Skinny Nogg
Click to view
- Skimmed milk (350 -400 ml per packet of whip)
- Vanilla dessert whip
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Brandy
- Bourbon
- Sweetener if needed
Whisk the milk and vanilla whip together with a few a generous pinches of cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour in the brandy and bourbon and whisk until smooth and creamy. Stick it in the fridge to chill and then take out and pour into mugs and sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon.
Pombrini flute
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- Pomegranate Juice
- Lambrini Bianco Perry
- Sugar
Dip the rim of a frosted flute in sugar, fill half the flute with pomegranate juice and then top it up with Lambrini. Enjoy!
Sp-iced wine (almost mulled wine, but not quite)
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- Red wine
- Cloves
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla
Simmer the wine with the spices and a vanilla pod and then strain the wine. Pour it into a red wine goblet and whisk it away to enjoy.
Monday, 29 November 2010
Christmas treats
Snowy Cherry Truffles
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- Cherries: black cherries soaked in Kirsch taste the best.
- Marzipan
- Icing sugar
- Ground almonds
Cover each cherry with marzipan and roll it into a small snowball the size of a walnut. Rolls the snowball in icing sugar mixed with a little water/white wine, then in almond powder and then again in icing sugar.
Ginger Stars
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- Butter
- Ground ginger
- Cinnamon
- Demerara sugar
- Honey/Golden syrup
- Self raising flour
- Icing sugar - mixed with a little orange juice (or white wine)
Roll out the dough, cut out the stars and bake. Once slightly browned remove and let them cool on a wire rack. Once cool, spread icing on top and sprinkle with ground ginger and cinnamon.
Red Velvet Christmas Mousse
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- Dark chocolate
- Milk (infused with rose hip tea)
- Vanilla dessert whip
- Vanilla essence
- Clove powder
- Cinnamon
- Glacé cherries
Place the glacé cherries at the bottom of an ice cream bowl. Heat the milk and let a few tea bags of rose hip steep for a while. Melt the dark chocolate on a double boiler and once the milk has been allowed to steep for at least 10 minutes, slowly pour it into the chocolate stirring constantly. Add a few pinches of nutmeg and cinnamon and allow to cool. Once cooled, add the dessert whip and pour over the cherries. Allow to chill and once set garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground almonds and sprinkles.
Click to view
- Cherries: black cherries soaked in Kirsch taste the best.
- Marzipan
- Icing sugar
- Ground almonds
Cover each cherry with marzipan and roll it into a small snowball the size of a walnut. Rolls the snowball in icing sugar mixed with a little water/white wine, then in almond powder and then again in icing sugar.
Ginger Stars
Click to view
- Butter
- Ground ginger
- Cinnamon
- Demerara sugar
- Honey/Golden syrup
- Self raising flour
- Icing sugar - mixed with a little orange juice (or white wine)
Roll out the dough, cut out the stars and bake. Once slightly browned remove and let them cool on a wire rack. Once cool, spread icing on top and sprinkle with ground ginger and cinnamon.
Red Velvet Christmas Mousse
Click to view
- Dark chocolate
- Milk (infused with rose hip tea)
- Vanilla dessert whip
- Vanilla essence
- Clove powder
- Cinnamon
- Glacé cherries
Place the glacé cherries at the bottom of an ice cream bowl. Heat the milk and let a few tea bags of rose hip steep for a while. Melt the dark chocolate on a double boiler and once the milk has been allowed to steep for at least 10 minutes, slowly pour it into the chocolate stirring constantly. Add a few pinches of nutmeg and cinnamon and allow to cool. Once cooled, add the dessert whip and pour over the cherries. Allow to chill and once set garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground almonds and sprinkles.
Monday, 19 July 2010
Popeye's salmon spaghetti
(Pictures appearing soon)
I decided to name this after the famed spinach guzzler, not only because of the spinach in it but also because the the story behind it. This pasta mix trails back up the slopes of Zakopane in Poland to believe it or not, a Pizza hut, hungry kids and a tired dog. While visiting my cousins in Krakow my aunt(who you will meet later when I share my favourite carrot cake recipe with you which happens to be hers)planned a fun trip up to Zakopane,with the the dog in tow.
