Spiced Beef & Squash Stew

Hello,

I've just popped on to add a fab recipe I cut out of a magazine (either Take a Break or That's Life) and tried last week.  If I don't blog it I will probably lose it and I would definitely like to cook it again!

We are having a great weekend, we went out for a lovely High Tea tonight as an early Mother's Day treat as Sundays aren't great for us with Iona's dancing commitments.  We then came home and watched a movie together and I'm looking forward to a chilled out day tomorrow!  What I'm not looking forward to so much is losing an hour tonight due to the clocks going forward for British Summer Time, woe is me, what can I say I love my bed!

Ok, Back to my recipe.  This was something we all really enjoyed so I'll definitely be making it again.  We served it with rice and extra veggies but I think it would also work well with couscous.  On Slimming World it's Syn Free if you change the vegetable oil to low cal spray oil.

Spiced Beef & Squash Stew

Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 tbsp vegetable oil (I swapped this for low-cal olive oil spray)
750g/1lb 10oz braising steak, cubed
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp ras el hanout, plus 2 tsp extra (or use a moroccan spice blend or harissa)
900ml/1.5 pint hot chicken stock
400g can chopped tomatoes
500g/1lb 2oz butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp chilli powder
50g/2oz baby spinach

Method:
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large heavy based pan over a high heat and brown the steak in 2 batches, for around 5 mins per batch.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.  Return the pan to a medium heat, add another tbsp oil and fry the onion and pepper for 5 mins.  Add the garlic, chilli and ras el hanout.  Fry for 1 min or until fragrant.

Return the steak to the pan with the stock, tomatoes and 150ml/1/4 pint water.  Bring to the boil, cover and turn the heat down to low.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour 30 mins.

Add the squash, cover and simmer for a further 25 to 30 mins, until both the steak and squash are tender.  Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large pan over a high heat and cook the chickpeas for 1 min.  Turn the heat down to medium and cook for a further 5 mins, stirring often, until the chickpeas are toasted and golden.  Stir in the remaining ras el hanout and the chilli powder.  Cook for 1 min or until fragrant.

Stir the spinach into the stew and spoon over the spiced, toasted chickpeas.

Serve with rice or couscous.

Enjoy!

Linguine with Smoked Salmon

Good evening,

It's been a wee while since I blogged a recipe so here goes!  This recipe was chosen by my daughter for tea tonight.  She's getting to the stage that she enjoys helping with the cooking (although maybe not the tidying and washing up so much!) and I'm not so nervous about letting her loose with sharp knives and hot pans!  The recipe is adapted from my Prima Quick & Easy Cook Book and I'm ashamed to say I've never made a recipe out of it before this one but I'm sure now we've got into it there will be more!

As the recipe uses low-fat soft cheese there's not much in the way of 'syns' so it's suitable if you're following the Slimming World plan and comes in at around 3.5 syns per portion (for the soft cheese and wine).

Linguine with Smoked Salmon

Serves 4

Ingredients:
125g/4oz low-fat soft cheese (I used Tesco)
175g/6oz smoked salmon trimmings
4 tbsp dry white wine
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
350g/12oz mixed mangetout and broccoli (cut into tiny florets)
300g/10oz dried linguine
sprigs of fresh dill to garnish

Method:
Boil the pasta in salted water according to packet instructions.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, put the soft cheese, 50g/2oz smoked salmon, wine amd lemon juice into a blender and process until smooth.

Transfer the blended salmon mixture into a small saucepan and heat through very gently, do not allow to boil.  Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.  Stir in the chopped dill and remaining salmon.

Cook the mangetout and broccoli in a pan of salted water for 5 minutes until just cooked.  Drain and add to the pasta.  Combine the salmon sauce with the pasta and vegetables, carefully folding together.  Serve immediately and garnish with sprigs of fresh dill.

Saag Aloo

Good morning,

This is the last day of my holidays so I'm trying to get caught up with blogging recipes before normal 'life' resumes and I don't have the time to blog!

This is another recipe I made for our curry night a wee while back and it was amazing, really tasty and also really filling.  It's another Slimming World recipe this time from my Fakeaway recipe book and the good news is that it has no Syns!

