I know it's a little off topic, but I'm running a website which some of you maybe interested in...
As well as a lover of food and flying, I'm also a big fan of Doctor Who. I run a website called www.whoniversal.com - where you can find find DVDs add them to a collection and rate episodes and products. If you're interested, why not head on over and check us out!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Cottage Veggie Pie with Sweet Potato Mash
Green = 1.7 syns per serving if using HExA cheese.
Serves: 2 people
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
1 Onion, large, halved and sliced
4 Carrots, small, chopped
2 tbsp Thyme, chopped
1 tbsp Parsley, chopped
50ml Red wine
50ml Balsamic vinegar
400g Chopped tomatoes, canned
2 Lamb stock cubes
400g Butter beans, canned
950g Sweet potato, peeled and chunked
56g Cheddar, finely grated
1 tbsp Crème fraiche, low fat
Salt and pepper
Frylight spray
Heat Frylight in a frying pan, then fry the onion until golden. Add the carrots and all but a sprinkling of thyme.
Pour in the wine, balsamic vinegar, 150ml water and the tomatoes, then sprinkle in the stock cubes and simmer for 10 mins.
Tip in the can of butter beans, including most of their juice, then cover and simmer for another 10 mins until the carrots still have a bit of bite and the beans have softened.
Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes for 15 mins until tender, drain well, then mash with the crème fraiche and season to taste. Pile the carrot and bean mixture into a pie dish, spoon the mash on top.
Sprinkle over the cheese and remaining thyme.
The pie can now be covered and chilled for 2 days, or frozen for up to a month.
Heat oven to 190ºC/170ºC fan/gas 5.
Cook for 25 mins if cooking straight away, or for 40 mins from chilled, until golden and hot all the way through.
Serve with fresh green vegetables i.e. brocolli or peas.
Serves: 2 people
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
1 Onion, large, halved and sliced
4 Carrots, small, chopped
2 tbsp Thyme, chopped
1 tbsp Parsley, chopped
50ml Red wine
50ml Balsamic vinegar
400g Chopped tomatoes, canned
2 Lamb stock cubes
400g Butter beans, canned
950g Sweet potato, peeled and chunked
56g Cheddar, finely grated
1 tbsp Crème fraiche, low fat
Salt and pepper
Frylight spray
Heat Frylight in a frying pan, then fry the onion until golden. Add the carrots and all but a sprinkling of thyme.
Pour in the wine, balsamic vinegar, 150ml water and the tomatoes, then sprinkle in the stock cubes and simmer for 10 mins.
Tip in the can of butter beans, including most of their juice, then cover and simmer for another 10 mins until the carrots still have a bit of bite and the beans have softened.
Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes for 15 mins until tender, drain well, then mash with the crème fraiche and season to taste. Pile the carrot and bean mixture into a pie dish, spoon the mash on top.
Sprinkle over the cheese and remaining thyme.
The pie can now be covered and chilled for 2 days, or frozen for up to a month.
Heat oven to 190ºC/170ºC fan/gas 5.
Cook for 25 mins if cooking straight away, or for 40 mins from chilled, until golden and hot all the way through.
Serve with fresh green vegetables i.e. brocolli or peas.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Chicken Schnitzel with Bacon and White Wine
Red = 1 syn per serving.
With a little help from Nigella, this make a lovely succulent chicken brest with lots of flavour from the wine and bacon. TIP: I used smokey bacon for extra flavour.
Serves: 2 people
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
2 Chicken fillets approx. 125g each
3 Bacon rashers, fat removed
50ml White wine, dry
1 Garlic clove, finely sliced
Frylight
Spray a frying pan with Frylight and add the garlic. Flash fry for 30 seconds, then set aside. Add the bacon to frying pan.
Fry until the bacon is crisp and the pan is full of bacony juices. Remove the bacon to a piece of foil, wrap it and set it aside for a moment.
Fry the chicken for about 3 minutes each side, until there is no pinkness when you cut into a piece. Make sure the pan is hot so that the escalopes catch a little, turning beautifully bronze.
Remove the chicken to a serving plate and quickly crumble the bacon you've set aside into the pan, then pour in the wine, letting everything bubble up, and finally, pour over the chicken pieces.
Serve with your choice of free vegetable and optional SW "mayo" made with creme fraiche and a small dash of mustard powder.
With a little help from Nigella, this make a lovely succulent chicken brest with lots of flavour from the wine and bacon. TIP: I used smokey bacon for extra flavour.
Serves: 2 people
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
2 Chicken fillets approx. 125g each
3 Bacon rashers, fat removed
50ml White wine, dry
1 Garlic clove, finely sliced
Frylight
Spray a frying pan with Frylight and add the garlic. Flash fry for 30 seconds, then set aside. Add the bacon to frying pan.
Fry until the bacon is crisp and the pan is full of bacony juices. Remove the bacon to a piece of foil, wrap it and set it aside for a moment.
Fry the chicken for about 3 minutes each side, until there is no pinkness when you cut into a piece. Make sure the pan is hot so that the escalopes catch a little, turning beautifully bronze.