It had been a morning where energy was well spent, on a trip to the top of the mountain in a cable car, carting down the hill -in some dangerously fast moving moving box with wheels which if you try to slow down, is likely to win you a disapproving look from the person behind...even if he's got a baby in his cart- and a lot of walking around the market square. By lunch time we were all hungry and well my cousins, boys being boys were ravenous of course. We wanted something quick since we had along drive back to krakow. I normally never eat pasta at Pizza Hut, but when I saw salmon on the menu I couldn't resist. I have a weakness for Salmon, so I ordered what turned out to be spaghetti with spinach and salmon flakes. It was interesting, but I knew with a bit of my own spicy herbi-work, brown carbs and a sprinkle of parmesan I'd get it seasoned to my liking...and I did.
This recipe is actually one of my favourites and after I threw it together I was so chuffed, that when I went up to visit some friends in Leeds I shared my invention with them. In fact, we made a party out if with some salad and a few bottles of white Lambrini :)
What you need:(For one)
*1-2 cloves of garlic
*3 blocks of frozen spinach (defrosted)
*1 small salmon fillet/I small salmon steak (fresh/frozen)
*Chilli flakes
*Mixed herbs
*Olive Oil
*Salt
*Pepper
*Grated parmesan
*Whole wheat spaghetti
Tossing it up:
- Chop up the salmon into small flakes and marinate with a few drops of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and lemon juice.(If you want a short cut, use half a box of M&S Salmon flakes instead)
- Heat a non stick pan and then with a few drops of oil stir fry the salmon chunks.
- When cooked, remove and keep aside on a plate.
- Heat 2 tsp of oilve oil in a pan.
- Slice up the garlic clove and toss them into the hot oil and then throw in some herbs (about 1/s tsp) and chillie flakes if you like a kick to your food (I can't resist the temptation of Chilli flakes and I tend to toss them in at every opportunity)
- Once the garlic has nicely browned add the spinach and cook for about 20 minutes stirring every so often. It's best to use a non stick wok for this.
- While this is cooking, put the pasta on to boil. Drop the whole wheat spaghetti into salted (ideally it should taste like sea water) boiling water.
- Once the pasta is cooked 'al dante', (or softer if you fancy)transfer it to a colander to drain.
- Add the pasta into the spinach mix, add the salmon flakes and lightly toss the pasta and put it onto a plate. Sprinkle with parmesan (grating it straight off a block will taste better than ready grated Parmesan), pour yourself a glass of rose and you've got fine dining for one :)
Health benefits: Salmon is high in Omega 3, spinach is rich in B vitamins and iron, garlic lowers cholestrol and pepper has detox properties.
I decided to name this after the famed spinach guzzler, not only because of the spinach in it but also because the the story behind it. This pasta mix trails back up the slopes of Zakopane in Poland to believe it or not, a Pizza hut, hungry kids and a tired dog. While visiting my cousins in Krakow my aunt(who you will meet later when I share my favourite carrot cake recipe with you which happens to be hers)planned a fun trip up to Zakopane,with the the dog in tow.
It had been a morning where energy was well spent, on a trip to the top of the mountain in a cable car, carting down the hill -in some dangerously fast moving moving box with wheels which if you try to slow down, is likely to win you a disapproving look from the person behind...even if he's got a baby in his cart- and a lot of walking around the market square. By lunch time we were all hungry and well my cousins, boys being boys were ravenous of course. We wanted something quick since we had along drive back to krakow. I normally never eat pasta at Pizza Hut, but when I saw salmon on the menu I couldn't resist. I have a weakness for Salmon, so I ordered what turned out to be spaghetti with spinach and salmon flakes. It was interesting, but I knew with a bit of my own spicy herbi-work, brown carbs and a sprinkle of parmesan I'd get it seasoned to my liking...and I did.
This recipe is actually one of my favourites and after I threw it together I was so chuffed, that when I went up to visit some friends in Leeds I shared my invention with them. In fact, we made a party out if with some salad and a few bottles of white Lambrini :)
What you need:(For one)
*1-2 cloves of garlic
*3 blocks of frozen spinach (defrosted)
*1 small salmon fillet/I small salmon steak (fresh/frozen)
*Chilli flakes
*Mixed herbs
*Olive Oil
*Salt
*Pepper
*Grated parmesan
*Whole wheat spaghetti
Tossing it up:
- Chop up the salmon into small flakes and marinate with a few drops of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and lemon juice.(If you want a short cut, use half a box of M&S Salmon flakes instead)
- Heat a non stick pan and then with a few drops of oil stir fry the salmon chunks.
- When cooked, remove and keep aside on a plate.
