foodboost

Tai soup in minutes

noreply@blogger.com (The Source) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:56:00 +0000

It’s great for using up any leftover ingredients and it’s mighty fine tasting too! It normally takes me around 6 minutes to make and 6 minutes to eat. It’s got a hefty background heat from the red Thai curry paste (there’s always a little left in the jar from making Thai curry) and the birds eye chilli which of course can be adjusted to ones liking. Just start off with half the recommended chilli and paste if you are not a big heat fan, you can always add more. Personally,I like it hot enough to make my heart beat faster and to bring on a slight perspiration of the brow. I feel it gives me a rosy glow.

Preparation

In a large pan heat the oil over a high heat.

Place the onions, chilli, lemongrass, galangal and garlic in the pan and cook for 2 minutes until softening.

Next add the frozen Quorn chunks and cook for another 2 minutes stirring frequently so not to burn.

Add the Thai paste,coconut milk,stock cube,boiling water and mix well.

Bring it to the boil and add the vegetables and mushrooms.Cook it for another 2 minutes.The vegetables should be nice and crunchy,the pretend chicken firm but soft and the occasional little heat bomb of chilli.

Hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

Ingredients

....................Serves 2 big bowls

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 small onion cut into slices

1 garlic clove sliced thinly

1 Birds Eye chilli finely chopped

1 stalk of Lemongrass

2-3 slices galangal root( not essential)

5-6 Mushrooms sliced

1/2 pack Quorn chunks( frozen)

250 gm packet of stirfry vegetable mix (I use one with plenty of beansprouts,mangetout andred peppers)

400 ml coconut milk

200 ml boiling water

2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste

1 chicken or vegetable stock cube (Knorr Swiss)

Humble Cottage Pie

noreply@blogger.com (The Source) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Saturday morning Football means Saturday afternoon starving Son & Papa. This hearty pie fills the hunger in a most delicious and nutritious manner. My son loves this pie so much I almost didn’t get chance to take a picture. His spoon was poised ready to pounce and he wasn’t very happy at having to wait. I even made him take the photo to increase his anticipation. It’s great to see a young kid looking so forward to good food.

This is a traditional cottage pie but I add some extras to boost the nutrient content and make it even tastier. The added chickpeas and sweet potato increases the overall fibre intake and adds lovely texture to this well loved dish. It’s a great way of getting kids and big folk too to eat different foods.

Ingredients

500gm lean minced beef

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 beef stock cube (Knorr Swiss I like)

1 large onion finely chopped

1 clove garlic finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 teaspoon Steak seasoning

1/2 tin chickpeas (drained)

2 carrots peeled and chopped into very small pieces

water

For the Mash

2 large sweet potatoes peeled and chopped in to chunks

2-3 lbs potatoes peeled and chopped into chunks

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons marg or butter plus some for dotting on mash

milk or soya milk to loosen spuds

salt & pepper to taste

In a large pan place the potatoes in and bring to the boil. Cook until tender. Rinse and drain. Add butter, milk(add bit by bit until texture you like) salt & pepper. Mash until smooth.

Preheat oven to 200c/gas mark4

In a large frying pan add the olive oil and heat. Over a medium high heat start frying the onions and garlic until soft. Add the mince and brown the lot. Add the puree and steak seasoning stirring well. Add the stock cube and gently swish some water into the mix to create a liquid,just enough to make it moist. Add the carrots & chickpeas and keep stirring. It should be a rich tomato colour with a nice beefy gravy. Remove from heat and place the entire mixture into a large ovenproof dish. Spoon the mash over the top and dot with some small pieces of butter. Pop into the oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is nicely browned. I served it up with some green beans to boost the Folic Acid and VitaminC nutrient but it’s just as nice with big side salad ( and a large glass of red for Mama). Enjoy!

*The leftover 1/2 tin of chickpeas

Place the chickpeas on to a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Place in the oven underneath the pie and cook for around 30 minutes until crispy. A fantastic snack, just wait until they have cooled before munching as they are hot little minxes. I speak from experience!

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Sweet Salmon Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (The Source) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:35:00 +0000

These were inspired by my little girl when we were doing a spot of “left over cooking”one afternoon. We took some sweet potato mash, cooked brown rice and added a tin of red salmon as she is partial to a bit of fish. My girl loves mashing food together so she was in her oils with this one. It was purely experimental as I wasn’t really sure if it would work but lo and behold they turned out to be rather delicious. We made eight fairly large ones and I would imagine smaller versions would be quite scrummy served as perhaps a starter with salad. We decided on cauliflower cheese and some lightly steamed broccoli to make it a full supper. They turned out to be nice and crispy with a moist filling inside. I enjoyed them all the more ’cause I got to use up leftovers and created another good healthy meal. Frugal foodboosting!
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes boiled and mashed
1 large tin salmon(drained and mashed,we left the bones in)
250gms cooked brown rice
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
good pinch sea salt
pinch fresh ground pepper
sunflower oil for frying
For the Coating
Fresh brown breadcrumbs
1 egg beaten
Plain wholemeal flour for dusting

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl (bar the coating mix) and mash it together really well. Using floured hands shape into the size patties/cakes that you would like and place onto a plate. Lightly dust with flour, dip in the egg and then into the breadcrumbs. Place on a plate and put into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill,this helps keep them together during cooking. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook each cake for 3-4 minutes each side turning them gently until nicely browned and crispy. Remove and place onto kitchen towel to absorb excess oil. Serve hot with salad or like we did a scrummy cauliflower cheese. Enjoy!
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Leftover Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (The Source) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:52:00 +0000

