Brocolli, Leek and Stilton Soup (W.W)

So ... we're on weight watchers in our household - hence the lack of blogs - i have been trying to avoid thinking about food so as not to eat it ALL !!

Here's a little weight watchers soup for you with cheese !! my favourite ingredient that makes me feel like i've been cheating when i haven't.

So simple ...

Heres what you need:

1.5 tbs Olive Oil
3 Large Leeks
1 Courgette
1 Broccoli
10 new potatoes (I used 7 pro points worth of potatoes in total)
2 vegetable stock cubes
1.5 litres of boiling water
120g Stilton

Use a large saucepan, and heat your olive oil, and add your 3 leeks chopped up.
Whilst they are cooking down, cut up your courgettes, and throw them in, keep them on a medium heat, but keep stirring until they are well softened and going golden.
Cut your potatoes into smaller chunks and add them
then make your stock and add that
bring it to the boil and then simmer for 20 mins
take it off the heat and crumble your stilton over the soup
after about 10 minutes blend our soup, i use a hand blender, and whizz it for ages to make sure theres no lumps ...
it makes a really really thick soup so you can always add extra water but i love a nice thick soup.
feels like i'm being really naughty ... creamy and rich ... and it's got cheese ...

if you split it between 6 it works out at 4 pro points each !!! Get it !!

Chipotle Chicken Pizza

I love saturdays ... it means I have time to think about what I want for dinner, get ahead of the game and "pootle" round my kitchen slowly!! 

My lovely man had been out at church all day serving at a wedding so I wanted to do him something I knew he would really love for when he got in. 

That's where the home-made pizza came in ... pizza is his favourite thing. Normally we have shop bought as we both work full time. But home-made is just the best. So much better for you and you can control the ingredients so you know what's in it and you can definitely knock off a few hundred calories off the numbers on a shop bought pizza which to be honest are just scary. 

So then it came to choosing flavours ... I wanted chicken and I wanted flavour. 

I had a bottle of Chipotle Sauce kicking around in the fridge so I marinated 2 chicken breasts and whacked them in the over for 35 mins on 200 degrees. Once cooked, I then shredded the chicken into small pieces. 

I did buy the packet pizza dough, but it's so nice and fairly low cal so I always cheat with the pizza dough. So I made that up as per the instructions and let it prove for a few minutes to rise. 

I used tomato puree as the base and spread probably about a tablespoon on to the dough. 

I then threw my chipotle chicken on top and added rings of red onion and sweetcorn (I used a small red onion and about 2 tablespoons of sweetcorn - but really you can put as much or as little on as you want). 

I covered it all with a handful of mature cheddar cheese, it has a fairly strong flavour so you don't need loads and loads. 

It was utterly delicious and the perfect feast for a Saturday night in front of the rugby. 

One Big Welly !! ... Pork Stuffing and Bacon Wellington

so heres a great one for you !! a total experiment that turned out a winner !!

particularly simple to do as well ... 

well simple if you do a few cheats like me (i bought ready to roll puff pastry and it was packet stuffing rather than homemade) 

but yeh - just assembly really ... and this is what i did ... 

1) I seared my pork tenderloin for a few mins, just to brown it off.

2) I then cut the fat off of about 8 slices of bacon (use as little or as much as you like, i was finishing off a pack i had in the fridge - i used unsmoked) and wrapped my tenderloin. 

3) I made the stuffing - slightly dryer than the packet suggested and laid it out on greaseproof paper. I laid my tenderloin on top and wrapped the tenderloin. My stuffing was slightly too short, so i could have done with making the stuffing layer slightly thinner so it completely coated the outside. Mary Berry would not have been impressed, because the bacon was touching the pastry it has a soggy bottom! (also, do not use a fruity stuffing, the pastry will not enjoy the fruit and will suck up the moisture)

4) I then baked my stuffing coated on 220 degrees for about 20 mins so that the stuffing felt crispy. 

5) I then left my tenderloin to cool completely, this is very very important else your pastry will steam whilst cooking if the filling is hot, and then it won't crisp. 

6) Roll out the pastry so that you have a "thinnish" layer of pastry, it needs to be longer than the tenderloin by   a fee inches either side and wide enough to be wrapped around the whole thing. 

