Roasted Curry Vegetable Medley

Whilst driving home from work I developed a craving for roasted veggies. I didn't want plain roasted veggies though, so I thought I'd spice them up a bit. I was very happy with the result as it turned out lovely. This is made in a large oven tray, so has minimal washing up, serves 4, and is perfect served on a bed of mashed potato.

Ingredients:
Cut all these veggies into approximately 2cm chunks:

• ½ large sweet potato, peeled
• 1 zucchini
• 1 red capsicum
• 4 stalks of celery
• 3 carrots, peeled
• ¼ eggplant, peeled

Plus:

• 440g can of chic peas, rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons rock or sea salt (not ground)
• 1 teaspoon back peppercorns (not ground)

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees celsius
2. Drizzle the oven tray with the olive oil and throw all veggies and chic peas into it
3. Sprinkle the spices over the top and toss gently with two wooden spoons
4. Cover the oven tray with foil and cook for 20mins
5. Remove from oven, toss the veggies again and return to the oven for another 20mins or until the veggies are soft enough for your liking
6. Serve with mashed potato...to soak up the yummy spicy juice  XD

Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower Rice is making the rounds on social networking sites like Pinterest. I first heard about it a few months back but wasn't game enough to try it as I'm not a huge cauliflower fan. However I was persuaded so I gave in and made it tonight. Personally I loved it, but Mr 13 doesn't like onion so wasn't a fan. Maybe next time I'll omit the onion :)

It isn't exactly like traditional rice and it won't suit all rice-accompanied dishes, but it is certainly a low-fat, low-carb alternative side dish. The texture is not as fluffy as white rice - it's more grainy like an undercooked brown rice, but there is none of that yucky starchy liquid which rice sometimes leaves behind. Cauliflower rice won't suit dishes with sauces where you want the rice to soak up curry or satay sauces - but it will add volume to your meal without the calories. It's perfect for bulking up dishes without adding carbs. 

Ingredients:

• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 head cauliflower
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt and pepper
• Sprinkle of oregano (you could use any dried herbs of your choice)

Method:

1. Using a cheese grater, grate the cauliflower to a coarse texture (approximately the size of rice grains). Alternatively cut the cauliflower into small to medium sized pieces and use a food processor to blend in small batches. DON'T pulverise it though!
2. Heat the coconut oil in a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat
3. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 3–4 minutes, or until the onion is relatively translucent
4. Add 1 cup of cauliflower rice per person to the pan and stir - this is a generous serve so you may want to try half a cup per person as a teaser if you haven't made it before :)
5. Add the salt, pepper, oregano and stir through
6. Continue to saute for 4–5 minutes 

If you have leftover uncooked cauliflower rice, place it in pres-seal bags and freeze for later. When you're ready to use the frozen cauliflower rice, take the bag out of the freezer a few hours beforehand so it thaws.

This is what the cauliflower rice looks like

blended and uncooked

D-E-L-icious  XD

Sweet Vegetable Curry - Slow Cooked

This curry is hot hot hot, but also sweet so you may want to adjust the amount of cayenne pepper and curry to your liking. This serves 4 generous serves with rice.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 4 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• ½ green capsicum, chopped
• ½ zucchini, chopped
• ½ sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 large red apple, peeled and chopped
• ½ can chick peas, rinsed and drained
• 2 - 2 ½ cup vegetable stock

To add later:

• ½ can light coconut milk
• Salt & pepper

Method:

1. Coat the slow cooker with olive oil
2. Place the onion in the slow cooker along with the spices and mix well so the onion is coated
3. Add the rest of the ingredients (except those marked 'to add later') and stir well
4. Cover and cook for 6 hours on low
5. While it is still hot, stir through the coconut milk, add salt & pepper and mix well to warm through
6. Serve on a bed of rice.  D-E-L-icious  XD

Slow cooked potato & leek soup

This is the first time I've made potato & leek soup and I was surprised how easy it was in the slow cooker. This serves 6 and is lovely served with crusty bread rolls,  Pane di Casa or sour dough.

