Quick Tangy Masala Chips

I crave carbs like all the time and the one thing on a hot day that would hit the spot are these chips!! Not too unhealthy as they chips were baked and the sauce cooked with very little oil How …

A Spicy Chipotle Tomato Sauce

The perfect sauce for your gnocchi. Smoked Chipotle chilli flakes with fleshy tomatoes crushed with garlic salt and pepper and a little bit of rape seed oil. Which in turn gives you a wonderful aromatic spicy and yet tantalizing sauce for any pasta dish!
All you do is blitz all the ingredients and gently cook through to fuse all the flavours.

INGREDIENTS 

1 tin crushed/whole tomatoes

1 medium white onion

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp rapeseed oil 

2 pinches chipotle dried flakes

1 tsp garlic salt

Ground black pepper to taste

Dried Oregano to taste 

Salt to taste 

METHOD 

Blend the tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves together

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle in the chipotle flakes, pepper, dried oregano  and garlic salt as the oil heats up

Keeping on a slow heat, pour the tomato blended mix. Season with salt, stir and cover the saucepan

Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally 

Serve with gnocci or your favourite pasta

Enjoy!

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Fruit, Grow, Cook And Preserve Your Own

I was very happy to receive the new book FRUIT by Rosemary Sassoon.  A very kind gesture and a pleasure to read. Thank you!
The book is such a practical guide on how to grow, cook and preserve your own fruit.  This topic particularly interested me as we have planted an apple tree very recently alongside a beautiful lush raspberry bush, which actually yielded some berries late last year.

Our apple tree, blossoming for the very first time.

It is such a wonderful moment when you are able to pick fruit from your very own garden.  Simply eat it or use it in numerous cooking dishes.  As Rosemary so nicely puts it, “We cannot grow everything we eat, our climate amongst other things are against us….We cannot claim to be totally self-sufficient, but we can do our best.”

Raspberries getting ready!….

The book goes through all the fruits that can be grown in an English garden in order as it comes into season.   Small compact advice easy to read and lots of thorough ideas on how to grow and preserve the fruit that we have so carefully nurtured.  Some gardening books are very much written in a very instructive style but this one is up to you on how to follow and it’s really from the heart.  You can see how Rosemary has devoted all her life to her garden and fruit.

If you are of the older generation, you may be used to your parents or grandparents growing their own veg and fruit in allotments or their own gardens.  Now everything has become so convenient and we can purchase anything we desire from the local supermarket or shops. However,  I think it’s time to go back to our roots and literally plant some fruit! There is nothing quite like fresh fruit that blossoms, grows and ripens in front of your very own eyes.  The taste in comparison to what is sold is incomparable.

Thank you Rosemary Sassoon for igniting my passion for growing fruit all over again!  What shall I plant next?….

Baby Sweetcorn Soup

I have a wonderful soup maker gifted from Tefal but I fail to use it regularly.  I love clear soups with chunky vegetables happily floating away in a tasty seasoned broth.

I feel SO satisfied after having a bowl or two and am now absolutely adamant to make more soup for myself!  This is a very simple recipe I put together today.  I used my soup maker machine but it can be cooked all in a saucepan as a one pot soup dish.

I hope you enjoy this spring time soup.  Here’s to more soups being made!

INGREDIENTS

8-10 baby sweetcorn chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 celery sticks sliced
1 litre water
2 cubes vegetable stock
2 handfuls of small pasta shells
Salt to season
Garlic and chilli granules optional

METHOD

Place all the ingredients into a soup maker or in a saucepan on a medium heat to simmer.  Cook through until soft. 

Serve with a little grated cheddar on top and some fresh bread

Kiwi & Celery Smoothie

A refreshing smoothie with sweet, sour and earthy notes.  An interesting combination of banana, kiwi and celery.
Replenishing energy, natural sugars and salts.

Definitely a favourite of mine now!

INGREDIENTS

1 banana
1 kiwi skinned
1 stick celery
80ml water

METHOD

Blitz all ingredients and serve in a pretty wine glass!  Simple!