- Heat 2 tsp of oilve oil in a pan.
- Slice up the garlic clove and toss them into the hot oil and then throw in some herbs (about 1/s tsp) and chillie flakes if you like a kick to your food (I can't resist the temptation of Chilli flakes and I tend to toss them in at every opportunity)
- Once the garlic has nicely browned add the spinach and cook for about 20 minutes stirring every so often. It's best to use a non stick wok for this.
- While this is cooking, put the pasta on to boil. Drop the whole wheat spaghetti into salted (ideally it should taste like sea water) boiling water.
- Once the pasta is cooked 'al dante', (or softer if you fancy)transfer it to a colander to drain.
- Add the pasta into the spinach mix, add the salmon flakes and lightly toss the pasta and put it onto a plate. Sprinkle with parmesan (grating it straight off a block will taste better than ready grated Parmesan), pour yourself a glass of rose and you've got fine dining for one :)
Health benefits: Salmon is high in Omega 3, spinach is rich in B vitamins and iron, garlic lowers cholestrol and pepper has detox properties.
Secrets and substitutes...
(Pictures appearing soon)
Tasty food tricks and healthier substitutes I've discovered along the way ...
Roast your herbs...
Dry roast your herbs and chilli flakes and then toss them into an 'arrabiata' or a 'bolognaise' for a more aromatic pasta. You can even toss them into your regular bowl of home brand tomato soup to give it a kick and if you want to make it a little more special then stir in a swirl of low-cal single cream/sour cream and add a sprinkle of 'parmigiana'.
Fancy a light and fluffy omelette?...
For an aromatic fluffy omelette, roast some herbs in a pan (thyme, tarragon or basil work well but don't use all of them together)and then toss in some onions and cook till lightly brown. Add in some bits of chopped bacon if you like, maybe some olives or capers and then chopped tomatoes. You can even use sliced mushrooms if you like. Once the tomatoes are cooked, pour in the beaten egg. Scramble it slightly and then spread it to form a round pancake in the pan. When lightly brown, grate some cheese over one half, sprinkle some salt and pepper over it (and some chilli flakes if you fancy)and fold the other half over it to form a semi circle in the pan. Once lightly browned,lift out gently on to a plate and garnish with a sprig of fresh herbs or grated cheese.
*This also works with a whites-only omelette.
Scrambled eggs with a sprinkle...
Don't add salt to your scrambled eggs during cooking because it will release water if you do. For delicious fluffy scrambled eggs add bit of sour cream into the mix at the end and sprinkle with fresh finely chopped parsley, salt, pepper and parmigiana if you like.
Toffee yoghurt, a creamy low-cal custard substitute..
Toffee yoghurt is a great low-cal substitute for ice cream and custard. It tastes just as good in a fruit trifle or with fruit crumble, fruit salad, cakes, tarts and pies. I even used it as a substitute for brandy butter and brandy sauce at Christmas with Christmas pudding, plum cake and mince pies!
Sweetening with honey or jaggery (organic raw cane sugar)...
Honey or ground jaggery is a much healthier and far more flavoursome sweetener than sugar so if you like your cuppa or your coffee sweet, you might want to swap it with your sugar basin. You can even use jaggery in steamed puddings and cookies, but I don't use it in cakes because it tends to make the cake stodgy. That's because it's denser than sugar, so you have to use more baking powder if you do and that's not the best thing for your gut.
A healthier tray of cakes and cookies...
My low guilt baking secret is to use healthy ingredients as far as possible when you're making not so healthy cake-y cookie-ish treats. I always use whole wheat flour for cookies and puddings and for cookies I usually use half oatmeal and half bread flour (varieties which have crushed nuts in them like pine nuts). The body burns calories to digest fibre so if there is roughage/fibre in the cookies, my view is that the body will at least use up some of the sugar in it to digest the fibre and break down the cellulose.
Staying fit and young with pasta...
With pasta dishes I only use the brown stuff and I prefer tomato based variations because tomatoes are high in anti oxidants and have anti ageing properties. This way you can make pasta a feel young meal. I always use garlic too not only because of the flavour but also because of the anti-cholesterol properties which adds one more brownie point to the dish.
Desserts can be healthy too...