Ingredients:

• 6 very large potatoes, peeled, washed and cubed
• 2 leeks, washed, halved and chopped - white and green parts are used
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon mixed herbs
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Place all ingredients in the slow cooker, stir and turn on the slow cooker
2. Cook for either 4hours on high or 6hours on low
3. Just before serving, spoon portions into your blender or food processor with some of the liquid and blend, placing each blended portion into a saucepan on low to keep warm
4. Once the entire soup has been blended, serve into bowls, top with salt & pepper and dip the bread in…D-E-L-icious  XD

Lentil & Cauliflower Stew

Miss 17 and I watched a movie called Fork Over Knives. It's a movie about the benefits of eating a plant based diet and eliminating meat. It was very interesting and occasionally shocking. She has now decided she would like to become vegetarian. As she is still growing, her dad and I have agreed that we, as a family, will eat more vegetarian meals in support, but we won't eliminate meat totally. We will, however cut down our meat consumption. At present we eat meat 6 nights a week, so agree that we can cut down to two or three times a week.

Therefore Miss 17 went hunting for some more vegetarian dishes to try. And because I've recently bought a new slow cooker, I insisted that she find some slow cooker vego recipes too. This is the first one we came across.

Ingredients:

• 375 gram packet of dried green lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 400g cauliflower, chopped into small florets
• 2 leeks, white and green parts, halved, washed carefully and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 8 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 2 x 400g tins diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 cups chopped kale

Optional toppings:
Greek yoghurt, crumbled fetta, graten parmesan, low-fat sour cream.

Method:

1. Place all ingredients into the slow cooker, except the vegetable stock and tomatoes
2. In a large jug mix together the stock and tomatoes and pour gently into the slow cooker
3. Toss gently and cook on high for 4hrs or low for 8hrs
4. Serve topped with any of the optional toppings D-E-L-icious XD

Potato, Spinach & Tomato Salad - low FODMAP

Here's another low FODMAP recipe for those who suffer from IBS like myself. This was absolutely beautiful. I served it at a party on the weekend, then finished it off the next day. I must admit - I'm not a huge spinach fan (or Silverbeet as some people call it) but this will now be a regular salad for us - as will buying spinach!

Ingredients:

• 1kg new chat potatoes, halved and unpeeled
• 250g tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 15 black olives, pitted, halved lengthways 
• 100g spinach, washed and stalks removed, torn into large pieces
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Boil the chat potatoes until you can stick a knife in them and they are just soft
2. Place the spinach ontop of the potatoes for only one minute just to wilt
3. Remove potatoes and spinach from the stove, drain the water, and let cool
4. While the potatoes and spinach are cooling, add the lemon juice, olive oil and pepper to a large serving bowl and whisk
5. Add the tomatoes, olives and capers to the serving bowl
6. Once the potatoes and spinach have cooled, gently add them to the serving bowl, being careful not the break the potatoes
7. Stir gently so the dressing coats the potatoes
8. Serve warm or cool...D-E-L-icious  XD

Chicken with rosemary and tomato - low FODMAP

I had grabbed some chicken breast from the freezer this morning, for tonight's dinner, with the intention of making a simple stir fry. However by the time the kids came home and asked what was for dinner - they were disappointed that I was making yet another stir fry!

'Fair enough' I thought. I admit it - I make a lot of stir fries...because they are quick, easy and versatile. But I caved in and began hunting for a chicken recipe which a) I already had the ingredients for; and b) was low FODMAP - suitable for my irritable bowel.

I found a chicken in tomato sauce recipe, which needed adapting for low FODMAP by removing the garlic and onions. Not only is this low FODMAP, it is also low-fat, tasty and easy. This serves 4 and is best served with either pasta, rice, cous cous or mashed potato. Why? Because it has THE BEST SAUCE you've ever tasted!!! We had sauce left over so we grabbed some slices of sour dough and literally plonked the bread into the sauce pan to soak up the juices...then ate it! Yep...it's that kind of sauce.

