easy meals

cream of mushroom soup

2011-04-28T02:25:00.001-07:00

)3 tbsp flour 4 cups water 2 chicken bullion cubes 5 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced 8 oz baby bella, sliced 1 celery stalk 1 tbsp light butter (optional

Place cold water and flour in a blender and blend until smooth, pour into a medium pot and set heat to medium. Add celery, mushrooms, chicken bullion and butter and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove celery and a cup of soup in the blender, then return back to the pot

tomato basil and rice soup

2011-04-28T02:24:00.000-07:00

2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
an onion
2 veg stock cubes made up to 600ml
1 clove of garlic
basil
50g plain uncooked white rice
salt and pepper
(add a red pepper if you like but its nice if you dont as well)
dry fry onion and garlic with a pinch of salt then add tins of tomatoes and tomato puree and veg stock made. up to 600 ml.
bring to boil add rice and simmer for 25-30 mins (keep stirring throughout to prevent rice sticking to the pan), when simmereing add 2 dashes of basil, season with salt and pepper to taste

easy meals: Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Shallots

2011-04-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

easy meals: Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Shallots: "1 tsp butter 4 pork loin chops (with bone), 1 inch thick, trim all visible fat 1/2 tsp salt fresh ground pepper 1/4 cup chopped shallots..."

Roasted Broccoli with Smashed Garlic

2011-04-26T15:19:00.001-07:00

1 1/2 lbs broccoli florets, cut long with part of stem
6 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and fresh pepper Preheat oven to 450°. In a baking dish combine broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Roast broccoli about 20 minutes, until broccoli is browned and tender

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

2011-04-26T15:18:00.003-07:00

6 cups cauliflower florets (1 large cauliflower) cut small
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
kosher salt and fresh pepper
juice of 1/4 lemon
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated Preheat oven to 450°F.

Combine cauliflower, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper well so all the florets are coated and seasoned. Place in a large shallow roasting pan and place in the center of the oven.

Roast for about 25-35 munites, turning florets occasionally so they are evenly cooked. Remove from oven and top with Parmigiano Reggiano and additional salt and pepper if needed.

Pesto Pasta Salad

2011-04-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

30g dried weight pasta, 30g low fat feta cheese, 15g pesto, spinach leaves, mixed salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, mixed peppers

Cook the pasta. Whilst cooking, prepare all of the salad bits in a big mixing bowl. Add the cheese and pesto. Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the bowl and mix it all together and serve. Yum!

Crusty Topped Herbie Fish

2011-04-26T10:46:00.001-07:00

200g White Bonless, Skinless Fish
Teaspoon French Mustard
2Tablespoons Fresh Breadcrumbs
40g Cheddar Cheese
1 Teaspoon Parsley
1 Teaspoon Tarragon
1 Teaspoon Flora
Spread mustard thinly over fish
Grate the Breadcrumbs and the cheese mix them together
Melt the flora and add to the grated mixture
Add the herbs and mix together
Press the mixture onto the fish
Bake in a 180C oven for 15 mins.
Serve with Baby Carrots and Brocolli

Mustard Baked Fish

2011-04-26T10:44:00.001-07:00

2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp ww low fat creme fraiche
1 tsp whole grain mustard
2 fillets fish (appox 120 g each). This can be any type of fish, Cod, Haddock or even salmon

preheat oven to 180

mix together the mustards & creme fraiche, add a little salt & pepper to taste

smoothe mustard mix evenly over the fish and bake for about 20 - 25 mins

Leek and celery soup

2011-04-26T05:19:00.001-07:00

1 small onion
spray oil
3 medium leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 head of celery,cleaned and sliced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 1/2 litres veg stock (use 2 cubes)
seasoning to taste

1.Chop the onions finely and saute gently in a few sprays of oil until soft.
2.Add the finely chopped leeks and celery.
3.Cook gently for a couple of minutes.
4.Add the stock and the potato.
5. Bring to the boil then simmer for about 30 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.
6. Liquidise or blend to a smooth soup. Add seasoning to taste.

