Monday 28 October 2013

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ADZUKI BEAN AND ROCKET SALAD

Long day at work? Don’t fancy cooking? Well instead of reaching for convenient food make this healthy, delicious, low fat “fast food” salad. Prep and cooking time combined take less than 30 mins!

Adzuki beans are high in soluble fibre (essential for healthy bowel movements), and rich in many different vitamins and minerals, including potassium, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin and several other members of the vitamin B family. They’re also a fantastic source of magnesium, zinc, iron, copper and manganese. They are a also high source of protein and low in fat. You can buy dry adzuki beans and soak them over night; however for time purposes I but them in canned in water (available at most large supermarkets).

To review the properties of butternut squash see my previous post The Wonders of Butternut Squash.
For this recipe I leave the skin on the butternut squash, as once it’s roasted the skin goes nice and soft. I also roast the seeds along with the squash and then sprinkle them over the salad.

INGREDIENTS
1 can adzuki beans
~250g butternut squash
~100g rocket leaves
2 tbsp rosemary
1 tsp olive oil

METHOD
  1. Dice the butternut squash into cubes, drizzle over the olive oil and rosemary and mix.
  2. Place in a roasting dish and roast in the oven at 180C for approximately 20 mins.
  3. Whilst the squash is roasting rinse the adzuki beans and mix in a bowl with the rocket.
  4. Once the squash has roasted mix with the beans and rocket.
  5. Serve, srinkle with the roasted seeds and enjoy J

*If you don’t like mixing warm and cold ingredients leave the butternut squash to cool before adding to the other ingredients.
**You could also accompany this salad with some warm wholemeal rustic bread.






*Bon Appetitie* J

Wednesday 23 October 2013

BUTTERNUTSQUASH AND GINGER SOUP

What better way to end a long rainy day with a piping hot, tasty and zingy soup?!

This recipe uses five ingredients: Butternut squash, swede, ginger, rosemary and water. I absolutely love ginger and think its flavour really complements butternut squash, as does rosemary. Other reasons for adding ginger as a frequent ingredient are its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as well as its gastrointestinal effects (alleviating gastrointestinal distress).
To review the great properties of butternut squash and why it should be a frequent part of your diet read my previous post The Wonders of Butternut Squash. When I use butternut squash in soup I usually peel it and use the skin to make ‘crisps’ and serve them as an accompaniment.

INGREDIENTS:
750ml boiling water*
~250g butternut squash
~150g swede**
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp ginger
Rosemary (fresh or dry)
Pepper

* When I make soups for time purposes I don’t always make my own soup stock, so instead of using shop bought ones which are packed with salt I just use water and add extra herbs.
** Swede and courgette are great alternative thickening ingredients to potatoes as they are much lower in calories.

METHOD
  1. Peel the onion, garlic, ginger butternut squash and swede.
  2. Finely chop the garlic, ginger and onions and slice the butternut squash and swede into cubes.
  3. Add the onion, garlic and ginger to a pan with 1tsp of olive oil and 1tsp of water and sweat until the onion starts to become translucent.
  4. Add the butternut squash, swede, rosemary and pepper and stir.
  5. Add the water and leave to simmer for approximately 20mins.
  6. Whilst the soup is simmering coast the butternut squash skin with1/2 tsp of olive oil and rosemary.
  7. Place on a baking tray along with the butternut squash seeds and roast at 180C for approximately 20 mins.
  8. Once cooked, blend the soup into a smooth consistency.
  9. Serve with the seeds sprinkled on top and accompanied by the butternut squash crisps.


Tip: as this recipe uses swede instead of potato you could always accompany it with some fresh wholemeal bread.



*Bon appetite* J

Tuesday 22 October 2013

THE WONDERS OF BUTTERNUT SQUASH




So unfortunately it seems the summer has come to an end and the long summer evenings are turning into wet early winter nights. With the great variety of winter vegetables coming into season why not spend your evenings (after exercising) cooking yummy and healthy soups and stews. One of my favourite winter vegetables is butternut squash.
Butternut squash belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family of field pumpkins and is technically classified as a fruit because it has seeds. It has a sweet nutty flavour and has a dense orange flesh, making it ideal to use in numerous recipes.

Read these ‘butternut squash facts’ which I’m certain will you make you run out and stock up on this wonder winter addition:

  • Low in calories (~45Kcal per 100g)
  • Low in fat
  • Packed with antioxidants
  • Great sure of vitamins (particularly Vitamin A)
  • Source of natural poly-phenolic flavonoid compounds like alpha and beta carotenes, cryptoxanthin-ß, and lutein. These compounds convert to vitamin A inside the body and deliver same the protective functions of vitamin A on the body
  • Rich in B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, and pantothenic acid
  • Great source of iron, zinc, copper, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus
  • Source of in dietary fibre
  • The seeds are a good source of dietary fiber and mono-unsaturated fatty acids that benefit for heart health -supports cardiovascular health
  • Research suggests anti-inflammatory and heart protecting properties and blood sugar regulation
  • Extremely versatile and can be steamed, baked, sautéed, mashed, roasted and used in soups, baking, stews, smoothis, sauces.


Another great aspect is that the whole fruit can be used! The seeds can be eaten either raw or roasted and sprinkled over soups and/ or salads; the skin once cooked becomes really soft and completely edible. If you don’t want to leave the skin on you can remove it, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle in rosemary and have as ‘crisps’.


 After reading all this it’s time to stock up on this winter wonder and get creative! To help you get creative I’ll be posting several butternut squash recipes over the next few weeks.



