Lemony & Zingy - Your Minimalist Houmous

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How beautiful is summer?  I bet that your weekends are action packed with BBQs, garden parties and delicious, mouth watering food.  Which is why I thought that I would share this little crowd pleaser with you.  I love home comforts and outdoor house parties are perfect if you can only cope with a garden party .  When you choose to take your party outdoors (and why not, it's not every year that summer arrives in London); you may decide to add houmous to the menu.  If you do, say no to the supermarket branded varieties and pick this little beauty instead.  It's a multiple winner for taste and nutrition.

I first came across this recipe in a cute little French recipe book.  I decided to try it out and have had several requests for the recipe since.  It's so easy to make and so intensely zingy you will be pleasantly pleased at it's intense flavour when matched with cool cucumber or celery sticks. You cannot go wrong with this unique taste of chickpea goodness!  

Nutrition tip: when you make your own houmous, you have control of how much oil gets added to the final recipe.  YOU are therefore always in control of what you eat.


INGREDIENTS

3 fat garlic cloves
Large pinch of salt
400g chickpeas from a tin (drained, but reserve the liquid)
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons tahini paste
Olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons


DIRECTIONS

1. Add the chickpeas into a blender and blend with approximately 1/4 of the juice from the tin.
2. Finely chop the garlic cloves then using your knife, mix in the the pinch of salt.
3. Add the salted garlic, paprika, cumin and tahini paste into the blended chickpeas.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and blend.
4. Add more of the drained liquid and olive oil until you achieve a smooth, creamy paste.
5. Finally add the juice of two lemons and blend well.
5. Serve with freshly chopped parsley and pomegranate for a burst of colour.

Enjoy!  

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Sicilian Inspired Prawn Pasta With Homemade Passata & Roasted Vegetables

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It's Mediterranean Monday, but it's chilly outside and you want something warm and hearty to fill up your belly.  Dinner needs to be whipped up in under 30 minutes, be heart loving and did I mention totally delicious?  With this Sicilian inspired meal idea, anything is possible.  Let's get cooking!

As tempting as it may be to empty out a store bought jar of tomato sauce or passata over your pasta, this autumn aim to minimise the use of convinient jars and opt for meals prepared from scratch.  Easier said than done I agree, but this gorgeous flavoursome meal can definitely be prepared and be ready in under 30 minutes.  It's a great meal when you are starving after a big workout at the gym too.  A bite of this and you will be reminiscing about your lovely holiday in Sicily.  If you have never been, my god, you simply must go.  The temples and ruins are so beautiful, the weather hot and the food absolutely phenomenal.


FOR THE PASSATA

4 large ripe tomatoes
1 red capsicum
6 sundried tomatoes (in olive oil)
3 fat garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped basil
Freshly cracked black pepper
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped


FOR THE ROASTED VEGETABLES

You can use any vegetables you like but I used 2 yellow bell peppers and 1 large eggplant sliced.  Place on a flat oven tray, drizzle a little olive oil and cook in a preheated oven (temperature of 180ºC) until the vegetables are soft appear chargrilled on one side.


FOR THE PENNE PASTA MEAL

200g dried penne pasta
250g king prawns
2 heaped tablespoons cottage cheese (flavoured with onion and chives)

I used dried pasta.  In a large boiling pot of water, place 200g of dried pasta.  Follow cooking directions on the packet.


DIRECTIONS

1. Before preparing the passata, prep your vegetables for roasting and cook in the oven as described above.
2. Next cook your pasta.
3. In a blender, add tomatoes, red capsicum, sundried tomatoes, 2 of the garlic cloves, basil, pepper and salt.  Blend to form a smooth paste.
4. In a small saucepan, heat a tablespoon of the olive oil and cook your red onions.  You can add a little extra fresh basil into the pan if you wish.
5. Now add the red onions into the blender and give it a final blitz.  
6. When the pasta is ready, add to a large hot saucepan.  Add the final tablespoon of garlic and stir for a few minutes. 
7. Now pour about half of the passata.  Pour the remaining passata in clean dry jars and store in the fridge for later in the week.
8. Cover and cook for a further 10 minutes, toss in the prawns and the cottage cheese. Stir well and cook until you have a thick sauce.
9. Serve with the roasted vegetables.  Yummy!