Ok,for some reason me and the webmaster are starving.
Could be the early morning run(me not him,yet) or just one of those days when we have a bigger appetite.I just did a quick reckie in the fridge and found not a lot to play with.So with the help of leftovers and a little freezer digging I came up with this.King Prawn,Mushroom & Vegetable Medley with Brown Rice.We've just scoffed the lot and boy was it tasty.Very healthy and packed full of vitamins & minerals it is in keeping with my exercise program.We've just rolled back to work and are now nursing a Pukka ginger and galangal tea.It's a great herbal tea to help digest meals.Anyway here is the recipe for our fabulous leftover lunch.
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 stalk of celery
1 small chilli deseeded(throw in the seeds if you prefer more heat)
2-3 slices of fresh ginger(1/2 teaspoon groung)
10-12 sliced mushrooms
1 carrot sliced thinly on an angle
4 spears of broccoli
Cooked king prawns(I bought these reduced a few weeks ago & shoved them in the freezer)
handful of cashews
2 tablespoons soya sauce
2 tablespoons honey

In a wok heat some olive/sunflower oil on a medium to high heat.Cook onions,garlic,ginger,chilli & celery first for 2 minutes.Add the mushrooms & carrots and cook for another 2 minutes.Stir in the honey & soya sauce.Finally add the broccoli,prawns & cashews.Stir well and cook for another 2 minutes.Take off the heat and cover until ready to serve.You could cook some rice noodles to go with this dish but I used some leftover brown rice.Enjoy!

Food Planning

noreply@blogger.com (The Source) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:08:00 +0000

I am list woman.I write things down.I always shop with my list.My gang of hungry people make fun of me for this but I always say don't mock the cook.Kiss the cook.There is always something good to eat and they are very well fed.

I like to start my week food list on a Sunday evening with a quick check in the cupboards and fridge to see what's left and I go from there.I strive to give my family a varied diet with optimal nutrient content so I change and rotate the menu weekly.By keeping the list from the week we've just finished I can see the kinds of meals I've made and what was enjoyed the most too.From this I jot down what I fancy making for the upcoming week and then list what I need to buy.Make headings for food groups:

Dairy Poultry Meat Breads Pasta/Legumes Vegetables Fruits Condiments Drinks

and list the ingredients that you need within those.It only takes 15 minutes or so to compile the weeks menu and it can save lots of money as there is no need to grab something from the take-away or supermarket.We use a combination of supermarkets (always checking out the reduces aisle first),farmers markets and bargain shops to get our weekly nosh.The more you do this the quicker you get at it,I can scan a supermarket in 10 minutes flat for bargains.

Try to make meals with ingredients that overlap to save money and prep time.For instance when working with lentils,you can whip up a lentil soup,lentil curry(dhansak)and lentil vegetable burgers can be made at the same time and frozen off.Batch cooking can save money on electricity/gas and your time.

Make your list.Eat well.

Take the list with you.It works better when you do.

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Lets play some mind tricks on the hunger monster.

noreply@blogger.com (The Source) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:49:00 +0000

Diet and exercize work hand in hand . There are, however other little tricks that you can do without even looking at the tread mill.

Plate Size.

The dinner plate is now almost 30% larger than in the 1980's.Reduce your plate size reduce your calorie intake by 20%. The mind will focus on the job at hand, you eat with your eyes remember.

Portion size.

Portions are therefore very important. But a large salad with everything on is not always the answer.The dressings can have high sugar, fat and calorific values.

Protein can fill you up for longer.

It has been proven that protein can stave off hunger for longer, so maybe poached egg on rye for breakfast, and some simple fish dishes for the mains.

Food Spike

Many breads, sandwiches,and other similar foods can give you a spike in energy then a feeling of fatigue. Then you feel you need more food. This cycle is one of the main causes of increased weight in office staff who are unable to exercise through the day.

Soup can trick your body into feeling fuller for longer.

Soups have a lining and bulking sensation within the stomach and protracts the length of time that your brain accepts that you are full.

Reduce drinking with your meal.

Eat slower and try not to have too much to drink as this can reduce the effectiveness of natural digestion and the contented feeling of fullness. The fluid can literally wash parts of your meal out of your stomach, setting of the chemical reactions that tell you to eat more food.

Put your food calories to good use.

Treat your calories as an investment. You paid enough for them so make them work for you.If your are at a loss to why, after all your careful food controls, your not shifting those pounds then try a little more calorific burn. A little more physical.Simple stuff like walking more in the day. If you use more calories than you eat then your on the right track.Daily allowances for Women are 1500 calories and Men 2000 calories. We are all different. But Small steps first. Enjoy your diet, make it work for you nutritionally,and stay away from the quick fixes!Do not get so hungry that you just grab anything..

By working and sharing with each other we can make a difference.

Welcome to the foodboost blog

noreply@blogger.com (The Source) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:47:00 +0000

Our aim on Foodboost is to offer "real world" recipes, supplementation and nutritional help. Get cooking with some fantastic ingredients to create unique homemade meals designed to be easy, economical and very, very, tasty. Lets be adventurous with what we eat and drink and have fun with it.Food comes first, we all need to eat, so we must enjoy the whole process. A good diet with sensible supplementation and exercise will give you the platform to build a healthy lifestyle. Remember we are what we eat.

The Foodboost team have developed lots of the recipes here but we would love to hear from you! Send us your favourite recipe,tip,tipple,frugal find or menu and we’ll put it on Foodboost.Get your name in lights!