Indulging in fruit based desserts is a great way to satiate the sweet cravings (particularly if you've got an overly demanding sweet tooth like mine!). Citrus fruits are great because they're high in anti oxidants which helps prevent cellulite, which is the biggest problem with eating sugary, cakey, creamy things. Dark chocolate has antioxidant properties too, so I always prefer to use 70% or more for desserts. I also like to throw in nuts with a lower glycaemic index like Brazil buts, almonds and hazel nuts.
Cinnamon and Cardammom...
Cinnamon helped me to start enjoying coffee without sugar and cardamom did the trick with tea. Growing up in India, I developed a a liking for sweet tea and coffee; often when you're offered a cup of tea or coffee it'll have a lot of milk and it will be very sweet. Whether you're visiting someone in their office,at home or even ordering a cuppa in a small street café, sweet is the keyword.
So, when I wanted to switch to a healthier lower-cal diet I needed a bit of help to train my palate and that's when cinnamon and cardamom came to my rescue. The funny thing is, now I can no longer enjoy my tea or coffee with sugar in it. I do sometimes like honey though in my tea or in my coffee if I'm making myself a frappé or iced coffee.
Soya Milk is great for shakes...
Soya milk is a great way to shake off the guilt of a chocolate milkshake or any other actually. Whether it's iced coffee, chocolate milkshake or a fresh fruit shake, I always use soya milk and honey. For chocolate shakes I use cocoa powder dissolved in hot water as opposed to the ready made stuff like drinking chocolate or nesquik, which is full of sugar.
Mousse...fruity, light and rather guilt free
I do like fruit soufflés and mousses but thanks to my mum I've got a low-cal solution to that and no it's not got a Sainsbury's 'be good to yourself tag on it'. Yoghurt, with fresh fruit purée and gelatine is a great way to satisfy that guilty temptation and it's healthy too, because yoghurt is great for digestion and gelatine is a great way to boost bone health.
Going 'nutty' in the kitchen...
I think it's alright to go a bit nutty when you're cooking, especially with almonds and pistachios because they go well with savoury items. I like to toss a few roasted pistachios into a simple rice 'pulao' with cumin and maybe some peas and I think pistachios also work quite nicely in lamb kebabs because they really soften as the meat cooks, giving that slightly nutty hint to the succulent bites of spice laced meat.
Kebabs? This is how I do them
When making kebabs, I like to roast whole spices in hot oil, then toss in finely chopped ginger and garlic and then some finely chopped onions and pistachio nuts and cook till the onions are brown. I usually sprinkle a bit of brown sugar to caramelise the onions, a trick I picked up from my dad (who's cooking, especially when it comes to Indian meat preparations for me is second to none). I then add in some turmeric, ground red chilli powder, a pinch of 'garam masala', a pinch or cumin powder and a pinch of coriander powder.
I let it cool, then empty the whole lot into a blender so there are no whole spices. You need to let it cool again before mixing in the mince, then add a few teaspoons of plain yoghurt and a bit of whole wheat flour and chopped green chillies for the kebabs mix. If you add in the meat while the spice mixture is hot the meat will start to cook in the heat and that's not going to be great for the kebabs;they will be lumpy and not so pleasing on the palate.
Lemon marinate your meats...
Lemon juice and olive oil is a great way to marinate your meat and fish and it also gives it a fresh zing which always works, whether you're making a curry, grilling, roasting, barbecuing or tossing it into a pasta sauce or even making kebabs.
Tasty food tricks and healthier substitutes I've discovered along the way ...
Roast your herbs...
Dry roast your herbs and chilli flakes and then toss them into an 'arrabiata' or a 'bolognaise' for a more aromatic pasta. You can even toss them into your regular bowl of home brand tomato soup to give it a kick and if you want to make it a little more special then stir in a swirl of low-cal single cream/sour cream and add a sprinkle of 'parmigiana'.
Fancy a light and fluffy omelette?...
For an aromatic fluffy omelette, roast some herbs in a pan (thyme, tarragon or basil work well but don't use all of them together)and then toss in some onions and cook till lightly brown. Add in some bits of chopped bacon if you like, maybe some olives or capers and then chopped tomatoes. You can even use sliced mushrooms if you like. Once the tomatoes are cooked, pour in the beaten egg. Scramble it slightly and then spread it to form a round pancake in the pan. When lightly brown, grate some cheese over one half, sprinkle some salt and pepper over it (and some chilli flakes if you fancy)and fold the other half over it to form a semi circle in the pan. Once lightly browned,lift out gently on to a plate and garnish with a sprig of fresh herbs or grated cheese.
*This also works with a whites-only omelette.