Saag Aloo

Serves 4

Zero Syns

ingredients

• 1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
• Low calorie cooking spray
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1cm piece of root ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200ml boiling vegetable stock
• Large bag baby leaf spinach, roughly chopped
• Small handful of finely chopped fresh coriander, to garnish (optional)
• Red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced, to garnish (optional)

method

1. Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
2. Spray a non-stick wok or frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium-high heat. Add the red onion, garlic, ginger, cumin seeds and mustard seeds and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the potatoes and peppers and stir-fry for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. Turn the heat to low and add the ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, garam masala and chilli powder. Season well and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
4. Stir in the stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to medium, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the spinach and let it wilt into the potato mixture. Season well and scatter over the coriander and chilli, if using.

- See more at: http://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/recipes/saag-aloo.aspx#sthash.NRBtN1rM.dpuf

I'll be back later to share some more recipes.

Hugs,

Shona xx

Chicken and Mango Korma

I promise this is the last post from me tonight!!!

I'm back to blog the recipe I cooked for our dinner this evening.  It's a Slimming World recipe from a calendar that came free with one of their magazines.  I've struggled to keep on plan these last few weeks.  Not just with Christmas and New Year but we've also done a lot of entertaining these last few weeks and also not having much time to plan and cook healthy meals.  I first cooked this recipe a few months back when we had friends over for a curry evening and my daughter enjoyed it so much she asked me to make it again.

The syns in the recipe are because the mango has been cooked.  I looked at the recipe several times wondering where the syns were until the penny dropped lol!

Anyway, even my husband who likes his curries hot enjoyed this recipe so I'm sure you will too.

Chicken and Mango Korma

Serves 4

1.5 Syns per serving

Ingredients:

2 onions, 1 quartered, 1 chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled

50g root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tbsp korma curry powder (I used Schwartz)

low calorie cooking oil spray

4 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

400ml chicken stock

200g peeled and stoned mango, cubed

1/4 tsp sweetener (I used Stevia)

150g fat-free Greek-style yogurt

1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped

Boiled basmati rice and lime wedges to serve

Method:

Put the quartered onion, garlic, ginger and curry powder in a food processor and blitz to a paste.  Spray a large frying pan with spray oil and fry the chopped onion until soft.  Add the paste and cook for 2-3 mins until bubbling and fragrant.

Stir in the chicken, stock, mango and sweetener then cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt and coriander.  Serve with rice and lime wedges for squeezing over.

It's a very simple dish but also fragrant and tasty.  Definitely one I will keep coming back to.

Hugs,

Shona xx

Piri-piri Chicken

Good evening,

I've been feeling a little Mondayish today.  Probably because I didn't get much of a chance to relax over the weekend.  Still, the thought of what I was making for dinner tonight got me through the day lol!

So, tonight's recipe is Piri-piri chicken.  The recipe is from Prima magazine and the only thing I've changed is that I've used low calorie spray cooking oil instead of normal olive oil.  I served it with 'Nando's Inspired' syn free spicy rice which you can link to here.

Piri-piri Chicken

Serves 4

Syn Free on Slimming World

Ingredients:
1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
Low calorie cooking oil spray
4 skinless chicken breasts
1 each red and yellow pepper, cut into strips
Large handful fresh coriander or parsley, roughly chopped
For the Piri-piri sauce:
1 red onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C.  Put onions in an ovenproof dish (large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer), add toss through with some spray oil.  Roast in the oven for 15 mins.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Put all the ingredients into a blender with some seasoning and whizz until smooth.  Set aside.

Slash the top of each chicken breast.  Take the dish with the onions out of the oven and carefully add the chicken, sauce and peppers.  Toss everything together to mix, then arrange the chicken, cut side up, in the dish.

Cook for 25-30 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.  Garnish with the coriander or parsley and serve.

Remember to link over to my take on Nando's Inspired Syn Free Spicy Rice for the perfect accompaniment.

Hugs,
Shona xx

Bacon, Leek & Mushroom Crustless Quiche

Hi there,

I'm not long back from my first time going to a craft club.  I really enjoyed having 2.5 hours to myself to craft.  I took 2 images to colour and  my whole collection of Promarkers as well as the baby blanket I'm knitting.  I will definitely go back again.