Remove the chicken to a serving plate and quickly crumble the bacon you've set aside into the pan, then pour in the wine, letting everything bubble up, and finally, pour over the chicken pieces.
Serve with your choice of free vegetable and optional SW "mayo" made with creme fraiche and a small dash of mustard powder.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Fantastic Pea Soup
Green = 1 syn per serving (add 1 syn per serving if using butter)
Serves: 2 people
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 15 mins
250g Peas, frozen
1 Potato, large, grated
1 Onion, small, chopped
0.75ltr Vegetable stock
2 Mint sprigs
2 Celery sticks, chopped
1 tsp of butter (optional, but nice)
1 tbsp crème fraiche
Salt and Pepper
Put a large deep pan on a medium heat. Add Frylight (and optional knob of butter), leave to melt.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion. Trim and chop the celery.
Stir the chopped veg in the pan with a splash of water. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 mins, or until the vegetables start to soften.
Fill a medium pan with the vegetable stock and bring it to a gentle simmer over a medium heat.
Peel the potato and roughly grate onto a board. Add to the pan of simmering stock.
Pick the leaves from the mint sprigs and discard the stalks.
Add just over half the leaves to the vegetable stock. Put the rest to one side for later.
Add the peas to the pan of softened vegetables, cook for 1 minute, then carefully pour the stock mixture into the pan and bring everything to the boil.
Add the tablespoon of crème fraiche and cook for 5 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and whiz with a hand blender until smooth.
Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and allow to rest for a couple of minutes.
Serve with optional extra croutons and garnish with a sprig of mint.
This is my favourite soup, hearty and filling - but most of all very tasty. Great with a piece of crusty brown bread or homemade croutons if you can spare them from you HExB's.
Serves: 2 people
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 15 mins
250g Peas, frozen
1 Potato, large, grated
1 Onion, small, chopped
0.75ltr Vegetable stock
2 Mint sprigs
2 Celery sticks, chopped
1 tsp of butter (optional, but nice)
1 tbsp crème fraiche
Salt and Pepper
Put a large deep pan on a medium heat. Add Frylight (and optional knob of butter), leave to melt.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion. Trim and chop the celery.
Stir the chopped veg in the pan with a splash of water. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 mins, or until the vegetables start to soften.
Fill a medium pan with the vegetable stock and bring it to a gentle simmer over a medium heat.
Peel the potato and roughly grate onto a board. Add to the pan of simmering stock.
Pick the leaves from the mint sprigs and discard the stalks.
Add just over half the leaves to the vegetable stock. Put the rest to one side for later.
Add the peas to the pan of softened vegetables, cook for 1 minute, then carefully pour the stock mixture into the pan and bring everything to the boil.
Add the tablespoon of crème fraiche and cook for 5 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and whiz with a hand blender until smooth.
Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and allow to rest for a couple of minutes.
Serve with optional extra croutons and garnish with a sprig of mint.
This is my favourite soup, hearty and filling - but most of all very tasty. Great with a piece of crusty brown bread or homemade croutons if you can spare them from you HExB's.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Spaghetti Bolognese
Green = Free. If using lots of Parmesan, use HExA or syn it.
Serves: 4 people
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 25 mins
300g Quorn mince
400g Chopped tomatoes, canned
250ml Passata
3-4 tbsp Italian herbs (dried, but fresh if available)
3-4 tbsp Parsley (dried, but fresh if available)
1 Onion, medium, chopped
1 Garlic clove, crushed
1 Carrot, small, diced
150g Frozen Peas
1 Brocolli floret, chopped into small pieces
1 OXO stock cube (veg or beef flavour)
1 tbsp Bovril, beef flavour (from the jar)
3-4 drops Tobasco, to taste
Worchester sauce, to taste
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan cheese to garnish
In a large deep saucepan, spray generously with Frylight and add the onions and garlic. Fry until browned.
In a small bowl, add the stock cube, herbs, Bovril and Tobasco/Worchester and mix with 100ml boiling water, stir well.
Add the frozen Quorn mince, to the frying onions and allow to brown, adding a little water to prevent sticking.
Continue to add the passata and chopped tomatoes, stock/herbs mixture and the remaining vegetables.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring the bolognese to the boil for a minute, turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil 1.5lts of water in a kettle and add to a second, deep-sided saucepan. Add salt if desired and bring to a rolling boil.
Use enough spaghetti for each person, depending on whether on a red/green day.
TIP: Before dropping the spaghetti into the water, hold it vertically with both hands and twist, so it resembles a traditional hay stack (see image below) - drop into the boiling water. It should fan out around the rim of the saucepan, and will all collapse into the pan itself, nice and neatly.
Boil as per the instructions on the packet.
When the spaghetti is ready, remove from the heat. TIP 2: Save a cup of the starchy water from the pan.
Drain the spaghetti in a colander.
When ready to serve, sprinkle some of the saved starchy water over the draining spaghetti - this stops it sticking together.
Pile the spaghetti onto a plate, and add the bolognese sauce over the top.
Garnish with a little Parmesan cheese.