7) I then baked it in he over for about 40-45 mins on 190 degrees, keep your eye on it though, cooking time will depend on size and thickness of pastry. 

 * when using pork you must make sure it is well cooked, I sliced my wellington straight through the middle before serving to check this, it is a good idea to make sure it is well on it's way to being cooked at the first bake, whilst baking the stuffing then it can just finish off whilst the assembled wellington is cooking. 

this dish does take a while but it is really rewarding ... tastes amazing, and theres a pretty good sense of achievement that comes with. 

Turkey and Chorizo Chilli

Recipe ...

441g Turkey breast (cubed)

120g Chorizo (diced)

1 onion

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove of garlic (or minced garlic)

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp hot chipotle bbq sauce

1/4 tsp lazy chillis

2 cups stock

200g drained chick peas 

1 cup chopped mixed peppers

285g sweetcorn

heat your oil in a wok/large saucepan

brown off your turkey in a wok then after a few minutes add the chorizo

then lower the heat, add the onions and fry off slowly

add the peppers 

add the garlic and herbs, the sauce, then the stock

add the chickpeas

simmer for about 20 mins

then add the sweetcorn for about 5 minutes to heat through

serve with rice and maybe some sour cream and lime wedges

 I've got a big load of this stocked away in the freezer for a cold winter evening when i can't be bothered to cook anything ... can't wait!

Gorgeous lamb chops

delicious and pretty easy ... this was the meal i made for my lovely mum as it was mother's day here in the uk last sunday.

I forgot to take photos so this was a quick shot before the last bit got eaten.

I cooked a bit of a feast so i used a lot.

ingredients:
14 lamb chops
125 g streaky bacon
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 large onion
4 cloves of garlic
2 sticks of celery
2 carrots
1 tin of tomatoes
225ml of red wine
225ml of stock
2 sprigs of rosemary

it's this easy ... cut up all the ingredients into chunks ... and throw it all into a casserole dish apart from the chops (set them aside in the fridge for later)

Put the covered dish in the oven on gas mark 2 //150 degrees for about 2 hours
then get a griddle pan and seal the lamb on all sides and seal in all the flavour!
Then place the lamb on top of the casserole leaving it uncovered in dish and leave in the oven for between 20 mins and 40 mins depending how well cooked you like it ...

easy freezy meals for mamas to be

ok ... well i'm off work this week (still living with the mother in law - but hopefully i'll have my own kitchen soon and then the blogs will be back) so i've got a bit more time to be in the kitchen (even if it isnt my own :( ) anyway ...

Both my best friends are at the baby stage of life! one had a baby just before christmas and the other has 3 weeks to go !! It was the baby shower on saturday which was fun! anyway .. I'm going over later and i'm taking a few freezer meals for her and her hubby incase she just can't be bother to cook or just incase Baby Girl Groeneweg comes early !! so i thought i'd give you a few ideas of what you can cook really easily for your friends freezer (or for your own)

I did cheat though as it had to be simply as today was all about doing the long list of jobs !!

So i did for meals for two and all you need is:

one pack of mince meat (pork mince/turkey mince or beef - it doesnt matter)
one pasta sauce
one tin of tomatoes
one egg
one pack of bacon
three large potatoes
a potato bake sauce (or you could make your own thick smokey cheese sauce)
one red onion

and some herbs ...

literally all you need to do is make your meatballs and brown them ... then place them in a pot (I use disposable for my preggy friends so they dont have to wash up)

then i also made two trays of Cheese and Bacon Potato Bake ... yummy but easy peasy.

Literally buy the sauce and it takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 40 mins to cook.

Slice you potatoes and layer them up with cooked bacon and diced onion.
Then when you've filled you dish up to half way use one quarter of the sauce in each dish and pour over.
Then layer up to the top again and pour over the rest of the sauce. I always get the dregs of sauce out with about 2 cm of water in the bottom of the jar, put the lid back on, and shake ... then pour over and bake for 40 mins.

Then write your instructions on the lids so your friends know what to do to finish baking there dishes !

and there you have it ... easy peasy blessings for friends !! 

spinach and sweet potato curry ....

this curry is so delicious ... creamy and an absolutly beautiful taste.

