c more) slowly. You want the consistency of a creamy soup.

To make the Enchiladas:
Preheat the oven to 160C (350F)
Prepare a rolling station including, baking pan, cheese (set aside 1/2c-3/4c for top), grated onion.
Microwave 5-6 tortillas at a time for about 1 minute until soft
Next put about 1 ½ tbsp cheese and small strip of grated onion on the tortilla and roll it up and place in the pan.
Continue until the pan is full. (Use your judgment, if you can add more into your pan do so)
Pour the Enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled tortillas.
Top with cheese (however much you want, I was going for the lighter side so I just barely sprinkled it)
Bake for about 30-45 minutes or until cheese and sauce is bubbling.

Note: It’s hard to find a British cheese that melts correctly for this recipe but making sure you get mild instead of strong cheddar. If you can find a Mexican type shredded cheese it might work close to cheese in the Americas.