Ingredients:

• 500g chicken breast
• 1 x 400g can diced tomatoes (no garlic or onion added)
• 1 tablespoon rosemary (I used dried)
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 10-12 black olives, pitted and left whole
• 75ml red wine (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and brown the chicken all over
2. Add half the rosemary, stir to coat, then set the chicken aside on a plate
3. In the same pan add the diced tomato, capers, olives, wine and the rest of the rosemary and bring to the boil
4. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and turn down to simmer for about 20mins, or until the chicken is cooked through
5. Serve with something which will mop up the sauce...pasta, rice, cous cous or mashed potato. I used gluten-free pasta and also added vegetables...D-E-L-icious  XD

Chicken and Noodles - low FODMAP and gluten free

I've been adapting my favourite recipes to accommodate the fact that I now need to follow a low FODMAP diet because of my irritable bowel and lactose intolerance.

One of my favourite meals is chicken with noodles. I've always added chilli, garlic, onion and sauces to this dish, but today I made it totally low FODMAP.

I used Tamari instead of soy sauce. You will find Tamari in the health food section of your local supermarket. The other thing I changed is the stock cubes I use. Massels 7 are suitable for IBS sufferers and are considered low FODMAP because they contain no onion and garlic. Read more about Massels 7 here. This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 packet vermicelli rice noodles
• 200g chicken breast fillet
• 1 shallot (spring onion) but only the green part, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 Massels 7 chicken stock cube with water (as per instructions on packet)
• Splash of Tamari sauce

Method:

1. Cook the vermicelli noodles as per packet instructions. I find just placing them in a large bowl of boiling water with the stock cube cooks them without having to actually cook them on the stove
2. Steam the chicken until cooked through, turning once. Depending on the thickness, between 5 and 10 mins should do
3. Place the cooked noodles on a plate
4. Slice the cooked chicken breast and place on top
5. Garnish with the shallots and chilli and splash with Tamari... D-E-L-icious  XD

Easy meatballs - low FODMAP

I love meatballs. The kids love meatballs. Who doesn't like meatballs? These meatballs are made with low-fat heart-smart lean mince beef and IBS acceptable tomato sauce. This serves 4 with pasta of your choice. You could use gluten-free pasta for celiacs. Or alternatively serve it with rice.

Ingredients:

• 500g lean heart-smart mince beef
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free rice crumbs
• 1 egg
• Tablespoon of sauce or paste of your choice. I find tandoori paste is excellent, but if your tummy can't handle that, a thick sauce of your choice, ie BBQ, thick soy, curry paste, chilli paste, etc
• 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
• 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 capsicum finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon celeriac (turnip) peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup stock of your choice
• 680g tomato cooking base (with no hidden ingredients) * see note below
• 1 tablespoon thyme

Method:

1. In a bowl place the egg and whisk briefly, add the mince, sauce/paste and rice crumbs
2. Mix with your hands really well until everything is mixed together
3. In the palm of your hands roll mince into 2cm diameter meatballs. 500g of mince should yield 40-42 meatballs of this size
4. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the meatballs in batches until browned on both sides. It took me three batches in the pan I was using. It would be faster if you used a large electric frying pan
5. Once you've browned all meatballs on both sides, remove them to a plate
6. To the juices in the pan, add the capsicum, carrot and celeriac (turnip) and the stock
7. Scrape the bottom of the pan so all the bits of browned mince mix with the vegetables and stock
8. Add the thyme and mix well
9. Add the tomato cooking base and mix well
10. Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce, gently pushing them under the surface
11. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer while your pasta or rice is cooking
12. Serve whilst hot either on rice or pasta and your favourite (tummy safe) grated cheese. I used Grana Padano...D-E-L-icious  XD

Note: It's important to check your tomato bases and pasta sauces at the supermarket. Most of them have garlic and onion in them, so if you are following the low FODMAP diet and/or suffer from IBS, you will need to avoid these. This tomato base is the CHEAPEST in Woolworths and is low FODMAP. You can add whatever herbs and spices your tummy can handle while preparing the sauce for your meatballs...or for any bolognaise dish you are making.

Shish Kebabs - low FODMAP alternative

I love making these because they are easy, enjoyable to eat and versatile. You can put pretty much whatever you want on them - as long as they cook on a hot plate! I have one fussy eater so I made some which will suit him, and the others I made for the rest of us.

I made chicken and lamb shish kebabs. The chicken shish kebabs in the top photo have cherry tomatoes and corn spears - they are for my fussy eater! Whilst the lamb ones in the bottom photo have an assortment of red capsicum, green capsicum, onion, corn spears, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.