This is great to take to work for lunch, served with a packet of melba toast

Strawberry Scones

2011-04-26T04:45:00.001-07:00

1 cup fresh strawberries, cut into small pieces
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 tsp for topping
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 (half stick) cup frozen butter
3/4 cups milk with 1tbsp of viniger or lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla Silpat, or parchment paper. Drop 8 equal large spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet (to avoid tough scones, do not press or compact). Bake in the center rack 18 minutes. Remove and let them cool about 5 minutes before eatingPreheat the oven to 400
Mix strawberries with 1 tbsp of sugar and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.

Using the large holes of a cheese grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour. Mix well with flour.

In a medium bowl, mix the buttermilk, vanilla.

Using a fork, slowly stir in the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, until all the mixture is moistened. Do not over work the dough. Fold in the strawberries.

Line a cookie sheet with a

Yorkshire Puddings with Onion Gravy

2011-04-26T03:47:00.001-07:00

Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
75 g plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 egg
200 ml skimmed milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons beef gravy granulesInstructions
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200°C/fan oven 180°C. Take 4 Yorkshire pudding tins and put ½ teaspoon of oil into each of them. Heat in the oven for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the batter. Sift the flour and salt into a large jug or mixing bowl. Add the egg and milk and beat with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour into the Yorkshire pudding tins and return to the oven as quickly as possible. Bake for 20 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Don’t be tempted to peek or else your Yorkshire’s could deflate!
Whilst they are cooking, make the gravy. Put the onion into a saucepan with 425 ml boiling water. Simmer for 15 minutes, then add the gravy granules, stirring until thickened. Season with some pepper, then serve with roast beef, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and

Cauliflower Fritters

2011-04-26T03:21:00.001-07:00

4 cups raw cauliflower (1 large or 2 small)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup hot water
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil Steam cauliflower, then chop into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, flour, garlic, eggs, grated cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Add water so that batter becomes slightly more dense than pancake batter.

On medium-low heat, add 1 tbsp of oil in a 10 inch skillet coating bottom of the pan. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to form fritters. You can fit 4 fritters at a time. Cook until golden brown, turn and cook another few minutes. Add a little more oil to the pan, and repeat with the remaining batter

Asian Grilled Chicken Recipe

2011-04-26T02:38:00.001-07:00

6 thin boneless skinless chicken breasts (3 oz each)Marinade:
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 green onions, minced
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tsp honey
2 tsp sesame OilCombine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken, turn the pieces to coat evenly, cover and place in refrigerator a minimum of three hours, but preferably overnight.
Preheat grill to high. Grill chicken top side down first until well browned charred, about 5 minutes, turn and cook on the second side about 3 more minutes. Transfer to a serving platter

Jacket Potato with Easy Chicken Salad Filling

2011-04-26T02:34:00.000-07:00

800 g Potatoes, Old, Raw, (ie 4 baked potatoes) 1 pinch Salt 1/4 teaspoons (ground) Pepper, Black (Whole, Cracked or Ground) 2 medium Chicken, Breast, Skinless, Raw, chopped finely 2 medium Spring Onions, chopped 2 large Tomato, chopped 1 tablespoons Mayonnaise, Low Fat 2 tablespoons (as purchased) Yogurt, Low Fat, Plain Wash the potatoes and pat dry. Cut a large cross on the top of each potato. Check your microwave oven instructions to see how long jacket potatoes should be cooked, making sure you allow sufficient time for cooking four potatoes at once.

Cook the potatoes according to the manufacturer's instructions and then allow them to rest for about 3 minutes.

Prepare your filling. Cook the chicken in a frying pan with low fat cooking spray. Mix together the ingredients for the filling. Heat the filling slightly, if desired. Cut a deep cross into each potato and then squeeze the potato from the base to open it up.

Use a table knife to make the opening even larger and spoon in the filling

Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Shallots

2011-04-26T01:23:00.001-07:00

1 tsp butter
4 pork loin chops (with bone), 1 inch thick, trim all visible fat
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 cup fat free chicken stock
10 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp chopped, fresh parsley In a large frying pan heat the butter over moderately low heat. Season pork with salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium and add the chops to the pan and sauté for 7 minutes. Turn and cook until chops are browned and done to medium, about 7-8 minutes longer. Remove the chops and put in a warm spot.

Add shallots to the pan and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the stock to deglaze the pan, stir in the mustard, 1 tbsp parsley, then add mushrooms, season with fresh pepper and cook about 3 minutes, or until mushrooms are done. Put the chops on a platter and pour the mushroom sauce over the meat, top with remaining parsley