It's really easy to make as well ... here's the recipe,

2 sweet potatoes (cubed)
200g spinach (roughly chopped)
400g coconut milk ( I use the low fat stuff)
1 onion
madras curry paste ( i use about 2 tbsps but its up to you)

the easy steps:
- fry the chopped onions
- add the paste and cook for two minutes
- pour in coconut milk and sweet potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes until soft
- stir through spinach until wilted

i served this with a low fat tikka masala and rice, poppadums and naan ... it was a bit of a feast. It was a lovely evening with good food and good friends ... i forgot to take a photo ... so my lovely friend Alex took one the next day with the left overs she took home !! :)

homemade chicken jalfrezi

This is great ! Low fat !! and super delicious !!
I think this is the nicest dinner i've had since being on weight watchers ... it felt naughty ... eating a huge plate of curry ... but it was only three points. yes thats right ... three points !!
You just have to add your rice//naan.

INGREDIENTS

    * 1 large onion , halved, sliced
    * 2-3 green chillies , sliced
    * 3 garlic cloves , crushed
    * 1 large chicken breast, cut into chunks
    * 5 tomatoes , roughly chopped // ½ can chopped tomatoes
    * a few handfuls of spinach
    * a small pot low fat natural yogurt (optional)
    * naan bread or steamed rice to serve

SPICE MIX

    * 2 tsp curry powder
    * ½ tsp ground cumin
    * 1 tsp chilli powder
    * 1 cinnamon stick
    * 5 cloves , ground


Put the onion and a good pinch of salt into a large pan, then fry for about 6-8 minutes until golden.

 Add the chillies and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the spice mix and cook for another couple of minutes until fragrant.

 Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes then add the tomatoes and a splash of water and stir well.

Cover the pan and cook for about 30 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce thickened (uncover the pan if you need to for the last 10 minutes).

Stir in the yogurt off the heat (if using) for a creamier sauce.

Serve with naans or steamed rice.

Basil Pasta

Ingredients

    * 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
    * 187g all-purpose flour
    * 1 egg
    * 1 teaspoon olive oil
    * 2 tablespoons water
    * 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

   1. Using a food processor, process basil leaves until chopped very fine. Add flour and pulse two or three times, or until combined. Add egg, 1 teaspoon oil, and the water until dough forms a ball shape. If dough seems dry, add a bit more water. Wrap dough in a piece of cling film which has been coated in a few drops of olive oil. Refrigerate dough for 2 hours.

  

  2. Remove dough from refrigerator, and cut into 6 equal size portions. Run pasta though pasta machine, or roll with rolling pin to desired thickness. Use the additional flour to coat pasta while rolling.
   3. Cut into any shape that you fancy.

                                       4. Allow pasta to dry for one hour prior to cooking.
                                      5. Cook in a large pot of boiling water until al dente.
                This should take only 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pasta.

For my ravioli I cut some bacon into tiny pieces and fried it until it was cooked and crispy and then I let it cool and added some grated cheddar to make a filling.

This recipe probably makes enough pasta for 6 people.
I rolled and shaped my pasta by hand and it took a long time - an hour and a half to be exact.
  

chicken mash top pie ...

Whoa - i have not blogged in a while and i'm about to go home for easter - so the next couple of weeks may be lacking in blogs too ... seeing as i have a mother-in-law who is awesome at cooking.

Anyway i made this the other day ... and totally forgot to take photos ... so theres just a few silly ones of my wonderful friends showing there appreciation for my pie.

Enjoy - it was an easy dinner ... I made it in advance and freezed it for a week which was great ... however it was not defrosted by tea (having just got it out in the morning) so i think you may need to get it out the night before ... or just make it and bake it!

It's a bit of a rough recipe ... I'm one of those people that doesnt always measure what i'm doing ...

Ingredients:

3 Chicken breasts (cut into bite-size chunks)
tsp paprika
tsp pepper/salt
tsp thyme
1 1/2 onions
carrots, diced and pre-cooked for about 8 mins (4-8 depending on the size) 
mushrooms - as may as you want to use (i know some people dont like loads, I used 3 big handfulls)
stock and gravy
1 bay leaf
12 large-ish potatoes (but it does depend how much mash you like ... we like lots)

peel you potatoes, cut them and put them on to boil (about 20 mins)
start to fry your chicken, adding the paprika, salt, pepper, and thyme .... slice your onions, and add them once the chicken is almost cooked ... then add the mushrooms and carrots.
make up the stock, (about 1/2 pint) i thicken it with gravy granules.
When your potatoes are ready strain them and pour them back into the pan, mash them and put about 2 tbs of butter into the pan and a splash of milk ... then mash (add more milk if the mash is still a bit lumpy).