Today's recipe is one I made for lunch for myself and my husband today.  I'm sure it will do us tomorrow too if it lasts that long!  I tried out a similar recipe last week for our Slimming World 'Taster Night' but using Smoked Salmon & Asparagus and following a recipe from Pinch of Nom and it went down very well.  This time I've changed up the flavours and gone larger mainly because the only size of silicone cake mould I could find was a large square one and my first attempt was a little flat.  I've used a little bit of reduced fat cheese in the recipe but feel free to leave it out if you don't want to use any of your Healthy Extra A

Bacon, Leek & Mushroom Crustless Quiche

Serves 4-6

1/4 - 1/6 Healthy Extra A per portion

Ingredients:
Low calorie cooking oil spray
1 leek, sliced
6 medallions of bacon, chopped
250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp dried chives
12 eggs
3 tbsp quark
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
40g reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated

Method:
Heat the spray oil in a frying pan, add the leek and bacon until the leek is soft and the bacon is turning golden.  Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 mins or so until they have softened.  Add the chives.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs and quark together and season well.  Spray an ovenproof silicone cake mould with a little spray oil then place the leek, bacon and mushroom mixture on the bottom.  Top with the egg and quark mixture then sprinkle over the grated cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven at 190c for 35 mins.  Leave to cool in the mould then transfer to a plate or chopping board to cut up to protect your mould.

Serve warm with Slimming World chips and veggies or even better the next day cold with a salad.

This recipe could be adapted for lots of different flavours.  I think my next one might involve some Slimming World sausages - watch this space!

That's all from me tonight.

Hugs, Shona xx

Fish Pie

Hi there

It's a little late but I'm here with the recipe for the fish pie I made this evening.  I'm loving the idea of comfort food right now - it must be the weather!  This recipe is one I made up myself to fit the Slimming World 'food optimising' plan.  A word of warning though make sure the dish you use is big enough.  Mine spilled over the top, thank goodness I put a baking sheet underneath it!

Fish Pie

Serves 4

2.5 Syns & a Healthy Extra A per Portion

Ingredients:

1 x pack fish pie mix containing salmon, smoked and white fish (I used Tesco)

200g raw king prawns (without shells)

150g frozen spinach

2 x pack Schwartz white sauce mix

600ml 1% fat milk

80g reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated

Large pinch of saffron

1.3 kg potatoes (suitable for mashing), peeled and cut into chunks

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Place the fish and prawns on a microwavable plate and cover with cling film.  Cut a couple of small vents into the cling film then microwave on full power for 3-4 mins until fish and prawns are just cooked.  Set aside.  

Meanwhile boil the spinach in lightly salted water for 5-6 mins then drain thoroughly, squeezing out as much liquid as possible.  In another pan make up the white sauce with the milk and cook according to the packet instructions.  Off the heat add the saffron and all but a small handful of the cheese as well as seasoning.  Place the fish, prawns and spinach in a large ovenproof dish then pour over the sauce.  

Meanwile boil the potatoes in salted water until tender then drain and mash really well ( I didn't add any butter or milk to them).  Place on top of the fish mixture then rough up with a fork so it will go crispy in the oven.  Sprinkle over the remaining cheese then bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and everything is cooked through.

Serve with as much veggies as you like.

I'm off to bed now as I am back to work in the morning :(

Take care,

Shona xx

Stovies

Hello!

Blah my four day weekend is coming to an end and it's back to work tomorrow for me but at least it will be a short week!  Today I'm blogging last night's tea which was a Scottish classic - Stovies!

This is the first time I've made it since I started Slimming World but it's coming to that time of year that you need a bit of comfort food.  I got to thinking I could quite easily adapt my usual recipe to be a little more SW friendly.  As there's only onions in the way of 'Speed' veggies you'd probably be best to serve this with extra veggies or have some fresh fruit for afters.

Stovies

Serves 4

Approx 1.5 syns per serving

Ingredients:

Low calorie spray oil (I used sunflower)

3 small onions, halved and finely sliced

1.5 kg white potatoes, cut into small chunks

300g leftover roast beef (more if you have it)

1 x pack schwartz classic roast beef gravy mix (4.5 syns)

200ml beef stock

Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method:

Heat the spray oil in a large heavy bottomed pan and fry the onions until beginning to brown.  Add a little water if they start to stick.  Add the potatoes and cook until starting to soften, stirring frequently.  Add the beef, gravy and stock and cook with the lid on until the potatoes are tender, stirring regularly.  Use a potato masher to break up some of the larger potato chunks.  Season to taste and serve with oatcakes if liked for extra syns.

