Category: Recipes

Recipes that have helped me to enjoy my weight loss journey

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Recipes

Blueberry, Black Grape, Almond Oat Crisp

Such a simple little pudding

 

Ingredients:

about 150 g blueberries

about 8 seedless black grapes

10 g oats

5 g almonds

almond, vanilla flavour drops about 4 drops each

1 TB Sukrin Gold

tsp cinnamon

half tsp fennel seeds

Instructions:

Pop fruit in dish and sprinkle with flavours

Blitz the oats, cinnamon, almonds, sweetener in processor

Top the fruit

Sprinkle with few fennel seeds

Bake 180 approx 20 mins

I served with fat free fromage frais flavoured with half packet options white choc powder

 

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Carrot Savoury Egg White Bites

Ingredients:

grated carrot 1 medium or 3-4 small
1 egg white
approx 1/4 tsp of  each – garlic, cumin, pepper and salt, thyme and onion seeds
Instructions:
grate carrot
add all ingredients and whisk well
spray pan and mould with fry light or chosen oil, heat and then
add  the carrot batter, turn heat down
cook on a low heat slowly until set and turn over for another couple of minutes to brown
Could be eaten hot or cold, they hold their form well and you can adapt to make sweet or savoury using grated fruit and other flavours. I love to experiment and this is one I shall try and mix up the flavour combinations – just follow your own taste buds!
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Apricot and Raspberry Crisp

Fruit crisp:
 
Tinned apricots drained add some fresh raspberries
 
Blitz into crumbs 1 Warburtons thin
Mix with it, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 TB Sukrin Gold, 1 tsp oil, tsp of vanilla
 
Top fruit with the crumbs and bake approx 30 mins 180
 
Served with custard 10 g of birds custard powder made with skimmed milk, flavoured with sweetener and cinnamon
 
Sprinkle 5 g almonds over the custard which I did after serving  – really lovely and crispy topping, rather like cheesecake base crumbled, this would bake a great cheesecake base if you baked the crumbs first
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Beef and Black Bean Chilli

Ingredients:

1 tin drained black beans

1 pack 250g lean mince beef

1 onion finely chopped

1 chopped green pepper

1  chopped red pepper

1 beef oxo cube

tsp cumin

2 tsp cocoa powder

2  chopped cloves garlic

1 tsp smoked paprika or more if preferred

2 tsp thyme

1 tsp marjoram

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 TB cider vinegar

 

Directions:

Add onions, garlic and peppers into a pan sprayed with fry light or other oil chosen, cook on low heat until softened and add the spices, herbs, add the chopped tomatoes, cocoa powder

Add the drained black beans

In separate pan brown off the beef with some Lea and Perrins sauce, then add to the remaining ingredients and a few shakes of Tobasco sauce

Simmer on low for approx 30 mins – serve with rice or salad

 

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Butterbean Mash

I just adore butterbean mash!

so simple and very adaptable with any flavour and meal or even to top a pie of choice.

My simple way of making it as below.

Ingredients:

1 tin drained butterbeans

1 chopped white onion or shallots

1 clove garlic chopped

1 large stick of celery

chopped fresh coriander

tsp mustard of choice I used wholegrain

1 veg oxo cube

approx 150 ml water to mix with oxo

 

Directions:

Chop onion, garlic, celery stick, into small pieces, then simmer in pan with little water, add the beans when soft

Add the oxo cube made with the water

Season as wished – I used chilli pepper

Reduce the water down and add the mustard, and fresh corriander

Mash well with fork or masher, add a little fresh chopped coriander to decorate

I served with lemon sole simply cooked in water with a fish spice grinder

 

 

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Samphire, Anchovy and Salmon Bake

Samphire, anchovy salmon bake
 
This was a two portion dinner:
Ingredients:
2 salmon pieces
1 box of samphire
tin drained anchovies about 6
2 cloves of garlic
1 TB lemon juice
blitz  all of the above to make a marinade
 