Put your chicken mix into the bottom of your oven dish and cover with mash, i dollop it on and spread it with a palette knife to smooth it out.

Cook it on 200 degrees for about 40 mins.

proof it was yummy

San Francisco Pork Chops

Wowee - I loved this recipe !! Someone passed it on to me the other day and i had to give it a go. It's a slow cooker recipe but if you wanted to I'm sure you could make the sauce marinade your chops for a few hours and then cook in the oven. But anyway i knew yesterday was going to be a busy day so i decided to get out my slow cooker and cheat with a bag of frozen wedges. However on arriving home i realised there wasn't enought wedges for two so i had rice. (the original recipe suggested rice anyway).

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

Hot Cooked Rice/wedges, for serving

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. Transfer the chops to the slow cooker. Add the garlic to the drippings in the pan and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!). Stir in the soy sauce, stock, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender. If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened.

Serve the tender chops over rice and garnish with whatever you fancy really … I think if you were serving this to guests you could roast some cherry tomatoes on the vine to pop on top of the plate.

i must admit - i didn't thicken the sauce, I just left it as it was.

Jambalaya !!!

Oh man i have to say this is one of my favourites ... honestly i could have eaten the whole saucepan! it's delicious. My mum used to make this for me ... but i know she bought the sauce! I havent had it since as you dont seem to be able to buy the sauce anymore! So i found myself a recipe online and adapted it and this is my version!

I made my jambalaya with big king prawns, chorizo  and cubed pancetta. An odd mix but you can pretty much add anything! Mum used to do it with chicken, which would go great with any of the meat above ... I think a mix keeps it a bit more authentic but i could be wrong!

So where does this dish come from? there is some confusion - to me its a creole dish! Originating in the spanish dish paella. There are however african influences and the name in itself is apparently a mixture of french "a la" (with) "Jambon" ham and "ya" which apparently is an african word for rice. They say there are similarities between Jollof rice and Jambalaya which after having cooked both recently i agree with - the recipes are similar and the method.

So heres the recipe ... have a go - it's incredible ! It makes enough for about 6 good size portions.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
225g chorizo
200g pancetta cubes
1 tablespoon butter (you may or may not need this – you decide)
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 cup seeded and diced tomato/ tinned tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced OR ½ teaspoon cayenne (I used a chilli and a half and the cayenne pepper)
2 teaspoons diced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon diced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock
3 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 dashes hot sauce, optional
2 tsp dried parsley
3 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
225g prawns, deveined (20 to 24 count)

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the chorizo and saute for 5mins or so, until browned. Remove the chorizo to a bowl, and set aside.

2. Add the pancetta to the same pot and cook for 5 mins, until lightly browned. Remove to the bowl with the chorizo, and set aside.

3. Add the butter, onion and peppers to the same pot and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

4. Add the tomato, garlic, jalapeno or cayenne, oregano, thyme, and tomato paste and cook until all the vegetables and herbs are blended well.

5. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Stir in the rice, and add the sausage, ham, bay leaves, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

6. Add parsley, lemon juice and the prawns, and stir well. Cover the pot, remove it from the heat and allow the jambalaya steam, for 15 minutes, before serving.


all there is left to say is ENJOY !!! I know you will !!

leftovers for lunch

pork stuffing batches

pork and stuffing batches

This is definatly not a recipe ... It's just one of my favourite things to do, its easy and great when you've got a massive joint of pork and have a load of friends coming over.

I cooked mine joint slowly and in the end it took about 4 hours ... I cook it on high for half an hour and then slow with the oven down really low, about half an hour to an hour before we want to eat I carve it all up, and pour gravy into the pan to keep it succulant. Please make sure you cook your pork well and follow either the instructions on the pack carefully or I find this webite really helpful to work out how long i need to cook my pork for.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/pork 

I just put the meat on the table with the bread rolls, various types of stuffing (which i didnt make myself), apple sauce, and anything else you fancy eating with it. Oh and obvious a bowl full of crackling! And let my friends tuck in!