Polenta for Breakfast!

Porridge is not the only warm breakfast to have on a cold winters morning, Polenta is also delicious and is very quick to make.  It's an incredibly comforting dish, that really can be eaten at any time of the day but its warming and filling nature does make it perfect for breakfast!

Polenta is great with lots of different toppings, here I added raisins, cinnamon, flax seeds, chia seeds and a chopped pear. 

If you soak the ingredients overnight, the cooking time will be reduced (lessening the morning rush) and the raisins will be plump and juicy!

'Boost Me Up' Smoothie

Throughout the duration of my A level exam period, I made this smoothie everyday to keep  me energised when dealing with stress and fatigue. I still make it often and especially when I'm feeling ill or in need of a 'boost'.

It really works and is delicious, full of fibre, vitamins, minerals, iron and omega 3.

I usually use whatever is in season and what we have in the house. Right now kale and chard are having their moment, so are appearing in mostly everything that I cook!

Depending on how your feeling you can decide to leave the peel on or off the oranges and lemons, as leaving it all on makes for a rather bitter drink. I usually leave the peel on most of the other fruit if possible as most of the goodness is in the peel.

I also add chia seeds and flax seeds to the mix to enhance the drinks goodness!

Today's ingredients!

Thumb size piece of Ginger

Half a Lemon

1 Orange

5 Kale leaves

5 Chard leaves

1 small Apple

1 Kiwi

2 tbs of Flax seeds

2 tbs of Chia seeds

1 cup of water (more or less depending on what consistency you prefer)

 This makes enough for four glasses, although can be left in the fridge if you have some left over.

'No Worry Curry'

As cheesy as the title sounds this really is a 'No Worry Curry'! Simply heat up your soup/stew and add a couple of tbs of homemade curry powder and a little soy sauce, and hey you have a delicious and easy curry! Serve with rice or naan and a fresh salad. (You can also add some precooked vegetables to the curry to 'bulk it out'.)

Although it may sound strange to use up left over soup or stew, making curry in a Japanese home is not too dissimilar. Usually you would make a soup/stew of vegetables and meat and then add a curry 'stock cube' to the mix. Therefore cooking this way is totally delicious and you won't become part of the population who chucks away left overs!

Roast Ham and Lentil Soup with Stilton and Date Soda Bread

Today we experienced the best of the welsh weather; rain, mist, wind and snow! To counter the cold I made this warming soup, after finding some roast ham (left over from Christmas) in the freezer and surveying the straggle of half used swede, carrots and the last few tiny potatoes (that are always left until the end because no one can be bothered to peel them!) I also added a handful of lentils as I like the creamy texture that the lentils bring which seems to envelop the ham and vegetables and bring the whole soup together. As the wood burner was burning away I cooked it on that and I left the soup to do its thing, while adding more ingredients throughout the different stages of cooking. I also made a super-quick soda bread to go with it to make the meal even more wholesome than it already was!

This soup is border lining into the area of a stew but for me it still classifies as a soup (I'm not sure why, maybe because I started out in the 'soup' mind-set... and for my dad who has been suffering from toothache recently, I removed the ham and blitzed up the rest, and then re-added the ham which resulted in a thick, silky soup which was equally as delicious!

Ingredients

Half a Swede 

2 small Onions

2 Carrots 

6 small Potatoes

handful of Lentils

400 grams of Roast Ham & fat (to fry with)

handful of Peas

5 sprigs of kale 

3 sprigs of chard

handful of land cress

Method

The soup was really easy to make:

1. Chop up all the vegetables and fry them (with fat from the ham) until darkly coloured (for extra flavour), then add the red lentils and top it up with hot water and salt & pepper.

2. When the veg is nearly tender add the chopped ham and garden peas to the pot.

3. At this point make the soda bread (details here). I think dates go so well with the flavour of soda bread and the Stilton complements the sweetness brilliantly.

4. Just before the soup is ready to serve, add the kale and sprinkle a little water cress to add a fresh peppery taste to the dish.

Bulgur Wheat Salad

This is my go to 'Lunch Salad'. It's quick and easy to make and full of flavour. This is a very versatile salad and I usually use what I can find in my fridge and pantry. Here I used Bulgur Wheat but any other type of grain works! I've used rice, quinoa and pearl barley in the past and they were all delicious.

Bulgur Wheat has a mild flavour (similar to rice) and as well as being high in protein and fiber it also has a low calorie count. Having already been precooked before you buy it, it doesn't take long to cook at home.To accompany the Bulgur Wheat I added a grated carrot, finely sliced celery, cucumber and a spring onion. To add a little more flavour I added a few chopped capers and a teaspoon of homemade Tapenade. To finish the salad I squeezed a little lemon juice and a drizzle of Rapeseed oil. 

I also added a few chunks of beetroot and a crumble of Stilton!

Blind Dates (The Chewy Kind)

I cannot overemphasise how brilliant of an ingredient Dates are to use in (processed) sugar free cookery. They are sweet, chewy and sticky in texture and have a wonderful caramel like flavour, making them perfect to use in sweet treats. Although dates do contain a high amount of natural sugar; it does not compare to the negative effects of processed sugar on the body. So to be able to come up with a recipe which is healthy, totally delicious and can be indulged in without feeling too guilty is a triumph!

Yesterday evening I had a chocolate craving, so in the Nigella-Esq way (Que the low lighting and silk dressing gown!), I creeped my way to the kitchen and put a handful of dates, almonds, a few Brazil nuts with a couple of tea spoons of cocoa powder into a blender and blitzed, resulting in a sticky, chocolate, chewy, nutty, brownie like mixture. So leaving the mess behind in the kitchen I took the blitzed up yumminess to the sofa and happily eat out of the bowl, satisfying my sweet tooth!

  

With the remainder of the mixture I rolled it out and sprinkled with desiccated coconut and cocoa powder and left it in the fridge to harden overnight. I also have made them with Pumpkin, Sunflower seeds and peanut butter and they are equally as delicious and slightly cheaper to make.

Ingredients

Nuts e.g. Almonds/Brazil/Pecan/Peanuts...

Dates

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Method

Blitz everything up in a food processor until the consistency of the mixture is achieved and put in a baking tray and leave in the fridge to harden, or if you can't wait that long... go ahead and eat it ASAP!

Dauphinoise Potatoes

I've had enough of roast potato's (I don't think this feeling's going to last for long!) as I feel like I've over indulged on them recently, so when faced with a roast chicken I decided to pair it with Dauphinoise Potatoes and a Slow Cooked Red Cabbage dish. Yum.  

Dauphinoise Potatoes (my adaption on the original) is simple to make; just layer your potato's and add a little onion, garlic,butter, herbs, olive oil and seasoning until you have filled up the dish, then add the cream and milk and top with cheese. Bake in the oven and your left with a golden crusted creamy potato heaven!!