Salad inspiration

We are being battered by strong storms at the moment and have unfortunately yesterday lost our favourite old hawthorn tree in our garden.  It's devastating because it was really old and such a feature as well as home to many birds and little creatures.  With the persistent rain we've been having, the ground is just saturated and wasn't strong enough anymore to hold on to the tree. :-(

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Needless to say that this weather isn't exactly inspiring summer recipes but nonetheless I'd like to share an idea for a salad - not so much a recipe but more of an inspiration to try something a bit different.

I combined quinoa, soya beans, avocado, beetroot, feta cheese and pumpkin seeds for a yummy, filling and healthy salad for lunch.  The different textures and tastes worked together really well and didn't even need a dressing (although a drizzle of olive oil would also have been nice).

I often tend to make the same old salads, so this made a very nice change and has given me a few new ideas.  I hope it has inspired you too!

One-pot curry rice

Dog walking in my local park has become so much more than just that - we appear to have created a walking recipe exchange.  One lady told me about this rice dish she was making for a curry buffet and the next time I saw her, she pulled a print-out of the recipe out of her bag - she'd been carrying it for me, hoping to bump into me.  In return, I promised her one of mine.  The same has happened with other people too and we just go along sharing food ideas - I love it!



Now, this rice dish that was recommended to me is a one-pot recipe and ideal to go with a curry or just some meat or more vegetables.  I'd even be tempted to have it on its own - that's how good it is.  And soooo easy!  It does require a couple of ingredients you may not necessarily have in your cupboard (e.g. mustard seeds - I'd never used those) but none of them are terribly expensive and this dish is so good, you'll be cooking it over and over again, hence not wasting any.  Oh, and did I mention that it can be frozen?  Perfect!

Spanish tortilla with sweet potatoes & spinach

We've had some epic storms over the last couple of days but luckily, our part of the world appears to have escaped the worst.  I took the dog down to the beach as our usual walk in the park - a park full of old trees - just didn't seem safe.  Keith loved chasing around in the sand despite the rain and eventually the sun came out to say hello. 

I woke up really early this morning - not woken by the storm but by dreaming of scrambled eggs on toast.  It must have made me hungry in my sleep and that woke me up.  I wonder if other people dream of food the way I do - I can smell and taste it even when I am asleep :-)

With a craving for eggs there was only one thing to do - I made a Spanish tortilla for lunch but with sweet potato instead of "normal" ones.  It was delicious and very quick to make, so if you are ever after a fast meal, I can recommend this one.  Plus it's nutritious and filling - can't be a bad thing.  I had mine with a simple tomato & chive salad - yum!  The 2 pieces on the photo are half the tortilla (erm - I ate the rest of it too :-))

Cauliflower pizza...whaaat?

Cauliflower pizza

Isn't it funny how every now and again a new food fad appears out of nowhere?  First, we had goji berries, then chia seeds and now it is the humble cauliflower that is hitting the headlines with even Jamie Oliver making cauliflower "rice".  I must admit I was intrigued when I heard about cauliflower pizza and had to give it a go.  Stop that bandwagon - I am jumping on!

Believe it or not but the result was a really tasty pizza!  I couldn't quite believe it myself, especially since it didn't taste of cauliflower.  The base was probably not quite as crispy as a conventional pizza, so it could have done with a few more minutes in the oven but I was hungry, so I had to have it there and then :-)  

It was very tasty - what a great way to have more vegetables! And you can still have your favourite pizza toppings and freeze the pizza before the final bake if you want to have it another day.  Perfect!

Sweet potato bake

Sweet potato bake

I've recently started doing hot yoga classes - sweaty stuff.  Doing exercises in a room heated to 37 C sure makes for a hungry tummy afterwards.  Yesterday, I prepared my dinner before going out to the class which was great because when I got back all I needed to do was put the dish in the oven and wait for 30 minutes. 

I made a sweet potato bake - slices of sweet potato with chorizo and vegetables in a creamy sauce, baked in the oven and served with homemade garlic bread (see the recipe here) and some salad.  You could also use "normal" potatoes for this dish or a mixture of both and serve it as a side dish rather than a main meal..  Simply chuck in any leftover vegetables, bits of ham or whatever you fancy or turn it into a vegetarian dish by leaving the chorizo (or any other meat) out.  Easy & tasty - my kind of meal!

