Thought for the day

When you replace “why is this happening to me?” with “what is this trying to teach me?” Everything shifts

-Make your mark

Quote of the day

Everyone wants to eat, but few are willing to hunt

-Make your mark

Roasted veggie pasta

This roasted veggie pasta recipe is great, just some average ingredients but combined they make a fantastic, tasty, healthy meal that will have you asking for seconds.

Try it out and post your thoughts.

INGREDIENTS:

• 200g wholemeal pasta
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced and diced
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Handful of kale
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and black pepper

 

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and pour back into the pot. Break the egg into the hot pasta and stir around.

2. Preheat oven to 200c.

3. In a large oven proof bowl, throw in red onion, carrots, tomatoes and salt. Mix everything together and place in the oven.

4. Roast for 20 minutes, then take them out, add the kale, garlic, and lemon juice, stir, and throw them back in the oven until some of the veggies start looking a little browned around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes longer.

5. Add the roasted veggies to the cooked pasta, pour in the balsamic, a pinch of salt and black pepper, and stir. Taste and add more garlic, vinegar, lemon juice to whatever your taste buds desire.

Superfood Salad

Today we are in a healthy mood so this “superfood salad” is on the menu. Its quick and easy to make but its bursting with flavour and very filling. Did I mention very healthy? Try it out let me know your opinions.

• serves: 4
• prep: 15 min
•  cooking: 15 min

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa
• approx. 100 g / 3.5 oz green salad (I used baby spinach leaves and kale)
• small wedge of red cabbage, shredded thinly
• 300g Beetroot
• small broccoli, divided into florets
• ½ cup frozen peas (or fresh if available)
• small cucumber, sliced
• ½ cup mung bean sprouts (or other sprouts)
• 1 zucchini / courgette
• 1 large spring onion, sliced thinly
• a handful of mint and basil leaves, (chopped if you like)

METHOD

1. Rinse quinoa and place it in a small pot that you have a glass lid for. Add a few pinches of salt and 1.5 cups of water (prefect quinoa ratio is 1:1.5), cover with a lid and bring to boil. Once the water boils, decrease the heat to low-medium and let the quinoa simmer until all the water has been absorbed. To check, tilt the pot slightly, keeping the lid firmly on. If you see no water seeping out from under the grain, it means you are good to go. Switch off the heat completely and let quinoa sit on a hot hob (with lid firmly on) for another 5 mins to finish off cooking in its own steam. Once ready, cool it down completely before adding it to the salad as otherwise the salad leaves will wilt.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Prepare a bowl of cold water with a few ice cubes and set it next to the stove. Once the water boils, add broccoli florets and frozen peas and cook for about 90 seconds. Once the time is up, drain the vegetables and immediately plunge them into the cold water so that they retain their beautiful colour. Place on a sieve to drain well. Lightly season with salt and pepper before adding to the salad.
3. Prepare courgettes by either turning it into zoodles (use a spiralizer if you have one) or slicing it and grilling it on a grill pan. If grilling, brush each slice with a bit of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and arrange on a hot (that’s important) grill / griddle pan. Once the slices are browned on one side, turn them over and let them brown on the other side.
4. Mix all the dressing ingredients together and set aside.
5. Just before serving, combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over and scatter spring onions, sprouts and herbs on top.

 

Mediterranean chicken paella

I raided the cupboards and found the ingredients below and racked my brain thinking what to make, I finally came up with paella.

Have a look and feel free to share your opinions

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olice

  oil

• 3 chicken breasts fillets, cut into chunks
• 2 small onions

  finely sliced

• 1 fat garlic clove, crushed

• 1 tsp turmeric

• pinch of saffron

• 1 tsp paprika

• 300g basmati rice
• 850ml hot chicken stock

• 1 tin garden peas
• 1 leek
• 1 pepper (choice of colour is yours)

Method

Get your chicken and place on an oven proof dish, put in the oven at about 200 C for around 25 mins.

Pour your rice into a saucepan cover with water and bring to the boil.

1. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, add the onions and cook slowly until softened, about 10 mins.

2. Add the garlic, stir for 1 min, then toss in the peppers, mushrooms, peas and leek. Stir in the spices, then tip in the rice (after you have drained the water from it of course) Stir to coat the rice in the oils and spices for about 2 mins, then pour in the hot stock. Bring to the boil,

   Remove your chicken from the oven and add to the rice mixture

   Stir well to coat chicken, let the whole lot stand for 5 mins then serve.

lean and creamy sausage pasta

Fed up of your daily chicken, rice and broccoli meal prep? Try this super-lean, high-protein creamy sausage pasta for your next meal prep session.

Try using quark in place of cream cheese and reduced-fat sausages to keep this pasta lean – without skimping on flavour

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. Coconut oil
• 1 leek (finely sliced)
• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 8 reduced-fat pork sausages (sliced) (I used Marks and Spencers skinny sausages)
• 200g quark
• 4 large beef tomatoes
• 240g (dry weight) wholemeal penne pasta
• 1 tsp. sea salt, 1 tsp. black pepper and 1 tsp. dried chilli flakes
• 700ml water
• Handful fresh basil leaves

Makes: 4 meals

Method

1. Add the coconut oil to a large, non-stick pan on a medium to high heat. Add the sliced leek into the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and pan fry for a further 2 minutes, then add the sliced sausages and fry for 6-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are brown on all sides.

2. Get your tomatoes and some basil and blend together (in a blender)

3. Next, add the water to the dried pasta and bring to the boil, drain water out and then add in the tomato and basil mixture, turn the heat down and simmer for 15-20 minutes, uncovered. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a little more water and stir.

4. Once the pasta mixture is cooked through, stir through the quark and season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Heat through for 2-3 minutes, then divide amongst dishes and top with the remainder of the fresh basil leaves.

I was pleasantly surprised by this meal, easy to make and really tasty. Give it a try and let me know how you get on.