That's all from me just now.  I'll be back later with my fish pie recipe!

Hugs,

Shona x

Mushy Pea Curry!

Good evening,

Another Slimming World inspired recipe tonight!  This one has a couple of 'hidden' ingredients lol.  The recipe was passed on by one of the lovely members at my SW group when we had a taster night earlier in the week, she made us taste it before she told us what was in it!  Sadly, I had a wee 1lb gain this week so 2st 13.5lb total weight loss to date but I'm back on track and having a good week so far!

Slimming World Inspired Chicken Curry with Mushy Peas

Serves 4 (with leftover sauce)

Free on Slimming World

Ingredients:

Cooking oil spray (I used sunflower)

4 chicken breasts, cubed

125g mushrooms, roughly chopped

2 tbsp frozen peas

2 x 300g can mushy peas

1 x 425g can baked beans in tomato sauce

1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp mild curry powder (or to taste)

1/2 tsp chilli powder

Salt & pepper to taste

Fry the chicken in the spray oil until cooked all over and just starting to brown, add the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes until beginning to soften.  Add the frozen peas to the chicken and mushrooms.  Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and puree with a stick blender until everything is blitzed and has a thick but quite smooth consistency.

Add about half the sauce mixture to the chicken, mushrooms and peas and cook until bubbling and cooked throughout.

Serve with plain boiled rice.

The leftover sauce would be fab heated up and served with Slimming World chips!

Have a great weekend folks!

Hugs,

Shona xx

I'm back - with Slimming World Friendly Lasagne!

Good evening,

I can't believe it's almost a year since I last blogged a recipe on here!  I have decided to resurrect Homecooked by Hamill although a lot of my recipes will now be tailored towards Slimming World as I am following their plan.  I have had a very successful journey with them so far losing 2 stone 13 lb since I started mid May!  I still have quite a way to go but I'm in it for the long haul! Don't worry there will still be some non Slimming World recipes along the way!

Ok on to my Lasagne!  This recipe came about as I didn't fancy making any of the lasagne recipes I'd seen online or in Slimming World magazines, recipe books, etc.  Most of them contain quark and/or fromage frais and I'm not keen on either.  In the past pre SW I'd often used packet white sauce mixes for a quick hack when making mac & cheese or lasagne so I calculated the syns in a packet to see if they would be a viable option and thankfully they are!

Lasagne

Serves 4

2.5 Syns & 1 x Healthy Extra A on Slimming World

Ingredients:

6-9 dried no pre cook lasagne sheets (depending on the size of your dish)

500g minced beef (5% or less fat)

2 smoked bacon medallions,  chopped 

1 large onion, chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 stick celery, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

250g chestnut mushrooms, chopped

1 tbsp tomato puree

500g carton passata

1 white wine stock pot

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground mace

pinch of sweetener

salt & freshly ground pepper

2 x 25g sachets Schwartz white sauce mix

600ml 1% fat milk

80g reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

Place the minced beef, bacon, onions, carrot and celery in a shallow, lidded saucepan (without the lid at this stage) and cook until starting to brown all over, approx 15 mins, stirring frequently.

Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 mins, stirring frequently.  Add the tomato puree, passata, stock pot, herbs, mace, sweetener and seasoning and mix thoroughly.  Bring to a gentle simmer and cook with the lid on for around 20 mins stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile combine the milk with the sachets of sauce mix in another pan and cook according to the packet instructions.  

Assemble the lasagne in a large square or rectangular oven proof dish starting with a small drizzle of the white sauce then a layer of lasagne sheets followed by a layer of the mince mixture and another drizzle of white sauce.  Repeat the layers then add a final layer of lasange sheets and top with the rest of the white sauce and the grated cheese.

Bake at 200C for approx 40 mins but this will depend on the dish you've used and your oven so check it frequently and cook it for longer if needed.  it should be nicely browned and a little bit crispy on the top.  

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Shona x

Meatballs Alla Norma

Yay!  I'm back again!