What do you think my lovely readers?  Do comment below, I love hearing from you.

Recommended reading:

• Mediterranean Smoked Haddock & Gammon Steak With Sweet Potato
• How To Beat The Monday Blues And More
• Aromatic Mediterranean Chicken And Courgette Rice With Parsley and Smoked Paprika

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Mediterranean Smoked Haddock & Gammon Steak With Sweet Potato

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Boost your anti-aging potential with this gorgeous Mediterranean inspired smoked haddock dish.  This heart healthy meal is so good for you because it combines lovely monounsaturated fats from olive oil, whilst boasting a modest amount of omega-3 fatty acids from the delicately flavoured haddock.  For further information on the benefits of fish read A Fishy Bite - Eat It For Youthful Skin.

I was keen to dress this recipe up so that you also had the option of using this for a saturday lunch party.  This is perfect for such occasions as the recipe is quick and easy, which means that besides being a 'healthy' host, you also get to be the perfect host by actually engaging with your guests in conversation instead of lathering up a mountain of dishes.

After last night's post Are You A Sugar Addict? I was keen to advocate carbohydrates with a low glycaemic index and hence why I chose both sweet potato and basmati rice for this dish.  By using smoked fish and ham, there was no need to use stock for this recipe.


INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small red onions, cut into thin wedges
650g sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
1 large courgette, sliced then cut into quarters
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 cup Italian wine
2 cups water
350g smoked haddock fillets
120g smoked gammon steak, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon spring onions, sliced into fine rings


DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the red onions.  Cook over a low flame and allow the onions to soften.
2. Add the sweet potato and courgettes and cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Now add the rice and allow to be coated in the oil.
4. Next add 1 cup of water and allow to simmer.  As the water begins to get absorbed, pour in the wine.
5. Add the gammon pieces and add the haddock fillets on top of the rice.
6. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
7. If you need further water to cook the rice, add the final cup of water.
8. The meal is ready when all of the water has been absorbed by the rice.
9. This is optional, but if you are not requiring a milk free meal, stir in 1 - 2 tablespoons of mascarpone before serving.  

This meal is delicious with a salad inclusive of tomatoes, cucumbers and salad leaves.

Recommended reading:

• How To Beat The Monday Blues And More On A Mediterranean Diet
• Weekend Party Food & Cocktails

Enjoy this Meditarranean themed Monday dinner meal idea.  What do you enjoy eating on Monday nights in?  Do comment below, I love hearing from you!

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A BBQ Smoke Off Healthy Style

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If you are like me, you've probably had an entire weekend of jam packed with BBQs.  I attended a German themed BBQ on Friday and yesterday hosted my own.  The first to be made was the Summery Sangria.  For recipe see How To Summon Sun, Sea & Spain With Spanish Sangria.  You may want to add peaches and tonnes more fruit such as grapes and strawberries, for a refreshing summery drink.

The next to prepare were the garlic & basil chicken thighs.  The original recipe called for butter, so I threw in a tablespoon of butter and substituted the rest with a drizzle of olive oil.  Throw in crushed garlic and fresh basil leaves and leave to marinate for a few hours in the fridge.  Serve with sweetcorn.  A very tasty treat.

For the starter, you may also wish to prepare guacamole for some heart loving fats (mono unsaturated fatty acids; the MUFAs).  

Recipe

2 avocados, flesh only

3 large cherry tomatoes

1/2 medium red onion, chopped 

1 - 2 tablespoons coriander

Juice of 1/2 lime

Salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

Mash avocado with the back of a spoon, mix in tomatoes, red onion and coriander.  Then add juice of 1/2 lime, salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Serve with toasted pita bread, cut into strips.

