Creamy

Ingredients

1 can (19 oz.) canned chickpeas (drained and washed twice)
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. sesame oil
½ tsp. salt

Directions
1. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and add the chicken stock, olive oil,sesame oil, and salt.
2. Process until smooth.
3. Add chicken stock as needed.
4. Serve cold with toast points, oven-toasted corn chips, or small wedges of flatbread.

Fettuccine with broccoli,garlic,oliveoil and sun dried tomato

Serves 4 as starter. Double quantities for main course.
What you need:
225g/8oz fresh fettuccine
225g/8oz fresh broccoli
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
110g/4oz parmesan cheese
Crushed black pepper
What you do:
Cut broccoli into florets and dice stalk. Blanch in boiling water 3-4 minutes. Drop fresh pasta into boiling water, return to boil and cook for 2-3 minutes until al dente. On a pan sauté chopped garlic, olive oil, pepper and chopped sun-dried tomatoes, for 1 minute. Add broccoli. Drain pasta and add to oil and broccoli. Mix, toss and serve. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Carrot & Coriander Soup

A favourite combination – coriander brings out the carrot flavour in this soup.  Carrots are rich in carotene (vitamin A) and have important antioxidant benefits that help protect against heart disease – so eat plenty!
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
What you need:   

• 8 large carrots, chopped    
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped  Freezing:  yes(10 days approx)
• 10-12 coriander seeds, crushed
• 500ml/12 fl oz vegetable stock   
• 4 sprays frying oil spray
• Freshly chopped parsley for garnish
• A little salt and freshly ground black pepper

What you do:
Heat a heavy saucepan, spray 4 times with oil spray and add the onion and coriander seeds.  Season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover and cook gently for about 3-4 minutes.  Add the vegetable stock, carrots and potatoes, cover and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.  Liquidise and return to the saucepan and heat through.  Serve with freshly chopped parsley.
Noted:  ‘Frying oil sprays’ coat saucepans with a very fine misting of oil, making meals low in fat and calories.
Per Serving
Calories: 142 kcal
Fat: 1g
Saturated Fat: 0.2g
Fibre: 7.8g

Getting back on track with weight loss

This is a group of the coaches I trained with when I was a weight loss challenge coach.  The reason I set up this blog originally was to assist clients in my weight loss class.  However having left that business for over a year now, I am still very health conscious and have found my love of cooking again.  When something becomes a job we often get taken away from the reason we loved it in the first place.  I recently decided to become a vegetarian and a month into the process I know I need to get back into the practice of adapting recipes and making sure I get the 'good' stuff into my food.  Often it can be hidden such as sprinkling in some seeds to a stir fry or using brown pasta if you are using a sauce and it tastes the same anyways.  If we trick our minds for the first while to get back into a healthy habit, soon our body starts craving healthy food as it is what is becomes accustomed to.  It's our job to look after ourselves, no one else will do it for us.

So I am back at stage one rediscovering food and trying to think of cooking as a delight rather than a chore. I think the fact I don't know the healthy section in the supermarket off by heart makes it a challenge.  My lack of time and energy doesn't help but really it's habit.  I made it second nature to myself once so I can do it again.  I'll keep you updated on my progress and add the recipes as I find them out for myself.

Strawberry Yoghurt Mousse with Raspberry Coulis

What you needStrawberry Mousse: 
50 ml/2fl.oz milk
2 egg yolks
25g/1oz castor sugar
3 leaves gelatine (soaked in cold water)
300ml/½pint strawberry yogurt
2 egg whites
Raspberry Coulis:
110g/¼lb raspberries
1teaspoon icing sugar
lemon juice
Garnish:Fresh fruit, sprig of mint
What you do:
Mousse Beat yolks with castor sugar until pale, bring milk to boil and pour into yolk mixture Place mixture on heat and cook until it coats back of spoon. Do not boil. Stir gelatine into hot mixture until dissolved, add yogurt, whisk until smooth, leave to cool. Whip egg whites, when yogurt mixture is cold, fold in stiff egg whites. Pour into small moulds, lightly oiled. Place in fridge until set. Method: Raspberry Coulis Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth and pass through sieve. Presentation Unmould mousse and place in centre of chilled plate, pour coulis around plate and garnish with fresh fruit and mint. Flake Meal Biscuits(Optional) 50g/2oz polyunsaturated or monosaturated spread 50g/2oz plain flour 65g/2½oz oats 50g/2oz castor sugar Method Beat all the ingredients in a mixer until it folds together. Roll out and cut into shapes, bake in oven,210°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7, until golden brown. Serve cold.

Mixed Berry Fool with Natural Yoghurt

Serves 4
What you need:
60g / 2½ oz blueberries, washed
60g / 2½ oz raspberries, washed
60g / 2½ oz strawberries, washed and topped
60g / 2½ oz redberries, washed
500ml / 12floz low fat natural yoghurt
1 lemon, juice A little icing sugar
What you do: Blend blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, redberries and yoghurt in food processor, add juice of lemon and a little icing sugar to taste. Divide mixture between four glasses, and place in fridge for approximately 1 hour or until set. Dust with icing sugar and serve with a selection of berries.

Tom Yaam Goong Soup

Tom Yaam Goong - Traditional Spicy Prawn Soup with Thai Herbs

Serves 4

What you need:
800 ml / 1 ½ pints chicken stock (homemade if possible)
50g / 2oz lemongrass stalks, outer layers removed and thinly sliced 
80g / 3oz piece galangal root, peeled and sliced                                            
75g / 3oz small pink shallots, chopped
6 kaffir lime leaves (fresh or frozen)
4 red bird’s eye chillies, sliced
2 dessertspoons chilli paste in oil
50ml / 2fl oz Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
50ml / 2fl oz freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons caster sugar
20 tiger prawns, raw, peeled and thawed if frozen                                   
175g / 6oz oyster or button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

15g / 1/2oz fresh coriander leaves

What you do:
Put the chicken stock into a large pan and heat until simmering. Add the lemongrass, galangal, shallots, kaffir lime leaves and bird’s eye chillies. Bring back to a simmer and cook for a few minutes to allow all of the flavours to combine.

Add the chilli paste in oil to the chicken stock mixture and then season with the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Add the prawns and mushrooms and cook for a minute or two until the prawns have turned pink and the mushrooms are tender. Ladle into serving bowls and scatter over the coriander leaves to serve.