Scrambled eggs with a sprinkle...
Don't add salt to your scrambled eggs during cooking because it will release water if you do. For delicious fluffy scrambled eggs add bit of sour cream into the mix at the end and sprinkle with fresh finely chopped parsley, salt, pepper and parmigiana if you like.
Toffee yoghurt, a creamy low-cal custard substitute..
Toffee yoghurt is a great low-cal substitute for ice cream and custard. It tastes just as good in a fruit trifle or with fruit crumble, fruit salad, cakes, tarts and pies. I even used it as a substitute for brandy butter and brandy sauce at Christmas with Christmas pudding, plum cake and mince pies!
Sweetening with honey or jaggery (organic raw cane sugar)...
Honey or ground jaggery is a much healthier and far more flavoursome sweetener than sugar so if you like your cuppa or your coffee sweet, you might want to swap it with your sugar basin. You can even use jaggery in steamed puddings and cookies, but I don't use it in cakes because it tends to make the cake stodgy. That's because it's denser than sugar, so you have to use more baking powder if you do and that's not the best thing for your gut.
A healthier tray of cakes and cookies...
My low guilt baking secret is to use healthy ingredients as far as possible when you're making not so healthy cake-y cookie-ish treats. I always use whole wheat flour for cookies and puddings and for cookies I usually use half oatmeal and half bread flour (varieties which have crushed nuts in them like pine nuts). The body burns calories to digest fibre so if there is roughage/fibre in the cookies, my view is that the body will at least use up some of the sugar in it to digest the fibre and break down the cellulose.
Staying fit and young with pasta...
With pasta dishes I only use the brown stuff and I prefer tomato based variations because tomatoes are high in anti oxidants and have anti ageing properties. This way you can make pasta a feel young meal. I always use garlic too not only because of the flavour but also because of the anti-cholesterol properties which adds one more brownie point to the dish.
Desserts can be healthy too...
Indulging in fruit based desserts is a great way to satiate the sweet cravings (particularly if you've got an overly demanding sweet tooth like mine!). Citrus fruits are great because they're high in anti oxidants which helps prevent cellulite, which is the biggest problem with eating sugary, cakey, creamy things. Dark chocolate has antioxidant properties too, so I always prefer to use 70% or more for desserts. I also like to throw in nuts with a lower glycaemic index like Brazil buts, almonds and hazel nuts.
Cinnamon and Cardammom...
Cinnamon helped me to start enjoying coffee without sugar and cardamom did the trick with tea. Growing up in India, I developed a a liking for sweet tea and coffee; often when you're offered a cup of tea or coffee it'll have a lot of milk and it will be very sweet. Whether you're visiting someone in their office,at home or even ordering a cuppa in a small street café, sweet is the keyword.
So, when I wanted to switch to a healthier lower-cal diet I needed a bit of help to train my palate and that's when cinnamon and cardamom came to my rescue. The funny thing is, now I can no longer enjoy my tea or coffee with sugar in it. I do sometimes like honey though in my tea or in my coffee if I'm making myself a frappé or iced coffee.
Soya Milk is great for shakes...
Soya milk is a great way to shake off the guilt of a chocolate milkshake or any other actually. Whether it's iced coffee, chocolate milkshake or a fresh fruit shake, I always use soya milk and honey. For chocolate shakes I use cocoa powder dissolved in hot water as opposed to the ready made stuff like drinking chocolate or nesquik, which is full of sugar.
Mousse...fruity, light and rather guilt free
I do like fruit soufflés and mousses but thanks to my mum I've got a low-cal solution to that and no it's not got a Sainsbury's 'be good to yourself tag on it'. Yoghurt, with fresh fruit purée and gelatine is a great way to satisfy that guilty temptation and it's healthy too, because yoghurt is great for digestion and gelatine is a great way to boost bone health.
Going 'nutty' in the kitchen...
I think it's alright to go a bit nutty when you're cooking, especially with almonds and pistachios because they go well with savoury items. I like to toss a few roasted pistachios into a simple rice 'pulao' with cumin and maybe some peas and I think pistachios also work quite nicely in lamb kebabs because they really soften as the meat cooks, giving that slightly nutty hint to the succulent bites of spice laced meat.