For IBS and for those following the low FODMAP diet - use zucchini, cherry tomato and capsicum. You could also use harder vegetables too like carrot, green beans, pumpkin and potato, but my suggestion is to pre cook them first so they don't take too long on the hot plate.

Ingredients:

• 500g diced lamb pieces
• 500g chicken breast
• Vegetables of your choice, suitable for sticking a skewer through and grilling on the hotplate
• Marinade of your choice. I marinated the chicken in soy sauce and sesame seeds (Mr fussy's choice) and the lamb in mint sauce alone. Marinate for at least one hour, the longer the better though!

Method:

1. The first thing you MUST do is soak the skewers in a bowl of water for about 30mins so they don't burn on the hotplate
2. Once the meat is marinated and the skewers have been soaked, place the meat and vegetables on the skewers in any order you like
3. Either BBQ them or use an electric frying pan or griddle pan
4. Cook on a medium heat, turning often and mind they don't burn.

Note: it is advisable to cut the pieces of meat and veg around the same size so they do actually touch the hotplate. If they are not touching the hotplate they won't cook!  D-E-L-icious  XD

Baked Chicken with Lemon, Rosemary and Garlic - lowFODMAP

Now I'm following a low FODMAP diet for Irritable Bowel Syndrome - I will blog some meals which are suitable for IBS sufferers. The low FODMAP diet is not a cure for IBS, but if followed - can alleviate the pain associated with an inflamed and irritated bowel. See my blog post about IBS and the low FODMAP diet.

I came up with this meal idea myself, so I wasn't sure about cooking times, temps or how it would actually turn out in the end, but it turned out beautifully so I was super excited. This serves 4 and is lovely served with steamed vegetables and brown rice.

Ingredients:

• 500g chicken breast (bone-in pieces will require less cooking time)
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 and 1/2 lemons - juice half of one and slice the other one
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 190 degrees celsius
2. Cut your chicken breast into largish pieces - about 2cm x 6cm and place into a casserole dish
3. Place peeled, whole garlic cloves into the casserole dish and sprinkle the rosemary over the top
4. Pour over the juice of half a lemon and place the sliced lemon pieces from the other lemon over the top of the chicken
5. Drizzle the olive oil over the top
6. Bake at 190 degrees celsius for about 25 mins, check to see if chicken is cooked though as some pieces may be thicker than others and bone-in pieces may already be done
7. If a little longer is required, cook for a further 10mins and check again
8. Serve with rice or couscous as there will be quite a bit of lemon juice which is flavoured with garlic and rosemary to pour over it...D-E-L-icious  XD

*Note: Even though garlic is not a low FODMAP food, you can cook with garlic as long as you remove it and not eat it. Read more about this here.

BBQ Pork with Pineapple Salsa

This is lovely on a hot summer's day for lunch or dinner. It's refreshing and tangy, easy to make and pretty quick. This serves 4 and is nice with cous cous and snow peas on the side.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups diced pineapple
• 1 lebanese cucumber, diced
• 4 shallots, sliced
• 1 long red chilli, seeds removed and finely diced
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh coriander
• 60ml or quarter of a cup of lime juice
• 4 pork loin cutlets

Method:

1. Combine the pineapple, cucumber, shallots, chilli, coriander and lime juice in a bowl
2. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge until ready to serve
3. Cook the pork on a barbecue grill or char-grill for 4-5mins each side or until cooked
4. Serve pork either whole or sliced thinly with the salsa on top.

D-E-L-icious XD

Granola Bars

Miss 16 made these Granola bars last week. They are amazing. I think it's the peanut butter which makes them special. They are easy and only have 5 ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed dates, pitted 
• 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
• 1/4 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter or almond butter
• 1 cup roasted unsalted almonds, loosely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats

Method:

1. Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain. Or alternatively cut them really fine. It should form a “dough” like consistency
2. Optional step: Toast your oats in a 185 celsius degree oven for 15ish minutes or until slightly golden brown. Otherwise, leave them raw
3. Place oats, almonds and dates in a bowl – set aside
4. Warm honey and peanut butter in the microwave for 45-60 seconds - watch it doesn't get too runny - and stir it half way
5. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout
6. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer into a square cake pan lined with baking paper so they lift out easily
7. Press down until uniformly flattened and let set in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden.
8. Remove bars from pan and chop into 10 even bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. D-E-L-icious  XD