Place salmon pieces on a bed of spinach, surround with baby tomatoes and courgettes
 
Cover the fish with the marinade
 
Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar and seasoning also a little fry light over the veg, cover in foil and bake approx 35 mins 180
 
 
 
 
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French Mustard and Herb Chicken Bake

French mustard and herb bake

Ingredients:
 
two tsp of French mustard
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp chilli
1 tsp white pepper
1 tb approx cider vinegar
3 chicken breasts
 
good handful of chopped fresh herbs – parsley, thyme, basil
 
1 fresh lemon
 
chopped veg of choice, I chose peppers, mushrooms, courgette
 
Start by adding chopped fresh herbs – parsley, thyme, basil and cider vinegar and mix them together to marinade the chicken.
 
Cut slits in chicken breasts
 
Lay the chicken breasts on top of the chosen veg
 
Cover the chicken with the marinade, I left mine to absorb the flavours for 3 hours over night would be preferable, season with chilli garlic salt
 
Cover in foil and bake approx 40 mins
 
(the one I made for my husband was the same but with more chilli flakes and some tinned tomatoes)
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Chocolate and Coffee Oat Bran Cake

 

This recipe is seen widely on the web and often referred to as a mug cake, my adaptation of the recipe is basically the same but instead of microwaving for 3 mins, I find by baking it in a oven I am able to get a more cake like texture

The flavour drops I have been buying from Asda and the Coffee granules is a brand I buy from Sainsburys made by Littles

Ingredients:

2 TB of oat bran

2 TB of fat free natural greek yogurt

1 small egg

1/2 tsp baking powder and pinch bicarb

tsp Littles vanilla coffee granules

1 TB sweetener or more/less to own taste

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond flavour

10g Green & Blacks coco powder

few fennel seeds for decoration

Whisk and pop batter into silicone baking forms I sprinkled with fennel seeds, bake approx 15 mins at in a pre heated oven at 180 deg

I served with a Caribbean influenced yogurt, a combination of zero fat Greek natural yogurt mixed with rum flavour, vanilla flavour, mashed small banana and pineapple, mashed then sprinkle with 5 g almonds

 

 

 

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Butternut Squash and Banana Bread Pudding

Most of my cooking ideas come from my past, things that I was fond of as a child, I was one of those children who loved school dinners, especially the puddings. As an emotional eater, I still recognise this side of myself and rather than deny that need, I do my best to adapt favourite recipes to fit in with my weight loss approach.
As a child and adult even bread pudding and bread and butter pudding was a strong favourite, I suppose I like a warm tummy full of yummy food that satisfies my sweet tooth
Ingredients:
Cooked butternut squash – baked a small bulb base
2 slices Warburtons large wholemeal slice bread
220 ml skimmed milk
1 egg
1 TB Sweetener or more if you wish
tsp cinnamon
1/4 inch fresh ginger
2 packets butter buds
nutmeg
Instructions:
Bake the left over bulb part of butternut squash until soft, cool and peel and take out seeds, set aside the soft flesh
 
Put the flesh into processor with ginger, cinnamon and 2 packets of butter buds and blitz to a puree
 
Pour the puree into a dish to cool in fridge
 
When cool, spread the puree over two slices of Warburtons wholemeal bread, cut into shapes you desire to fit your dish
 
Layer the coated bread with banana slices in your dish in your desired pattern, I used the banana to help the bread stand up during baking
 
Whisk one egg and approx 200 ml skimmed milk and tb of sweetener and almond flavour
 
Pour  the egg and milk mix over the bread
 
Sprinkle with nutmeg and leave to soak for at least half hour
 
I sprinkled then with a few redcurrents for colour
 
Bake for approx 45 mins 180 deg
 
Truly a hearty, superb, homely treat and so tasty!
 
I served with Birds custard made with 10 g of powder made with skimmed milk