Food: Spicy Stuffed Aubergine

I recently visited Jamie's Italian (post here), and fell in love with the stuffed aubergine dish. I recreated my own version at home this week, I didn't add any carbs, and just packed it with some leftover vegetables, spices and cheese. It was pretty much perfect. Just look how yummy it looks. :o)

Food: Sweet Potato, Aubergine & Turkey Bake

This recipe is so quick to make, and the flavours packed into each layer are just delightful.

If you are a regular reader of this blog then you will know I use fresh chilli on a lot of my dishes. It ain't half as scary as it looks, and with this dish particularly, I feel it is a key component as it adds a kick, crunch and a lovely warming flavours against the cheesy sweet potato and aubergine topping.

This takes 10 minutes to make, and the oven does the rest.

Lets get cracking.

Food: Nutty Coconut Bark Recipe

Oh hiya sunshine!! Just kidding, where has it gone??? So envisioned posting this on a hot sunny day.

My little boy loves this nutty bark, and I do agree it's so tasty. Especially as it is so easy, and only a handful of ingredients are needed.

Lets get cracking!

Food: Courgette and Feta Fritters

I am going through a stage of putting feta cheese in, and on everything. These were an experiment as I just love burger type dishes. You always feel so full and happy after :o)

 I decided to substitute the meat for feta, and lighten up the whole recipe by added grated courgette and cauliflower to bulk them out. So they ain't actually burgers more of a fritter - but still so, so tasty.

Food: Bean & Vegetable Tacos

Mexican food is on another level, the ingredients and spices they use are just on point. I recreated a famous dish that everyone knows, made it low-fat and packed it full of nutritious and tasty ingredients. Please feel free to add meat if you want, but for me it really isn't needed.

Food: Spinach and Carrot Tortilla

I eat porridge every day through the week for my breakfast, it's quick, low-fat and filling, and I can shovel it in whenever I get a break in work.

So at the weekend I really do love to try different recipes, and well these tasty tortillas are quick, tasty, easy and low-fat. 

Food: Tex Mex Turkey Chilli Bowl

For me, this type of meal ticks all the boxes, and has all the foods I love in one place. A jumble of pure loveliness all over ma plate,  - that is of course- did you guess?

 Low fat.

The main recipe on this dish, is "my turkey chilli" and you can serve with whatever you like, rice, wraps, wedges, salad, or all the latter! 

Well it is the weekend.

Something I have done over the years, and now love is just adding half the tin of beans to the chilli, and keep the other half to one side in a bowl with some seasoning, lemon, parsley, freshly chopped baby tomatoes, mix and add to plates when serving. It adds a much welcomed fresh flavour to the dish, and the mixture of cooked and uncooked bean textures works so well. 

Food: Low-Fat Thai Tuna Fishcakes

Oh I love a good fishcake. Especially the Thai versions found in some Malaysian restaurants. I wanted to try and give them a whirl - low-fat stylie, and well it was a huge success.

These are so, so gorgeous. Crispy on the outside, packed full of flavour in the inside.

Food: Banana & Oat Pancakes.

It's Sunday, a day when you get to wake up a little later, lounge around, and eat this thing people call "brunch". (Breakfast/Lunch).

Being well and truly back on the healthy eating wagon, well I drag my boys along for the ride too.

They love these pancakes, and shhhhh don't tell anyone - but they are low fat, low sugar, and pretty damn tasty.

They take 5 minutes to make, and are super easy.

Granola, banana and chocolate breakfast muffins!

The meal I most get stuck in a rut with is breakfast. It's either porridge or granola! These muffins are so easy, very low fat, low sugar and super tasty. There is 6 ingredients, and they take 2 minutes to prepare. It's just a load of cracking, pouring, squeezing and mixing really.

Ingredients

150g mixed nut granola

2 tablespoons of choc shot (Tesco or Holland and Barrat sell it) 

2 eggs

2 small mashed bananas

2 strawberries 

1 tablespoon of mixed spice

Method

1) Mash the banana in a large glass bowl, and add the granola, eggs and choc shot. Mix all together and add a tablespoon of mixed spice.

2) Ladle into 12 cupcake cases in a muffin tray, and bake on 170 degrees for 30 minutes.