Tikka masala curry

It's been a busy weekend with lots of socialising, catching up on long overdue phone calls, exercising, the usual housework...you get the picture.  It also was Keith the dog's second birthday on Saturday - happy birthday furry friend! 

I found a great little recipe I'd like to share with you because it's ideal for those busy times when you just need dinner to (mostly) cook itself.  I love meals that you can just throw into a pot without much preparation needed.  This one is a tikka masala curry, cooked on a low heat in the oven whilst you can get on with other stuff.  Making a batch or two of this at the weekend to have later in the week or keep in the freezer will save a lot of time and hassle and you can be sure to have a delicious meal to hand when you are short of time.

The one I made was with chicken breast but it would be equally nice with chicken thighs, lamb or beef.  Or why not make a vegetarian option with potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower etc?  We enjoyed our chicken one with rice and steamed broccoli on the side - it wasn't greasy like curries can sometimes be and had lots and lots of flavour.  We'll definitely be having this again and next time I will double the amount and put some in the freezer as well.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Have a good start to your week!

Pizza? Quesadilla? Pizzadilla!

Pizzadilla

I love pizza and I also love Mexican food, so when I came across this idea on Pinterest, I simply had to give it a go: pizzadilla.  If like me you prefer a thin crust pizza to a deep pan one, than this will definitely be up your street.  It's a sort of pizza quesadilla or tortilla pizza and absolutely delicious!

The idea of filling a tortilla bread with pizza ingredients is great but I also love that you can make it into a healthier meal by adjusting the amount of cheese you'd normally use on a pizza.  It'll still taste full of cheesy yummy goodness but by adding most of the filling to only one half of the tortilla and then folding it over, you save on calories and fat but definitely not on taste. It's totally up to you what you want to put inside this lovely snack food...perfect! (I topped my tomato base with spinach, cooked chicken breast, bits of bell pepper and some grated cheddar cheese - yum!).

Have a lovely weekend!

Mushroom egg cups - a lovely breakfast idea

I've been exercising a lot these last few weeks - it's great fun, I have heaps more energy and feel stronger.  I am also quite hungry a lot of the time, especially after doing resistance (weights) exercises and therefore always on the lookout for tasty recipes that won't break the calorie bank.  After all, I don't want to undo all my hard work :-)

Portobello mushroom egg cup

That's where this little recipe idea comes in: portobello mushroom egg cups.  I came across this a few days ago and just love the simplicity of it.  Simply cut the stem out of a portobello mushroom and crack an egg into it.  Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven at 220 C for 10 - 15 minutes (depending on whether you want your yolk runny or not).  Serve hot on top of a slice of toasted bread (or have it without the bread).  You can also line the mushroom with a few spinach leaves like I have done or a slice of ham before adding the egg. 

This recipe takes a little longer than just scrambling an egg but is a cute breakfast idea that is also nutritious.  Enjoy!

Gyoza dumplings

I can't believe it's Saturday already!  How did that happen?  And I can believe even less how quickly summer has turned into autumn here!  I even have to put the lights on when I get up in the morning which is a sure sign that we are moving into the latter part of the year.  Mind you, I love all the seasons for different reasons (quite the poet today :-)) - now I'm looking forward to wooly jumpers and eating stews by the fireplace.

Before I get to more winter warmers though, I should write about the gyoza dumplings we had recently.  Now, if you can lay your hands on some ready-made wonton wrappers, these will be done sooo quickly and easily.  Stuffed with minced chicken, ginger, spices etc they are finger-licking good with a simple dipping sauce  - you could also fill them with crab meat, veggie mince or tofu.  I believe that traditionally they are fried on one side and then steamed but we actually preferred them fried on both sides - it made them nice and crispy on the outside yet soft in the middle.

I couldn't get any wonton wrappers, so made the dough from scratch - it was worth it though, especially since I made enough to pop some leftover gyozas in the freezer for another time.  In fact, I think we'll have those tomorrow :-)

Simple fish cakes using up leftovers

Gosh, where have the last two days gone?  I've been meaning to write a post and then never got round to it as there was too much going on.  We had a lovely anniversary dinner on Friday and I'll write more on those recipes later this week - just to tickle your taste buds: we had gyoza dumplings with a dipping sauce, followed by sesame chicken...yum!