It would be crazy not to prepare my favourite food - salmon so I did!  I opted for Stuffed Salmon which really is amazing with very ripe tomatoes, carrots, red onions, a generous squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkling of herbes de provence from South of France.  You can wrap this in foil then place on the BBQ when the coals are a soft glow.  You'll enjoy being seated next to the warm glow as the last rays of sun fade away.

There were plenty of spicy sausages and other meats that the guests brought but sadly no photographs for display.  Merguez has always been a favourite.  It's peppery and spicy flavours are best washed down with a bit of the sweet sangria.  For a fabulous photo of this see Day Two: What To Expect When Dining With The French In The South Of France.

There was a mozarella, tomato, cucumber and avocado based salad as well as a rice and sweetcorn based salad.  The latter was an offering by a lovely friend Sinead.  Alternatively why not try Under The Sun: Grown Up Mediterranean Salad.

Look at these amazing breads freshly baked by a very talented Vaani!  Don't they look professionally baked?  I will be booking in for baking lessons with her very soon.  The lattice breads were infused with olives.  Delicious.

Finally but not least was dessert.  When you are feeling too stuffed for the third course, fresh fruit can be the perfect solution.  You could either prepare a fruit salad (for recipe ideas see Lazy Fruit Salad) or go with fresh fruit on its own such as delicious grapes and mouth watering slices of watermelon.

I do love BBQs and there are plenty of ways of incorporating nourishing foods, fruit and vegetables at these parties.  Enjoy your Sunday lovely readers!


Do share the love with a TWEET or LIKE and please do comment below your recipe ideas for a BBQ Smoke off.  I do love hearing from you!

DIY – Are You Up For The 'Health' Pizza Challenge?

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Healthy and pizza?  Is it really possible to have the two words in the same sentence? 

Apparently Scotland says so.  Their new ‘health’ pizza appears to have gripped our Northern neighbours by storm.  The ‘nutritional’ pizza is designed to provide 30% of an adult’s daily requirements for vitamins and minerals, as well as a third of the allowance for calories, protein and carbohydrates.

Did you know that seaweed contains a miniscule portion of salt in comparison to regular salt?  It is therefore a useful addition to pizzas to reduce the amount of total added salt.

Whilst ‘healthy’ pizzas plan to take over UK supermarkets by storm, why don’t you just do it yourself?  Make it with the kids in your very own kitchen and you’ll soon realise how easy and fun it is to prepare.  It’s a great meal to prepare with the kids and you’ll enjoy the experience as a family. 

Pizzas with the right ingredients can also be a useful way of sneaking in colourful fruit and vegetables.  Aubergines, bell peppers, mushrooms, pineapple, tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs such as basil are readily available in your local markets.

Whether this summer is hot or flooding with rain, home-made pizzas can be a great meal solution to a night in, any day of the week.  It’s easy to assemble and relatively cheap to make.

                                      

Recipe ideas

Use wholemeal pita bread as your base.  Cover the pita with tomato paste and no more than a tablespoon of grated cheese for each pita.  Top with your favourite cut up vegetable pieces.  You may wish to try a combination of tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic and basil.  Instead of regular tomato paste, use sundried tomato paste or a green pesto for a phenomenal boost in flavour.  Scatter a light sprinkling of herbs de provence for good measure and then you are ready to throw this in to the oven.

If you plan to impress, then you could go majestic like this French restaurant in Nice (see picture featured above).  

It’s truly spectacular and regal, topped with salad, juicy tomatoes, olive oil or a salad dressing, grilled cheese, spring onions and prosciutto.  Your guests will certainly enjoy this mouth watering slice of summer and complement you through-out the night.  If you prefer, roll out your own pizza dough.  The key is to prepare individual circles of pastry for each guest.

Now all you need to do is select the red wine and diluted juice for the kids.  That was easy!

How do you prepare your pizza?