3) Leave to cool for 45 minutes, and add a thinly sliced piece of strawberry to add some colour and fruit flavour. These taste so much better the next day as they are a lot firmer. You can freeze the batch, and take out night before you plan to eat them.

Boom all done!

I served with coconut yoghurt, sliced grapes, and a sprinkle of mixed spice . 

These are 2 points each on Weight Watchers, and make for a great low point breakfast or snack. 

Do you think you will try? 

 

 

Fake burgers!

 

The season of BBQs is upon us, YES! 

The beautiful men in our lives start thinking they are Heston Blumenthal for the summer, and start shoving burgers, and beers in our face all the live long day! 

Why do they do that??

An action plan has to be formed, and well we cant refuse the burger can we?  That`s just rude!

So picture this- a guilt free burger, the sun beaming down, and a cold glass of beer is in ones hand!  Yes you can still have all that - I promise.

 

.

I made these as a low carb, and low fat alternative to the typical burger, solely because I don't want to be rolling into the winter months a couple of stone heavier.

Yes always about fighting the podge!

 

Portobello Turkey Mushroom Burgers with Halloumi Skewers

 

Burgers

120g Turkey Mince

1 egg

Tablespoon of mixed herbs

1 teaspoon of chilli flakes (optional)

Salt and Pepper

 

Portobello mushrooms

4 Portobello mushrooms

1 tablespoon of Philadelphia

1 teaspoon of sweet chilli sauce

 

Halloumi Skewers

Mixed peppers

Courgette

60g Halloumi

 

Method

 

1) Wash hands, and combine turkey mince, egg, herbs, chilli and salt and pepper and mix together.

 

2) Form burger shaped patties with your hand. Four small ones or two large ones.

 

3) Add to a frying pan with a teaspoon of olive oil and fry on a low heat. Flipping occasionally.

 

4) Skewer cubed halloumi, peppers and courgettes onto three skewers and place in a Pyrex dish, to be grilled.

 

5) Place mushrooms in the same Pyrex dish as the skewers and cook on a medium grill. Five minutes into the cooking time, flip over the mushrooms so the stalk is facing up, and smear Philadelphia and sweet chilli sauce in the mushroom, and place under grill for another 2 minutes.

 

6) At this point the turkey burgers should be golden brown, and cooked through. To check and be sure, place a skewer through the middle, the juices will run clear if cooked.

 

7) Take the Pyrex dish from grill, and plate up mushrooms and skewers

 

8) Place the turkey burger on one mushroom and add another mushroom on top, to form a fake burger.

 

9) Serve with a salad of your choice, and any condiments. I added some wilted spinach.

 

What do you think? Will you try?
 

 

Food || Eggs and Avocado - again.

Ok, I am an egg and avocado fiend. If I don't have them BOTH in, well things can get ugly.

But why would you change something when it works so well?

How you make this beauty:

1) Slice half an avocado into chunks.

2) Dice some red onions, cherry tomatoes and cucumber.

3) Toss in a little olive oil, lemon and oregano.

4) Poach an egg for 4 minutes, pop on top of the avocado and salad then season with salt and cracked black pepper. 

5) Lightly sprinkle some paprika over.

Simple, but pretty damn good.

Fruit and Nut Frozen Yogurt Slices Recipe!

I seen this on Pinterest (what a place, soooo addicted to it )and just had to try. It was just a picture, so I kind of guessed what to do and it worked! I have tweaked the ingredients a little, and I am so impressed with the outcome. It's so simple to make, low fat and tasty. How perfect would it be, munching on one of these in the garden whilst the sun is shining? 

What you will need:

Low fat vanilla yogurt. (I used Yeo Valley)

Frozen small berries or dried fruits.

Seeds or nuts.

Method:

• On saucers scatter the fruit and then pour the yogurt over.

• Scatter some more fruit over the top and then the seeds or the nuts, or both.

• Freeze on the saucers for 4-8 hours.

• Boil kettle and pour water into a bowl. Then place the saucers on top to loosen the discs from the saucer.

• Then cut Into chunks and eat ASAP before they melt.

Such a fabulous low fat snack, perfect in the Summer months. Do you think you will try?