Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

It's our 5th wedding anniversary today :-)  We will be celebrating with a lovely meal tonight - I have a couple of great ideas in mind for a yummy starter and main course and will share the recipes next week.  I hope they come out well!

Raspberry cheesecake brownie

In the meantime, since it is Friday and almost the weekend, it must be treat time, mustn't it?  I don't know about you but I find it really difficult to make the choice between chocolate cake and cheesecake or the healthy option of fruit.  Well, how about having all rolled into one finger-licking cake: a raspberry cheesecake brownie?  This one has the added bonus of a good swig of Amarula liqueur but you could use any cream liqueur or none at all.  With a handful of fresh raspberries giving a good contrast to the rich cake, I think this is just yummy.

Have a lovely weekend!

Adzuki Bean Falafel with Tahini dressing

I had a good work out this morning which I am pleased about - the only thing is that I am now really hungry and will be wanting to eat everything I can lay my hands on.  I'll try not to undo all the good work :-)

Falafel wrap

Just as well that I made a batch of falafel yesterday which made for a very tasty and healthy choice for lunch today. 

Stuffed in a tortilla bread (shock, horror - this one was shop-bought :-)) and drizzled with a tahini dressing, these little bean balls were delicious.  Instead of the usual chick peas I opted for tinned adzuki beans because that's all I had - I reckon you can use pretty much any type of canned bean such as kidney, black,...  As with so many things, the secret is in the seasoning - I found that ground cumin was essential in this recipe and if you are using beans canned in just water (rather than salt water), remember to add a bit more salt.

Most recipes suggest using a food processor to mash up the beans but to be honest, I found that a good old potato masher or large fork and a bowl work equally well (easier to clean afterwards as well).  The falafel can be eaten hot or cold and would make a great addition to any lunchbox.

Luckily, I have a few of these leftover in case I get the munchies later on.... :-)

Delicious pasta bake

Sometimes I find a new recipe and I can almost feel my arteries clogging up as I read it - heaps of butter, cream, cheese, more cheese.  Now, I like rich food and could quite easily munch my way through a whole baked Camembert cheese but I know that these can only be occasional treats in an otherwise balanced diet.

Salmon & broccoli pasta bake

I came across a salmon & broccoli pasta bake that I loved the sound of - but with much less of the suggested fat added to it.  I cooked my version of it last night and it was delicious (even if I say so myself :-)) - creamy but not over the top. 

I guess that's the beauty with cooking - you can always change the recipe into something you'd prefer to eat, so please feel free to play with this one.

Right, I guess I had better updated the much-neglected recipe index - I am still trying to find a better way of listing all the recipes in a more user-friendly way.

Quinoa patties - a quick & healthy lunch option

Not impressed

Keith the dog wasn't too impressed with me when I took him out for his walk in the pouring rain.  For a water-loving spaniel it is quite remarkable just how much he hates the rain :-)

We've had a relaxing weekend with long walks on the beach and plenty of yummy food - one of our new favourites is the Malaysian curry I wrote about a little while ago, so we had that on Saturday night.  I'll be making up another batch of curry paste later today to pop into the freezer - it's the ultimate fast food and healthy, especially when made with reduced fat coconut milk and plenty of vegetables.

Quinoa patties

Another healthy recipe that would make a nice change for lunch is for these quinoa patties. One of the latest foods to be labelled a "superfood", quinoa is surprisingly high in protein, magnesium and other nutrients compared to other grains (although apparently it's not really a grain as such).  It's easy to cook and very versatile - a great alternative to rice.  You can even get in precooked in a pouch which might be a good option if you are trying it for the first time and don't want to buy a whole bag of the stuff.  Always nice to try something different, so maybe these little patties will find their way into your lunch box one day.