*Watch this space* :)

Monday 7 October 2013

Jazzed up healthy Tortilla Española (Spanish Omelette)

I love this recipe because it’s nutritious, easy and quick to prepare on limited time and it’s equally as yummy as next day’s lunch.
This dish can serve 2-4 people, depending on how many eggs or potatoes you use (and how big your appetite is!) and you can easily bulk it out with more vegetables of your choice. The recipe below served 2 people plus 2 lunch servings for the next day – you can reheat it in just a couple of minutes or it is equally as yummy cold!
There is no standard Tortilla recipe, there are lots of variations however the most common is probably the one made with eggs, potatoes and onion. When I make tortilla as well as eggs, potatoes and onion I usually add spinach and peppers. Another alteration I make which is different from the traditional recipe is instead of frying the potatoes in olive oil I boil them in water. There are many accompaniments you can use with the tortilla, anything from salad to boiled vegetables. This time I chose a purple cabbage salad.
A traditional tortilla ingredient in Spain is chouriço (chorizo). If you chose to add this only use a small amount as it is high in saturated fat and salt. Chorizo has a strong flavour so you will find you only need a small amount. 

INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
1 medium potato
1 medium onion
1 cup of frozen spinach
1 pepper (I used green)
¼ cup of milk

METHOD
  1. Cut the potato into small thin slices and boil (approximately 10 mins).
  2. Whilst the potatoes are boiling sweat the onion, spinach and pepper in a pan.
  3. Beat the eggs and add a splash of milk; season with pepper.
  4. Mix the potatoes, onion, peppers and spinach into the egg mixture.
  5. Pre-heat a frying pan on the hob (if you have a good non-stick one you may not need any oil; if it isn’t a great non-stick pan wipe on some olive oil to prevent any sticking).
  6. Pour the mixture into the frying pan.
  7. Cook for approximately 7 mins then turn onto the other side for approximately 3 mins.
  8. Whilst the tortilla is cooking cut up the salad ingredients and mix with the dressing.
  9. Serve and enjoy J



Tip: To turn the omelette over place a plate face down on top of the pay and secure with one hand, with the other hand holding the frying pan handle turn over. The omelette should transfer onto the plate. Slide the omelette from the plate back into the frying pan. If you don’t want to do this you can always place the frying pan in the oven or under grill for few minutes.








*Bon Appetite* :)

Tuesday 1 October 2013

PORTUGUESE FISH RICE (ARROZ DE PEIXE)




Portuguese cuisine has many Mediterranean* influences as well as former colonial influences noted in the wide variety of spices used (piri piri, black pepper, cinnamon and saffron), olive oil which is one of the bases of Portuguese cuisine both for cooking and flavouring meals, garlic which is also widely used as are herbs such as coriander and parsley.
Portugal also has a very well-developed fishing industry which is reflected in the abundance of fish and seafood based traditional dishes. Fish is consumed grilled, boiled, poached, fried, deep fried, roasted and stewed. One traditional stewed fish dish is fish rice. This dish combines traditional Mediterranean vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes, fish, wine, olive oil and coriander; the combination of these ingredients results in an amazingly flavoursome (and healthy!) dish. I have adapted my version slightly; instead of frying the onion and garlic in olive oil I use a mixture of oil and water to ‘sweat’ the onion and garlic. Although olive oil** is one of the healthiest fats due to it’s heart protecting benefits it is still a fat and therefore should be consumed in moderation.

* The principal aspects of the Mediterranean diet include a high consumption of olive oil, legumes, vegetables, fruit and unrefined cereals, moderate to high consumption of fish, moderate consumption of dairy products (mostly as cheese and yogurt), moderate wine consumption, and low consumption of meat and meat products. This results in a diet low in saturated fat and high in monosaturated fat and dietary fibre (essential for good intestinal function).

** Olive oil has a high level of monounsaturated fats, which studies suggest may be linked to a reduction in coronary heart disease risk. Studies also suggest that there is evidence that the antioxidants in olive oil may improve cholesterol regulation and LDL (‘bad cholesterol’) reduction and that it has other anti-inflammatory and blood pressure regulating effects.

This fish rice recipe really is delicious. The fish combined with coriander and the sweetness of the peppers is really amazing and whilst you are cooking your kitchen will be full of some amazing smells!

INGREDIENTS
2 white fish fillets (~100g)***
1 Onion
2 cloves of garlic 
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
2 tomatoes
coriander
½ tablespoon of olive oil
2 tbsp of water
2 tablespoons of white wine
80g brown rice (add more rice if you wish to feed more people)
2 ½ cups of water (~500ml)

*** Most traditional recipes use fresh fish fillets. I use frozen and the end result is just as good.

METHOD

  1. Finely chop the garlic, onion, peppers and tomatoes.
  2. Add the olive oil and water to a pan and sweat the onion and garlic.
  3. Add the peppers, tomatoes, coriander and flaked fish fillets over a medium heat.
  4. When the fish starts to whiten, add the white wine and simmer for 2 mins.
  5. Add the rice and stir.
  6. Add the 2 ½ cups of water and simmer (this will depend on what rice you are using and how long it takes to cook).
  7. Serve and add a sprinkle of coriander for decoration.


You can have the fish rice on its own or you could accompany it with boiled broccoli or a tomato salad.




Tip: To make this dish even more flavoursome make your own fish stock and use it instead of plain water (I would avoid using stock cubes as these are extremely high in salt). You could also add some prawns.
If you fancy a stronger tomato flavour you could add a tin of chopped tomatoes (you would then reduce the amount of added water used to cook the rice).

*Bone Appetite* :)