Prawn and Bean Stir-fry

I’m trying really hard to go cold turkey on carbohydrates at the moment and focus on filling myself up with longer lasting ‘good for you’ energy.  I find that beans are always a close friend; full of protein, fibre and vitamins/minerals you cannot really go wrong with beans.  Eating them regularly can reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease and help with weight management.  Definitely an appealing factor.

My love of beans (and also my intention to be the healthiest person alive) made me fill this stir fry with JUST beans and a few king prawns.  Could it be nice if it is just plain old beans?  Its full of textures and flavour.  I must admit, I’m rather proud of it.

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

We had one of our dearest friends round for tea on Friday night and I made dinner.  I decided to make something I haven’t made before.  I’ve stuffed peppers before and chicken but haven’t given tomatoes a go just yet.  I didn’t know how they would turn out, as with all experiments, but I was pleased with the results.

We all know that broccoli and cheese work beautifully together and they did in the tomatoes.  When you bite into the tomato it gives you a burst of acidity and moisture and then the flavours of the filling hit you and counteract the acidity.  Really delicious.

Sausage and Kale Gnocchi

Rich in colour and flavour, this gnocchi is the ultimate midweek meal.  I love gnocchi and if you team it up with a few amazing flavours you’ve struck gold.  Gnocchi, if you’ve never tried them, are thick, soft dough dumplings.  Extremely filling and I find are really comforting to eat!  Not forgetting how quick they are to cook – 2 minutes!!  No waiting around with this.

Salmon and Tomato Linguine

This week has been so busy that we’ve barely had time to stop and think.  The positive is that the weekend is upon you before you know it but the negative – your exhausted.

When I’m meal planning, I always take my week into account.  If its a busy one, I need to have meals that allow me to cook with speed, eat, get ready and leave, so the last thing I want to be doing is spending an hour and a half making something complicated.  Instead I have healthy quick meals that take about 20 minutes to bring together but are full of good things.

My salmon and tomato linguine is just that – a quick fix meal that tastes great and is good for you too.  Who knew a couple of simple ingredients could create such a combination of flavours.

Dauphinoise Potatoes with Bacon Surprise

Dauphinoise potatoes are iconic and work perfectly with lots of dishes. I thought that this was delicious, especially with the bacon twist.

I knew that my dauphinoise potatoes were a success when I didn’t have to remind Ross to take leftovers with him for lunch at work, instead he asked if he could, like they were precious.  The addition of the cheese topping adds a delicious bit of extra flavour and texture.

Turkey and Spinach Meatballs

When I got married last year, I spent time before eating well. I cut back my portion sizes of pasta and bulked everything with healthier alternatives and vegetables.  Turkey meatballs were my favourite thing to make because I added so many veggies to the tomato sauce that I was always full after and that was bliss.  The result of eating well, I felt happy and confident when we got married.

I’ve stuck to eating lots of vegetables and I still always make my meatballs with a tasty vegetable filled sauce (I don’t see how a plain tomato sauce could excite the taste buds).  I have added spinach to my turkey meatballs as they keep them moist, whereas sometimes plain ones can get dry.

Healthy Fish and Chips

Everyone loves fish and chips but its not always the healthiest meal to be tucking into.  Recreate your favourite take away with my simple but rather different, healthy alternative.

My fish is coated in a parsley crust served with sweet potato and carrot chips and lemon garden peas.  Everyone I know loves sweet potato chips but they are still full of vitamins and minerals which makes it okay to have a good few if you want.   Please note my potato and carrot chips are not crispy; I used no fat to cook them and I didn’t soak them (crispy potato fries are another blog for another day).

Chicken and Bacon Salad with Tenderstem Broccoli

It is beautifully warm and it feels like summer but unfortunately I’ve been cooped up at work.  It’s rather miserable normally but even more so when you have to watch the blue sky through a window.  The hours dissapear and the nice weather with it! So to cheer myself up I come home and lose myself in cooking.  I made a delicious salad this week which is perfect for a warm day.

I like to make salads on days when perhaps I haven’t got as much time to spend cooking after work.  Generally salads are simple, you prepare your components and then throw them together.  This recipe is no different, although some elements require a little cooking, but it’s still easy.

Pulled Gammon Burger

In today’s post I bring together a few previous posts and show you how they can become a meal.  These previous posts include yesterday’s post for Sauteed Red Cabbage and one from a week or two ago for Pulled Gammon.

Ross has a bit of a thing for pulled pork, hence the reason we both came up with our pulled gammon ideas but he also goes nuts for a pulled pork burger.  It’s always the first thing he picks off a menu when we eat out (also sometimes one of the most expensive things on the menu if you consider that it’s just a burger?!).  So why not recreate it for him at home but in a more interesting and perhaps a more healthy way!

Sautéed Fruity Red Cabbage

A fabulous side that stands out on your plate and has a powerful taste. As soon as you add the cider vinegar it goes from the usual cabbage purple to an almost luminous but dark, glossy pink.  (See before and after pictures).

It doesn’t taste as you would expect; the tartness is masked by the sugar and it is very fruity.  The cabbage is the perfect host for all these flavours and adds a crunch too.