Anyway, it's been a busy few days which has meant that food had to be quick, especially at lunchtime.  And what better way to use some simple ingredients from the larder and some leftovers than to make some fish cakes?   

Crab cakes using leftover mash

We had some leftover mash potato which needed using up and was ideal for these.  For the sweet potato version, I quickly boiled and mashed one large potato - they seem to cook so much faster than "normal" potatoes.  The rest is really easy:  take a tin of crab meat or tuna, mix with the mash and add the spices/seasoning you would like.  I went for spicy cakes, using cumin, turmeric and a bit of chilli as well as some grated ginger and finely chopped spring onions.  Job done!  You can add a little beaten egg to bind everything together but I don't think it's strictly necessary.  Form the cakes and bake in a moderately hot oven on a baking sheet for ca. 25 minutes.  One tin of fish and 200g potato made seven smallish fish cakes.

Tuna sweet potato cakes

The great thing with these is that you can just use what you have - chuck in a bit of leftover sweetcorn, chop up a little bell pepper...whatever you have to hand.  Oh, and you can fry them if you prefer.

Serve with a simple salad or this easy yogurt dipping sauce - plain yogurt, coriander/cilantro and a bit of salt.  Oh, and if you don't like fish, you can make  vegetarian cakes by simply omitting the fish and adding a few more veggies.

Right, off to take the dog out for his morning walk and then I need to prep a cake - we have a very dear friend visiting for a few days and I think that calls for a sweet treat :-)

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.... :-)

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.

Looks good enough to eat...Korean sweet & spicy sauce

When I was a little girl I liked nothing better than sitting on the sofa looking at the pictures in my mum's cookbooks.  I still do it!  I love recipes with photos - it helps me imagine what the dish will taste like if that makes sense. 

Korean sweet & spicy tofu

I often go online and do a recipe search by image - that's exactly what happened a couple of days ago when I needed some inspiration for a tofu dish.  Not being a vegetarian, it's not something I have much experience cooking with and to be honest, I have had tofu that tasted more like a wet sponge than anything else, so I was a bit wary of what I might end up with. 
Well, this recipe for Korean sweet & spicy tofu (continuing yesterday's theme of world foods) was a revelation!  Before you recoil in horror, this would work equally well with chicken, pork or prawns :-)  The tofu was crispy thanks to a coating of cornflour applied before frying, the sauce was sticky, sweet and spicy and I demolished the lot in seconds.  The sauce is probably one of the best I have made - we will have this again soon with chicken and stir-fry vegetables! 

In 80 meals around the world...Vietnamese spring rolls & spicy peanut dipping sauce

I moved to London in the early '90s and over the next few years got to experience so much food from around the world that I had never had before.  My first Indian curry gave me the hiccups as I wasn't used to the spices and heat from the chilli but I loved every hiccup-y mouthful.  My first Thai food almost had me in tears with delight at the delicate fragrant flavours.  Since then I've eaten Japanese, Mexican, Korean, South African, Tanzanian,...the list goes on.  I feel incredibly lucky to have tasted so many delicious cuisines and can't wait to try many more.  My dream trip would be travelling around the world with Mr Happy Larder and eating in every country of the world - I'd die one very happy & full woman :-)

Spring rolls with spicy peanut dipping sauce

I guess where I live "unusual" ingredients have become so much more accessible and whilst I try and watch out for food miles, I also love trying out new things.  The latest is Vietnamese rice paper wrappers.  These thin rice papers are used to make spring rolls and make a fabulous change from having sandwiches for lunch.  You can have them as they are or fried/baked - on this occasion I tried the "original" version.  Simply soak the papers in warm water for a few seconds, then stuff with your favourite filling and roll up tightly. folding over the sides to create a sealed roll.  I had mine filled with fresh salad veggies, cooked brown rice and some salmon. These little buddies went especially well with my homemade spicy peanut dipping sauce - you can find the recipe below.

Mhm, which country will my culinary journey take me to next? 