Cauliflower Crumb

A different way to eat cauliflower.  Either on its own or used as a crumb.  I quite like it as it is. 

This crumb couldn’t be simpler!  Something to snack on and it’s actually good for you!!!

INGREDIENTS

1 small raw cauliflower grated finely
A little broccoli is desired
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Salt to taste

Extras to spice the mix up a bit

Smoked paprika
Garam masala
Roasted pumpkin & sunflower seeds

METHOD

Combine all ingredients. If using the plain lemon version this can definitely be used as a crumb to coat ingredients instead of breadcrumbs

The Carrot, An Orange Delight

The carrot…not one of my vegetables of choice but now is, as both my boys love them as does our pet house rabbit Alfie!

I’m just about getting myself to eating them raw, like them in a fruit & veg juice mix and now I have made them a little tangy to add them as a side dish to any Indian meal

INGREDIENTS

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
½ tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp black mustard seeds
Salt to taste
Fresh lime juice to taste

METHOD

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and mustard seeds. As soon as the seeds start to pop, gently add in the carrots

Sprinkle with the cumin powder, mix well so that all the carrots are coated. Cover and reduce the heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes til slightly soft

Season with salt and fresh lime juice, cover and cook until the carrot is a little more tender.

Serve with your favourite Indian meal

A Beetroot, Feta & Quinoa Salad

I have a tremendously healthy salad recipe for today. One that we had last night and has left me vitalised! Low fat, high in protein and fibre and so very tasty. I felt so good eating it and I still have some left over for lunch.

Perfect for a summer’s evening with a cheeky glass of crisp white wine if you want 😉 I’ll be experimenting and creating more salads this season. Can’t wait to share them with you all.

I will be serving some @ Angie’s Fiesta Friday Party

Have a terrific day! Much love D x

INGREDIENTS

1 cup quinoa
1 raw peeled and grated beetroot
3 spring onions finely sliced
1 big tomato roughly chopped
1 tin roseca/borlotti beans rinsed & drained
Feta cheese crumbled (low fat)
Handful of sunflower seeds
1tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 tsp garlic granules
Salt to taste

METHOD

Put the quinoa to in a small saucepan and cook upon instruction. I tend to cook it like pasta. Bring the water to a boil and then simmer for 15 to 18 minutes. Drain and set aside

In a large bowl add the rest of the ingredients in order according to the pictures. Leaving the beetroot til the end..ish. This way you cab minimize the addition of the deep pink colour to the salad

Crumble in the feta last and fold in

Serve alone or with some buttered whole grain pitta bread

I will be serving some @

Some Birthday Cake?

I’ve been wanting to make Lamingtons, for quite some time now but when my son said he wanted a chocolate cake with coconut for MY BIRTHDAY…then that worked for me!  I’m just really happy we like the same sweet things lol!

A massive chunky, glossy ganache covered chocolate fudge cake topped off with naturally crunchy sweet coconut! Ummmm loved it! We all did!

I had to share some cake with you all…I hope you enjoy it, as much as we did!  Have a beautiful day friends! See you soon! Much love, D x

Click on the blue link below for the recipe…

My favourite chocolate fudge cake recipe…just top with extra coconut!

Assemble This Aubergine For One

This is simply an assemble recipe. Have the ingredients ready. Roast, spoon and sprinkle and ta..da! A lovely aubergine which is light and scrumptious with a healthy filling!

Sorry for the picture quality. I couldn’t wait to eat it!! Lol 😉

INGREDIENTS

1 medium aubergine
4 tbsp crushed tomato
1 tbsp oil
1 packet cooked vegetable rice (microwavable)
Grated cheddar cheese

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180c. Place the aubergine in a roasting tray. Oil the aubergine lightly with a brush and score a few times

Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until the aubergine is soft and tender

Once roasted, carefully slice the aubergine in half.  Spread the crushed tomato passata evenly on both halves

Spoon on the rice again evenly and sprinkle with a generous amount of grated cheese

Place the aubergine in the oven and cook until cheese is nice and gooey