This time I'm sharing a recipe I've made a couple of times now and it's delicious.  This time I left out the fennel seeds from the recipe and we enjoyed it more, but I'll leave that up to you.  The recipe has been taken from my Save With Jamie recipe book by Jamie Oliver.  The book recipe includes polenta but I prefer to serve it with tagliatelle.

Meatballs Alla Norma

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large aubergine

1/2 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley

400g minced beef

1 tbsp fennel seeds

olive oil

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Dice the aubergine into 1cm cubes then season well with salt and leave for 15 mins.  Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley and put into a bowl with the beef.  Mix together by hand then roll into 20 or so evenly sized balls.  Scatter the fennel seeds on a plate and roll the meatballs in them so they stick.  Put them in the fridge until needed.  

Take handfuls of aubergine and squeeze out the excess salty liquid.  Heat oil in a pan and cook the aubergine for about 10 mins until golden, stirring occasionally.  Crush the garlic and add to the pan along with the sweet chilli sauce and balsamic vinegar.  Tip in the tomatoes and a splash of water.  Simmer for around 10 mins or until thickened.  

Meanwhile, heat some more olive oil in a separate pan and brown the meatballs until they are cooked through.  Season the sauce to taste then toss through the meatballs.  Serve with tagliatelle or polenta with some grated parmesan. 

Kedgeree

Good morning!

It's been a while since I last posted anything on here but here I am today with a recipe I cooked last night and hopefully I will now be posting a bit more regularly again.

Today's recipe is one I've had for ages, in fact so long I've forgotten where I got it but it would more than likely have been from a magazine.  Over the years I've adapted it a little and added eggs and peas.  Please excuse the photo,  I got a bit carried away and almost forgot to take one so the presentation isn't great oops!

Kedgeree

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

350g/12 oz long grain rice
700g/1.5 lb smoked haddock fillets
1 tbsp oil
knob of butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1.5 tbsp mild curry powder
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp frozen peas, defrosted
150 ml/0.25 pint double cream
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 eggs, hardboiled and chopped

Method:

Add rice to a large pan of boiling, salted water and simmer for 10-12 mins or until rice is just cooked.  Drain and set aside.  Meanwhile, place fish in a large frying pan and cover with cold water.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 4-5 mins or until fish flakes easily.  Remove fish from the pan, flake with a fork and set aside.  Both of these stages can be done in advance.

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan, add onion, curry powder and cayenne pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes over a lowish heat until the onions are softened and caramelised.  Add the rice and peas to the pan and heat through over a low heat.  Add the fish, cream, parsley and eggs.  Stir through the rice and heat through thoroughly.  Season well and serve immediately.  Garnish with extra parsley.

Another way of serving this is to leave out the hardboiled eggs and serve a lightly poached egg on top of each of the portions.

We usually have this as a main meal but it would be just as good for brunch.


That's all from me at the moment.

Shona xx

Taco Chicken Bake

Good Afternoon,

What horrible wet weather we've been having here in Inverness, there's been lots of flooding in and around the city, thankfully it's mostly affected the roads and hopefully it hasn't got inside any homes.

It's just the weather for a comforting bake and this one has a wee bit of a kick to it with the Taco spices.  It went down a storm, with Iona declaring it the best meal I've ever cooked and Rab and I enjoyed it too!

The recipe is from a Woman Magazine Cookery Special I bought a couple of years back, with a couple of tweaks.

Taco Chicken Bake

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

500g chicken breast, diced

2 red onions, cut into chunky wedges

3 peppers, sliced

30g pack taco seasoning (I used Discovery/Santa Maria)

500g carton passata

400g crispy potato wedges, defrosted if frozen

6 tbsp soured cream

50g cheddar cheese, grated

1 large avocado, diced

Few sprigs fresh coriander, chopped

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

4 spring onions, sliced

Juice of 1/2 lime

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7.  Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the chicken, onion and peppers for 5 mins or until the chicken is golden.  Add the taco seasoning and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the passata and season to taste.  Mix with the potato wedges then spoon into a large ovenproof dish.  Spoon over the soured cream, scatter with cheese.  Bake for 15 mins until bubbling.  Meanwhile, mix together the avocado, coriander, cherry tomatoes and lime juice.  Season to taste and serve along side the bake.

