Baked Egg In Toast

A cheese and egg dish which can only be described as ultimate comfort on a plate.  Is a brilliant nutritious breakfast or a luxury delight at brunch!

Prep takes a minute, place in the oven and when the timer goes off your cheese, egg in toast is ready!

INGREDIENTS for 1

Slice of bread
1 medium egg
Grated cheddar cheese
Butter

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200c

With the back of a tablespoon press firmly into the centre of the bread. Making an indent for the egg to sit in

Lightly butter the edges of the bread

Crack an egg into the indent.  Sprinkle the edges with grated cheese

Place in the oven for 15 minutes. You should get a runny egg!

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Grilled Portobello Sandwich

I enjoy stuffing mushrooms with rice, garlic, cheese. However with the Portobello mushroom I wanted it to be the star of the dish.  This healthy and delectable sink in your teeth kind of loaded sandwich has to be my best sandwich creation to date.  The mushroom acts as a meaty substitute and the rest of the flavours are mellow untill you get glorious chunks of crumbly feta that brings a salty and sour taste to your tastebuds!  I could eat this sandwich over and over again!

Come join me, much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

2 Portobello mushroom cups
1 large tomato sliced
1 avocado sliced
Handful of baby spinach
Feta cheese
Chilli & garlic dry mix
Mayonnaise
Toast 4 slices seeded bread
Butter
Salt to taste
Olive oil

METHOD

With a brush lightly oil both sides of the mushroom, having taken out the stalks.  Grill for 7 to 10 minutes until soft and slightly shrivelled

Take out of the the grill and generously season with salt, chilli and garlic powder

Butter the 2 toasts liberally, place the mushroom along with the rest of the ingredients, layer, season and then crumble feta over the top.  and complete with the second piece of toast

(Optional, a peri peri mayonnaise can be made by mixing a peri peri spice mix with a dollop of mayonnaise)

Serve your loaded mushroom toasted sandwich with lots of french fries!

Protein Chapatis

Ok…So these looks like normal chapatis?!  Soft fluffy Indian flatbreads. To a point they are and then I was sneaky and blitzed some cooked QUINOA in my NutriBullet! And blended to a pulse

Add it to the mix of flour a little sunflower and boiling hot water to firm a dough.  Cooked them on a flat griddle and voila protein filled quinoa hidden into our daily bread…

Loving my NutriBullet!!!

Springtime Treat…

Our banana and coconut bread finished so quickly! That this morning I made another batch.  However I wanted,  “actually rephrase”  My four year old wanted a lemon drizzle cake and there was NO WAY! he was going to have lemon drizzle cake for breakfast !!  So yours truly, came up with an alternative in the form of a lemon and banana shiny drizzle bread!

I must admit to myself that this is a really really good tasty and healthy recipe and can definitely be eaten for breakfast by all.  He was satisfied with the lemony tang and I was ecstatic with the banana content, which will see him through his day

The recipe is simply My Banana Coconut Loaf but omitting the desiccated coconut and adding a lemon sugar syrup at the end whilst the bread is still hot

To make the lemon syrup : Melt 3 to 4 tablespoons of icing sugar in the juiceof one fresh lemon on a slow heat.  Once all dissolved,  just pierce the bread with a fork and pour over the syrup,  this way it will absorb into the bread and a yummy combination will emerge.

Enjoy this bread as much as we are friends, have a beautiful weekend, see you soon!  Much love, D x

A Banana & Coconut Loaf

When I see potential ingredients waiting to be used, I don’t hang about! I had to turn a couple of lonely ripened bananas into something more yummy. Then the ideas started flowing and I decided on a banana loaf with coconut. Quick, satisfying and a sweet comfort on this winter morning that looks like spring time but is still holding onto the winter temperatures!

I distributed most of it amongst some friends, I hope they enjoyed it! It’s great that it’s low in fat and the moisture and decadence comes from the lush bananas. Do let me know how you like it. Have a wonderful day, much love D x

INGREDIENTS

150g sugar
2 large ripe bananas mashed
40g desiccated coconut
50g butter
2 eggs
180g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°c, line and grease a loaf tin

Cream together the sugar and butter in a food processor,  then add in the mashed banana.  Combine well into the mixture

Whizz in the eggs then fold in the flour, baking powder and coconut

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the bread

Once done, slice snd serve warm with some creamy butter

Low Calorie Onion Soup

I was checking my pantry for which vegetables I had to make a soup today especially as it’s very chilly here in the UK and everyone seems to have a cold and sore throat.  My husband being one of them, however he is very lucky! because I happened to find two bags of onions sitting there untouched.

All I could picture was a soothing hot onion soup with lingering notes of garlic dancing through the sweetness of the caramelized onions.  I looked up a few recipes and noticed that mostly all used a lot of butter and beef stock.  So I decided to create a vegetarian onion soup and low in calories!  Win, win for me…ultimate flavour and a healthier option!  It’s cooking on the stove right now and I can’t wait to tuck into a big bowl with a little mature cheddar and bread…
Oops less of the cheddar! Forgot…meant to be a low fat meal! 😉

Hope you enjoy my version of a classic soup…much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

3 medium onions sliced
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbsp low fat butter spread
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Sprinkling of sugar
1 litre vegetable stock

METHOD

Heat up the butter and oil in a deep saucepan, sauté the onions until soft on a low heat. Sprinkle with sugar and carry on cooking until caramelized, can take up to 15 minutes

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Add the garlic and cook through for a minute or two pour in the vegetable soup stock with salt to taste and simmer gently for 30 minutes

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Serve with some fresh baguette and cheese of your choice

Quick Pizza For The Kids

This margherita pizza can be cooked from scratch, faster than you can order one to collect! I found it especially handy for my 2 boys who love their typically “only cheese and tomato pizza”. I made this one this evening and we all devoured it with absolute delight.