Chicken Fattoush

This recipe is similar to a Weight Watchers one, but I've adapted it to suit our needs. It is extremely healthy, easy to make, quick and delicious. It is so nice, we had it twice in the same week.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole BBQ chicken, pulled apart and flesh pieces broken and placed into a large bowl
• 4 pieces wholemeal pita bread - I used tortilla wraps
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, thickly sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

Method:

1. Toast or grill the pita bread/tortilla wraps until lightly browned and let cool
2. Add the salad vegetables to the bowl with the chicken
3. In a separate bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil and garlic then pour over the chicken and salad and toss well
4. Top the chicken and salad with broken pieces of the pita bread/tortilla wraps.
5. Serve immediately.  D-D-L-icious  XD

Chicken Schnitzel - Gluten Free and Low-Fat

I love a chicken schnitzel, but believe it or not, I've never made it...until now. Unfortunately my tummy doesn't handle stuffing or crumbing well, so I didn't use regular breadcrumbs. I found Orgran Rice Crumbs in the health food section of my supermarket. They are gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, egg free, yeast free, soy free, nut free and vegan. The Rice Crumbs can be substituted for stuffing and crumbing among other uses.

The other thing I did differently is I baked the schnitzels in the oven as I don't like frying in oil. The rice crumbs don't get that lovely golden colour that traditional schnitzels have, but you can rest assure that they taste amazing and are extremely healthy. Why bind yourself up with breadcrumbs and oil when there is a much healthier alternative? This recipe serves 4 and is lovely served with wedges and salad.

Ingredients:

• 500g chicken breast, fat removed, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• Dash of skim milk
• 3/4 cup Orgran Rice Crumbs
• Spices of your choice
• 3 large, shallow plastic containers

Method:

1. Beat the chicken breast until flat and even throughout
2. In container one add the flour
3. In container two add the beaten egg and dash of milk
4. In container three add the rice crumbs and spices of your choice
5. One at a time, add the chicken to the flour (both sides), then the egg/milk wash (both sides) and finally the rice crumbs (both sides)
6. Place them on a large plate, wrap the plate with gladwrap and place in fridge for at least 20mins
7. Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees celsius
8. Place the schnitzels on baking paper in an oven tray
9. Spray both sides with spray oil
10. Cook for 10-12mins each side depending on the thickness of the chicken
11. Serve with seasoned wedges and salad.  D-E-L-icious  XD

Moroccan Lamb & Couscous Salad - Julie Goodwin

Please excuse the crappy photo, my Samsung phone camera used to be fantastic, 

but since the Jellybean update it is now rubbish.

Shame on you, Android! My next phone will be an iPhone!

I haven't cooked lamb backstraps before so buying them from my butcher was a new experience for me. I'm not sure if this is universal with all butchers, buy mine told me when you buy backstraps you get the 'backstrap' and a piece of 'fillet'. I didn't know what to expect, in fact I had never seen a backstrap before so when my butcher showed me the 'fillet' I laughed. The fillet was about 10cm long and 2cm wide. My first thought was 'what am I supposed to do with that?' So I served it up along with the backstrap XD

The backstraps are not cheap, in fact it was the most expensive piece of meat I had bought before - $29.99 per kilo but this meal only requires 400g. I can see why backstraps are expensive though - they are the most succulent cut of meat from the lamb. It is the trimmed part of the middle of lamb's loin and is free from any bone, gristle and fat so it is extremely lean.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup currants
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 oranges, zest finely grated, flesh reserved
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 400g lamb backstraps

Method:

1. Place currants in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 5-10mins, until plump. I left them for about 30mins
2. Bring the stock to the boil in a pan over a high heat. Remove from heat and add couscous. Stir, then cover and leave for 5 minutes. The liquid will absorb into the couscous. Add the butter and fluff with a fork. Cover again
3. Heat half the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and orange zest and cook for a further minute. Stir through the brown sugar
4. Add the onion mixture to the couscous. Roughly chop the flesh of the oranges (discarding the membrane and pith) and stir through the couscous along with the drained currants and the orange juice. Season to taste with salt & pepper if required
5. Wipe out the frying pan and heat the remaining oil over a high heat. Combine the spices and salt in a large pres-seal bag and place the lamb inside. Seal and shake the bag to coat the lamb. Brown the lamb in the frying pan then cook for a further few minutes, until done to your liking. This will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets. When the lamb has about the same resistance to it as a palm of your hand, it's about medium. Let the lamb rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving over the top of the couscous. D-E-L-icious XD

Banana and Walnut Cake - fast, easy and healthy

This cake was made by accident when I forgot to add eggs. So if you're out of eggs...no worries! If you're out of oil...no worries! If you're out of butter...no worries! And if you're out of milk...still no worries. This cake takes all traditional cake ingredients of butter, oil, milk and eggs and throws them out the window. Buy yourself some low-fat natural Greek yoghurt - it is versatile and is an excellent substitute for cake mixes. This cake is low-fat, simple to make and moist as!

Ingredients:

• 2 small or 1 large very ripe banana, mashed
• 4 tablespoons low-fat natural Greek yoghurt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 and 1/2 cups self raising flour
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius
2. Throw all ingredients into a medium sized bowl and mix with a wooden spoon
3. Pour into a cake pan or loaf tin
4. Cook for 30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean

Could it be any easier? No way!  D-E-L-icious  XD

Halloumi with lentil salad

My apologies for not blogging in so long...have been busy with my business and my job. So the other day, out of the blue, hubby brings home some halloumi cheese and a recipe and hints he would like to try it...meaning he would like me to cook it :)

Anyway I looked at the recipe which was so simple and thought: why not? This is salty, sweet and tasty. It's light and healthy, simple, fast and vegetarian.

Ingredients:

• 2 x 400g tins lentils, drained and rinsed
• 1 small red onion, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, quartered and sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, shredded
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 250g halloumi cheese, sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil for frying

Method:

1. Combine lentils, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, mint, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl and toss to combine
2. In a hot non-stick frying pan (I used a griddle) cook halloumi in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 1 minute each side or until golden
3. Drain halloumi on paper towel then place atop the salad...D-E-L-icious  XD

Cottage cheese, tomato & rocket on sour-dough

I remember eating cottage cheese out of the tub as a kid. Nowadays it's available in low-fat so that's what I buy. It's hard not to eat the whole thing in one sitting so I have to be careful ;)

I don't like, nor can I afford, gluten-free bread so I find the next best thing is sour dough bread. Sour dough is NOT safe for all Coeliacs, BUT it is safer for many people and I know from experience that it is definitely better for my tummy. This article has information about research conducted on sour dough bread. It's quite an interesting read and it makes sense as to why I can eat it without any tummy problems. This serves one for lunch.

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces sour dough or gluten free bread
• 2 tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 tomato, sliced
• Rocket
• Salt & pepper

Method:
Layer the cottage cheese, tomato and rocket on the bread and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Yes, it's that easy! And it's bloody D-E-L-icious  XD

Note: Research has shown that the lacto-bacilli present in sour dough cultures effectively neutralize the toxic components of the wheat gluten molecule responsible for the allergic reaction in celiac-sprue sufferers. So I would say give it a try - it is a whole lot cheaper than buying gluten-free bread.

Gluten-free low-fat rissoles

These rissoles are easy to make and are very healthy. With no breadcrumbs and only fresh ingredients, you can be sure of no tummy upsets from store-bought rissoles. This serves 4 with salad on the side.

Ingredients:

• 500g lean mince beef
• 1 small carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
• Spray oil
• Salt & pepper

Method:

1. Spray a large frying pan with spray oil
2. In a large bowl whisk the egg, add the carrot, sauce, salt & pepper
3. Add the mince and mix well - use your hands for best results
4. Using a spoon and your hands, make balls with the mince mixture and place in the frying pan, slightly squashing them down
5. Cook on a medium heat for about 5mins each side
6. Once they are no longer pink in the centre, they are ready
7. Serve with salad or vegetables

D-E-L-icious  XD