Serves: 4 people
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 25 mins
300g Quorn mince
400g Chopped tomatoes, canned
250ml Passata
3-4 tbsp Italian herbs (dried, but fresh if available)
3-4 tbsp Parsley (dried, but fresh if available)
1 Onion, medium, chopped
1 Garlic clove, crushed
1 Carrot, small, diced
150g Frozen Peas
1 Brocolli floret, chopped into small pieces
1 OXO stock cube (veg or beef flavour)
1 tbsp Bovril, beef flavour (from the jar)
3-4 drops Tobasco, to taste
Worchester sauce, to taste
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan cheese to garnish
In a large deep saucepan, spray generously with Frylight and add the onions and garlic. Fry until browned.
In a small bowl, add the stock cube, herbs, Bovril and Tobasco/Worchester and mix with 100ml boiling water, stir well.
Add the frozen Quorn mince, to the frying onions and allow to brown, adding a little water to prevent sticking.
Continue to add the passata and chopped tomatoes, stock/herbs mixture and the remaining vegetables.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring the bolognese to the boil for a minute, turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil 1.5lts of water in a kettle and add to a second, deep-sided saucepan. Add salt if desired and bring to a rolling boil.
Use enough spaghetti for each person, depending on whether on a red/green day.
TIP: Before dropping the spaghetti into the water, hold it vertically with both hands and twist, so it resembles a traditional hay stack (see image below) - drop into the boiling water. It should fan out around the rim of the saucepan, and will all collapse into the pan itself, nice and neatly.
Boil as per the instructions on the packet.
When the spaghetti is ready, remove from the heat. TIP 2: Save a cup of the starchy water from the pan.
Drain the spaghetti in a colander.
When ready to serve, sprinkle some of the saved starchy water over the draining spaghetti - this stops it sticking together.
Pile the spaghetti onto a plate, and add the bolognese sauce over the top.
Garnish with a little Parmesan cheese.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Minestrone Soup
Green = 0 syns! Using HExA for the Parmesan and HExB for Olive oil.
Serves: 4 people
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking: 45 mins
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
2 Red onions, chopped
1 Red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 Orange pepper, deseeded and chopped
400g/14oz can Chopped tomatoes
1ltr/1.75 pints Vegetable stock
1 Celery stick, trimmed and sliced
400g/14oz can Borlotti beans
100g/3.5oz Green leafy cabbage, shredded
75g/2.75oz Frozen peas
1 tbsp Chopped fresh parsley
75g/2.75oz Dried Vermicelli
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to garnish (optional, but a nice addition)
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and onions and cook over a medium heat, stirring for 3 minutes, until slightly softened.
Add the red and orange peppers and the chopped tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring.
Stir in the stock, then add the celery. Drain and add the borlotti beans along with the cabbage, peas and parsley.
Season with salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the vermicelli to the pan. Cook for a further 10-12 minutes, according to the packet instructions.
Remove from the heat and ladle into serving bowls.
Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan.
This is a really satisfying Minestrone, which can be pepped-up with plenty of ground pepper, or a splash of tabasco if desired. If vermicelli is unavailable, normal dried spaghetti can be substituted - but break it up into small pieces, so they are about 1cm in length.
If not using HExA/B for the Parmesan and olive oil, use 1 syn for the cheese and 3 syns for oil.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Traditional Crêpes
Green/Red = 0 syns!
Borrowed from Minimins user "Sweet Cheeks", this is a syn free replacement for the traditional style batter pancake or crêpe.
Serves: 2 crêpes
Preparation: 5 mins
Cooking: 10 mins
2 Eggs
2-3 tsp Splenda
3-4 Drops of vanilla essence
Your choice of topping i.e. Lemon juice and sugar (sweetener) to taste
Seperate the white from the yolk and put into separate bowls.
Whisk the egg white until soft peaks form and add the sweetener.
In the other bowl add the vanilla essence to the yolks, then fold the yolks into the egg white.
Heat a frying pan with frylight, add the mix and spread as you would a normal pancake.
Allow the first side enough time to form a firm base, then start to work a spatula under the edges. The pancake is quite fragile at this point, be careful.
Flip pancake when golden brown on one side, and pat the top down to expel any excess air.
Borrowed from Minimins user "Sweet Cheeks", this is a syn free replacement for the traditional style batter pancake or crêpe.
Serves: 2 crêpes
Preparation: 5 mins
Cooking: 10 mins
2 Eggs
2-3 tsp Splenda
3-4 Drops of vanilla essence
Your choice of topping i.e. Lemon juice and sugar (sweetener) to taste
Seperate the white from the yolk and put into separate bowls.
Whisk the egg white until soft peaks form and add the sweetener.
In the other bowl add the vanilla essence to the yolks, then fold the yolks into the egg white.
Heat a frying pan with frylight, add the mix and spread as you would a normal pancake.
Allow the first side enough time to form a firm base, then start to work a spatula under the edges. The pancake is quite fragile at this point, be careful.
Flip pancake when golden brown on one side, and pat the top down to expel any excess air.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)