I didn’t have time to take many pictures as it’s such a messy process with the dough but I found it very therapeutic. Especially kneading and pushing the dough into the tray to form the base. Hope you enjoy it. The olive oil also gives the base a scrumptious crunch. Have a beautiful day friends, much love D x

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

200g plain flour
7g instant yeast
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
125 ml warm water
Olive oil for baking

TOPPING

100g tomato passata
Pinch of dried oregano
Salt to taste
Grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 220°c, grease a large rectangular tray with the olive oil

In a bowl or food mixer, throw in the flour, sugar, salt and yeast together.  Mix well, slowly pour in the water.  Knead until smooth. 

Transfer into the greased tray and using your fingers press the dough into the corners, making a rectangular thin dough base

In a small saucepan heat up the tomato passata with the oregano and salt.  Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes to warm through

Spread the tomato sauce onto the pizza base, top off with cheese and place in the oven, bake for 15-20 minutes or until based is nice and crispy

Recipe from BBC Good Food

Sneaky Mums & Their Recipes!

So it’s official! I am like my mum and we are exactly the same!! Both of us were very cheeky and sneaky today in getting our children to eat goodness as they are unwell. One big child, being me and my little ‘un. My mum made me an extremely spiced ginger tomato soup to help my cold and I made chapati flat bread with broccoli and cauliflower to get vegetables into my youngest!

It worked, the soup was so refreshing and allowed me to breathe again properly after days of being blocked up. Whilst my little one munched away on the green chapati not knowing that he was eating lots and lots of vegetable goodness! Worked out for both parties!….

INGREDIENTS

1 small broccoli in florets
1 small cauliflower in florets
1 clove garlic minced
½ tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp soft cream cheese
2-3 tbsp sunflower oil
200g chapati flour
1 level tsp salt
1 level tsp garam masala
1 heaped tsp cumin & coriander powder
Flour for rolling
Butter for spreading

METHOD

Boil the cauliflower and broccoli until tender.  In a food processor put the boiled florets with everything except for the flour

Whizz into a thick paste, will look a bit like a pesto, gradually add the flour to form a soft dough

Heat a non stick frying pan on a medium heat

Take about a tablespoon and a half of dough, roll into a ball, dust in some flour and gently roll out into a flat round approximately 6 to 7 cm

Place into the frying pan, wait for a minute or so until it bobbles, turn over and cook until both sides have a few brown spots. Make sure the flatbread is cooked all the way round

Serve with a little melted butter

I’m taking some over to Angie’s Fiesta Friday Party!

The Perfect After Gym Soup!

My younger brother came over today to spend time with myself and my 2 little boys. He had already planned in his gym session as the gym is close by. So I took this perfect opportunity to cook up a protein filled soup with plenty of vegetables and lots and lots of vegetable stock, for hydration and quinoa for protein.

The feedback was great, he found that it replenished his strength well and was a quick fix to fill him up but wasn’t too heavy. I found that it relieved my headcold really well. Most likely was the potent healing garlic, that works a treat for me everytime!

Give it a go friends and let me know how you get on…Have a beautiful day, evening…Much love, D x

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INGREDIENTS

1 large courgette grated
1 large carrot peeled and grated
1 clove garlic minced
½ cup quinoa
600 – 700ml vegetable stock
1 tsp dried coriander powder
1 tbsp sunflower oil
½ tbsp butter
2 tbsp cornflour dissolved in half a cup of water
Salt to taste
Chilli flakes to garnish optional

METHOD

Heat up the oil and butter together, gently place in the grated carrot and courgette into the deep saucepan.  Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until soft

Season with the coriander powder and salt.  Pour over the vegetable stock, cornflour solution along with the garlic.  Bring to a boil

Slow the heat down to a gentle simmer and stir in the quinoa.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

Serve up hot with chilli flakes to garnish

Sneak In The Goodness..Vegetable Chapatis

Creating another meal out of left over curry is a god send especially if you have fussy little eaters.  I find that by sneaking vegetable and pulses into these flatbreads I can get the goodness into their diet.  I find it beneficial also as I can grab one on the go and end up getting a balanced meal in one hit!

The curry I have used in this recipe is my Black eyed beans and aubergine curry.  There is no need to add any extra spices or herbs as the curry is tasty enough for the base of the chapati.  Easy, simple and practical, my favourite kind of cooking!

I really hope you enjoy these, have a lovely day! Much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of aubergine & black eyed bean curry
2-3 cups of chapati flour
Hot water to bind
Chapati flour to roll
Salt to taste

METHOD

Blitz the curry in a food processor.  Add the flour gradually to form a soft pliable dough.  Pour in a little water to bring the dough together if needed

Pre heat a non stick frying pan on a medium heat

Meanwhile heat a non stick frying pan on a slow to medium heat. Take a tablespoon amount of dough and form into a ball, flatten and on a clean floured surface roll into a round of approximately 10cm

You will have to flour the chapati as you roll to avoid sticking

To cook, place the chapati into the heated frying pan, once it shows up a few bubbles turn around carefully with a spatula

Wait again for a minute or so and turn over again. When both sides of the chapati is cooked brown spots will appear

Take out of the pan and set aside on a plate. Spread a little butter onto the chapati

Repeat for the rest of the dough