Kebabs? This is how I do them
When making kebabs, I like to roast whole spices in hot oil, then toss in finely chopped ginger and garlic and then some finely chopped onions and pistachio nuts and cook till the onions are brown. I usually sprinkle a bit of brown sugar to caramelise the onions, a trick I picked up from my dad (who's cooking, especially when it comes to Indian meat preparations for me is second to none). I then add in some turmeric, ground red chilli powder, a pinch of 'garam masala', a pinch or cumin powder and a pinch of coriander powder.
I let it cool, then empty the whole lot into a blender so there are no whole spices. You need to let it cool again before mixing in the mince, then add a few teaspoons of plain yoghurt and a bit of whole wheat flour and chopped green chillies for the kebabs mix. If you add in the meat while the spice mixture is hot the meat will start to cook in the heat and that's not going to be great for the kebabs;they will be lumpy and not so pleasing on the palate.
Lemon marinate your meats...
Lemon juice and olive oil is a great way to marinate your meat and fish and it also gives it a fresh zing which always works, whether you're making a curry, grilling, roasting, barbecuing or tossing it into a pasta sauce or even making kebabs.
Cinammon grilled grapfruit
(Pictures appearing soon)
This is a quick and healthy way to end a meal on a sweet note and something I first attempted in a microwave, when I was at University in Student accommodation.
*1 grapfruit (pink or yellow , whatever you fancy)
*1 tsp mixed dry fruits
*1 tsp honey
*A few pinches of cinnammon
- Cut the grapefruit in half and sprinkle the mixed dry fruits over the tops.
- Drizzle honey over it and then sprinkle a a pinch or two of cinnammon.
- Place on an over tray under the grill at 200C for 7-10 minutes.
- Take out and put onto a plate and then you can either spoon out the pulp and eat warm or chill and eat cold. I usually eat half warm and put the other half in the fridge to chill for the next meal or next morning for break fast.Top with a few teaspoons of toffee yoghurt for a creamy add on.
**Always use foil to line the tray because as the grapfruit cooks, the juice may drip on to the tray and burn. This will add a not-so-pleasent aroma to the fruit and leave you with one hell of cleaning job with the tray after.
This recipe was actually the result of a 'what can I do to make to make this yummier' moment, which found me standing staring at the microwave, grapfruit in hand and wondering how to fulfill my desire to add 1 grapfruit a week to my diet.
The first time I made it, I just sprinkled cinnamon on it and microwaved it for 2 minutes. The dry fruits and honey were add ons that gave me courage to actually tell you about it.
This is a quick and healthy way to end a meal on a sweet note and something I first attempted in a microwave, when I was at University in Student accommodation.
*1 grapfruit (pink or yellow , whatever you fancy)
*1 tsp mixed dry fruits
*1 tsp honey
*A few pinches of cinnammon
- Cut the grapefruit in half and sprinkle the mixed dry fruits over the tops.
- Drizzle honey over it and then sprinkle a a pinch or two of cinnammon.
- Place on an over tray under the grill at 200C for 7-10 minutes.
- Take out and put onto a plate and then you can either spoon out the pulp and eat warm or chill and eat cold. I usually eat half warm and put the other half in the fridge to chill for the next meal or next morning for break fast.Top with a few teaspoons of toffee yoghurt for a creamy add on.
**Always use foil to line the tray because as the grapfruit cooks, the juice may drip on to the tray and burn. This will add a not-so-pleasent aroma to the fruit and leave you with one hell of cleaning job with the tray after.
This recipe was actually the result of a 'what can I do to make to make this yummier' moment, which found me standing staring at the microwave, grapfruit in hand and wondering how to fulfill my desire to add 1 grapfruit a week to my diet.
The first time I made it, I just sprinkled cinnamon on it and microwaved it for 2 minutes. The dry fruits and honey were add ons that gave me courage to actually tell you about it.
Cooking for one
How I cook is not very different from the way I live my life...I often try to economise by using what's already in my cupboard and creating the best I can with it by matching flavours, making it look pretty and cooking it well.
I don't use recipes because I find it takes away the creative thrill I get out of cooking. Cooking for me is often a way of expressing myself...so if I'm feeling upbeat and my usual ambitious driven self I'll use a lot of chilli,herbs and spices but on a day when I'm feeling a bit low I'll probably be tipping towards sinful and sweet with chocolate on the menu or maybe just plain and simple comfort food like spaghetti and cheese...I absolutely love the Greek 'Anari'...but you can also use low fat home brand supermarket cheddar(lots of it!).