Meatball Stroganoff

Good afternoon,

Today's recipe is one I found in last month's Good Food magazine which is now also up on their website.  The recipe was easy to follow and really tasty, possibly even better than my usual beef stroganoff recipe and it was a nice change to make it with meatballs.  We served it with tagliatelle but it would be just as good with rice or mash.

Meatball Stroganoff

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• drizzle of oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200g pack small button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 beef stock cube, made up to 300ml stock
• 150ml pot soured cream
• small pack parsley, chopped
• rice, mashed potato or tagliatelle, to serve

Method

1. Season the beef and shape into walnut-sized meatballs. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the meatballs until brown on all sides. Scoop out of the pan and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook for a few mins to soften. Add the garlic and mushrooms, and fry for a few mins until the mushrooms soften and start to brown a little. Stir in the tomato purée, paprika and flour for 1 min, then add the stock, bit by bit, to make a smooth sauce. Return the meatballs to the pan, cover and simmer gently for 15 mins or until the meatballs are cooked through.
2. Stir in the soured cream and most of the parsley, and season to taste. Serve scattered with the remaining parsley, with rice, mashed potato or tagliatelle.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2014

Salmon & Dill Traybake

Good Evening,

I'm back tonight with a rare second post and my recipe is a quick and delicious one I made for tea tonight.  The recipe is from Slimming World Magazine and I wouldn't hesitate to make it again!

Salmon & Dill Traybake

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
500g King Edward or other floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
Low-calorie Cooking Spray
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
2 red onions, thinly sliced
4 skinless and boneless salmon fillets
300g sugar snap peas
200g cherry tomatoes
Juice and finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
A large handful of fresh dill, chopped

Preheat oven to 190C/170C (fan)/Gas 5.  Put the potatoes in a large roasting tin, spray with low-calorie cooking spray and season well.  Roast for 15 minutes then scatter over the onions and roast for a further 12-15 minutes.  Turn up the oven to 220C/200C (fan)/Gas 7.  Nestle the salmon, sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes between the veg.  Drizzle with lemon juice, sprinkle with the zest and dill and season with plenty black pepper.  Roast for around 15 minutes or until the salmon is golden, and everything is cooked through, before serving.

If you are following the Slimming Word Program it says Syns per serving: Extra Easy Free.

I'm not following the plan so I substituted a tablespoon of olive oil for the cooking oil spray and just used 3 salmon fillets but obviously if you did that it would probably alter the number of Syns.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Hello,

Today's recipe is one taken from an ancient Marks & Spencer Pasta Recipe Book and tweaked over the years.  It's great comfort food and I often make it if I have a glut of eggs.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Serves 3

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
200g smoked bacon lardons
250g chestnut mushrooms, prepared and finely sliced
250g dried spaghetti
2 eggs
150ml double cream
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated parmesan to serve

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, cook the bacon for around 5 mins until well coloured and starting to go crisp.  Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for approx 5 more minutes.  Put to one side.  Beat together the eggs and cream and season well.

Meanwhile, add the spaghetti to a large pan of boiling, salted water then cook according to packet instructions until al dente (approx 8-10 mins).  When the pasta has almost finished cooking reheat the bacon and mushrooms.  Drain the pasta and add to the frying pan.  Toss everything together then quickly add the egg mixture stirring all the time until the pasta is well coated and the eggs are cooked.  If you don't stir enough at this stage or cook for too long it will turn like scrambled eggs.  Personally, I like it quite well cooked at this stage rather than just runny with the eggs lightly cooked.

Serve immediately with more black pepper and parmesan cheese sprinkled over.

Shona xx

My Bolognese Sauce

Good evening,

Tonight's recipe is one of my own, well it probably started life as a recipe from somewhere long ago but I've added to it and adapted it to suit our tastes.  It's great with the old staple spaghetti but just as good with a baked potato.

Bolognese Sauce

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:
450g minced beef steak
2 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
200g mushrooms, peeled and sliced,
1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
100ml white or red wine
500g carton passata
1 tbsp tomato puree
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a large saute or frying pan with a lid.  Add the mince, bacon, onion, carrot and celery and cook without fat, stirring regularly, until the vegetables have softened and the mince is starting to brown.  Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for 2-3 mins more.  Add the wine and bubble over a high heat until it has almost evaporated.  Add the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for around 20 mins.  Check the seasoning then serve with spaghetti or a baked potato and freshly grated parmesan.