The quest for a great veggie burger

I've been trying to go running a bit more regularly and have managed 3 outings this week, straight after the dog's morning walk.  I can feel that the exercising is doing me good - the only thing is that I want to eat all the time. ;-)  Guess my metabolism has been jump-started, so not to undo my good work I have been looking for healthy recipes to satisfy my hunger.

One thing that falls into this category and that  I love is a good veggie burger but finding one that doesn't have a mushy, baby food texture is not that easy. 

Well, I think I may have found at least one answer to this: chopped nuts - adding a few of those gives a great crunch and lovely taste to the burger.  Next time I may also add some grated carrot for an even better texture and to include more veggie goodness but these did turn out lovely just as they were. 
 

I am hungry - now! ... Easy miso stir-fry

Miso stir fry

It's been a busy day today, so when it got to 6pm I was absolutely starving and needed food quickly. And luckily I already had this dish in mind - super fast, tasty and healthy: stir-fry vegetables, salmon, rice and miso soup.  The miso broth came from an instant sachet from our local health food shop - all natural ingredients, so I didn't mind using it (anyway, I wouldn't even know where to start making miso soup from scratch).

This was done in minutes (thanks to the cooked brown rice I already had) - you could also easily use quick cook noodles to make this satisfying dish.  I felt really full afterwards (in a good way) and will definitely make this again.  My kind of fast food!

Fragrant food...Malaysian curry

I am discovering a lot of new flavours and foods at the moment.  And the more I eat fresh or freshly prepared meals, the more I crave these.  Putting together different herbs, spices and other ingredients and eating fragrant, flavoursome food at the end of it is just pure joy!  Who would have thought that healthy food can taste so good?

Malaysian curry

I found this Malaysian curry recipe which is bursting with flavour and is really simple to make.  Apart from the lemongrass the ingredients were easily available at my small local supermarket - they did have lemongrass paste which I used instead of the fresh stuff and it worked fine.  Anyway, I hope you will be able to find the ingredients easily because this dish is just so well worth making!

I love how versatile it is - I had the curry with tofu but you can use chicken, prawns, just vegetables...your choice!  And instead of rice, noodles would also be great.  Oh, and why not make double the spice paste and freeze half of it in an ice cube tray for another day?  That way you can serve up a yummy and healthy meal in no time.

Have a lovely, healthy weekend!

PS:  I had lots more sauce than the picture shows :-)

Come rain or shine...Mexican corn soup

We've had rain.  Not a lot but after three weeks of heat, it is very welcome in the garden.  Keith the dog is also a bit happier as he's not been too thrilled with all this warm weather...imagine wearing a fur coat all summer and you know why.

Summer might be a strange time to eat soup but when I found this recipe I figured that if they can eat soup in Mexico, then I'll manage here. And boy, did I manage :-)

This Mexican sweet corn soup is packed full of flavour and piles of vegetables and is creamy but low in fat.  Perfect!  I must admit that when I first saw the list of ingredients I wasn't sure because celery and fennel are not my favourites.  I tried it anyway and I'm glad I did.  The fennel and celery are not overpowering at all - just a hint of it in the background.  And the soup is quick to whiz up - ideal for lunch or a light dinner.

Quick marinated vegetable salad

It's Monday and the start to another sunny week!  I've been busy packing up my bits and pieces in the kitchen again as after a break of 2 weeks our builders will be back tomorrow to finish off the job.  I can't wait to have it all done, even if it means being banished from "my" space for a few days.  I shall use the time to make some progress in the garden.

The forecast is great for the next few days with heaps of sunshine and high temperatures.  It's just the right weather for gardening and also for this marinated veg salad with quinoa I made the other day.  So refreshing and light - just the perfect lunch or side dish for dinner. 

I love how cheerful this looks...and even more how cheerful I looked after eating it :-)

In celebration of simple food, sunshine and health

This is what my lunch looked like today.  It's funny how fresh food never disappoints and makes you feel just so good when you eat it! :-)

This was merely half an avocado mashed with a bit of lemon juice, salt and pepper on top of a seedy roll with a few spinach leaves and tomato slices and yet it tasted absolutely divine.  A few radishes, cucumber slices, a nectarine and bright sunshine rounded it all off.  It made me feel grateful and happy - not bad for a Wednesday lunch :-)