When I'm in the mood to relax and stay in I like to splash some wine into the pan (and my glass too!)which is most likely to have pasta sauce of some creative sort cooking in it. The biggest challenge for me, was learning to cook for one and not having to eat leftovers the next day...but now I think I'm an ace at it :)
I don't use recipes because I find it takes away the creative thrill I get out of cooking. Cooking for me is often a way of expressing myself...so if I'm feeling upbeat and my usual ambitious driven self I'll use a lot of chilli,herbs and spices but on a day when I'm feeling a bit low I'll probably be tipping towards sinful and sweet with chocolate on the menu or maybe just plain and simple comfort food like spaghetti and cheese...I absolutely love the Greek 'Anari'...but you can also use low fat home brand supermarket cheddar(lots of it!).
When I'm in the mood to relax and stay in I like to splash some wine into the pan (and my glass too!)which is most likely to have pasta sauce of some creative sort cooking in it. The biggest challenge for me, was learning to cook for one and not having to eat leftovers the next day...but now I think I'm an ace at it :)
Tuna fennel anti pasti
(Pictures appearing soon)
I owe a lot to my great aunts, who for many months have endured the wrath of my recipeless cooking. Fortunately it was often a palatable new invention like this one. I wanted to do something with tuna and I was in a healthy cooking mood so I was trying to omit the carbs all together. I remembered reading about tuna with fennel somewhere, I like skimming through recipe books for ideas about mixing flavours and finding something to work with or modify to my taste. So,I decided that tuna and fennel was what I was going to play with. I like mustard and garlic with seafood and I had some tomatoes lying around so I decided to use those too.What finally went into it was these ingredients (modified to make 1 portion)
*1 tomato
*1 tuna steak in olive oil
*1-2 cloves of garlic
*1 tsp fennel seeds
pepper
*1 rounded teaspoon mustard
*1 tsp plain yoghurt
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Slice off the ends of the tomato and divide the centre into two thick slices (if you make the slices too thin they will just disintegrate as the tomato cooks).
- Chop off four triangles from the sides, about 1cm in size.
- Mash up the tuna with a fork and mix in the yoghurt and mustard.
- Slice up the garlic cloves and put a drop of olive oil over the pieces and toss them around so they're coated or they will burn under the grill.
- Line a baking tray with foil and place the tomato pieces on it.
- Divide the tuna mix into two halves and makes a round ball out of each, place one on each tomato slice and flatten slightly.
- Arrange a two triangular bits of tomato on each, sprinkle the slices of garlic, a pinch of pepper and the fennel seeds over the top and place in a preheated oven under the grill until the garlic starts to brown, which usually takes just under 10 minutes.
Health benefits: garlic helps lower cholestrol, tuna is rich in omega 3, tomato is high in antioxidants and fennel is good for digestion.
I owe a lot to my great aunts, who for many months have endured the wrath of my recipeless cooking. Fortunately it was often a palatable new invention like this one. I wanted to do something with tuna and I was in a healthy cooking mood so I was trying to omit the carbs all together. I remembered reading about tuna with fennel somewhere, I like skimming through recipe books for ideas about mixing flavours and finding something to work with or modify to my taste. So,I decided that tuna and fennel was what I was going to play with. I like mustard and garlic with seafood and I had some tomatoes lying around so I decided to use those too.What finally went into it was these ingredients (modified to make 1 portion)
*1 tomato
*1 tuna steak in olive oil
*1-2 cloves of garlic
*1 tsp fennel seeds
pepper
*1 rounded teaspoon mustard
*1 tsp plain yoghurt
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Slice off the ends of the tomato and divide the centre into two thick slices (if you make the slices too thin they will just disintegrate as the tomato cooks).
- Chop off four triangles from the sides, about 1cm in size.
- Mash up the tuna with a fork and mix in the yoghurt and mustard.
- Slice up the garlic cloves and put a drop of olive oil over the pieces and toss them around so they're coated or they will burn under the grill.
- Line a baking tray with foil and place the tomato pieces on it.
- Divide the tuna mix into two halves and makes a round ball out of each, place one on each tomato slice and flatten slightly.
- Arrange a two triangular bits of tomato on each, sprinkle the slices of garlic, a pinch of pepper and the fennel seeds over the top and place in a preheated oven under the grill until the garlic starts to brown, which usually takes just under 10 minutes.
Health benefits: garlic helps lower cholestrol, tuna is rich in omega 3, tomato is high in antioxidants and fennel is good for digestion.
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