Diet Pasta

I tried a new recipe last night - pasta with a low fat sauce and soooo easy to make. I didn't take any pics of it but will add one next time I make it - I'm sure to do it again soon because it was so easy and tasty!

What you need:

Spaghetti (enough for one person - I used a stick with a hole in it that tells you how much you need - thanks Jamie Oliver!)
2 rashers of smoked back bacon
Half a head of broccoli
100ml reduced fat crème fraiche
1 dessert spoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

To make it:

1. Put the pasta on to boil in some salted water
2. Chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces - about 2cm square
3. Chop the bacon into strips - I cut it lengthways then slice off 1cm wide pieces
4. Fry the bacon in a pan with no oil, just till it looks cooked but not crispy
5. Add the broccoli and fry until it's absorbed all of the bacon fat and moisture out of the pan
6. Add some olive oil to the pan and keep on frying
7. When the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat from the bacon and broccoli, drain the pasta, but dribble about a tablespoon of the cooking water into the bacon and broccoli pan
8. Add the creme fraiche to the bacon and broccoli pan, and stir until it comes together with the water from the pasta
9. Add in the pasta, stir until completely mixed, season with a little salt and pepper
10. You're done!

It comes out really tasty, and doesn't taste "diet" - and comes to less than 600 calories for a really filling meal.

Bread - bingo wing buster & taste sensation!

I made bread! I followed a recipe from Mrs Beeton's "Baking and Cakes" book, and with a minor alteration made a fantastic loaf...

Use your loaf

Ingredients (for a 23 x 13 x 7.5cm loaf tin):

400g strong white flour (about the amount you can fit in a big cereal bowl)

1 tsp salt

12.5g lard

0.5 tablespoon dried yeast

0.25 tsp sugar

250ml luke warm water

flour for kneading

water for glazing (makes a crusty top)

sunflower seeds - I added these to the top

What I did:

1. Sifted the flour and salt into a large glass mixing bowl, then rubbed in the lard.
2. In a jug I measured the luke warm water, stirred in the sugar till it dissolved then sprinkled the dried yeast onto the water and left it in a warm room (utility room!) for 5 minutes until it frothed.
3. Then I mixed the yeast fluid into the flour by making a well in the middle, pouring the fluid in and bringing it together with my hands.
4. I dusted the worktop with flour, then turned the dough out and kneaded it for 8 minutes until it was smooth and really springy - fantastic work out for your arms, just remember to use both or you'll end up lop-sided! 
5. Then put the back into the bowl (it stuck a bit so put some flour up the sides of the bowl), covered it in clingfilm and left it in a warm room for 2 hours.
6. After 2 hours it had at least doubled in size, so I took it out of the bowl and kneaded it for about 5 mins more till it was springy and smooth again.
7. Then it was popped into the loaf tin - no greasing but the tin I've got is really good non-stick, wrapped it in cling film and put it back in the warm room for another 45 minutes.
8. Then I preheated the oven to 210 degrees (it's a fan oven), and while it heated up I brushed water on the top of the loaf and sprinkled a generous helping of sunflower seeds on top.
9. I put the loaf in the oven for 35 minutes - I did turn the temperature down a little to around 160 degrees after 30 minutes because it smelled like it was too warm.
10. Then it got turned out onto a board and left to cool for a while, before slicing and serving with some margarine to accompany a chicken and bacon salad dressed with honey and mustard. Yum!

Breakfast this morning was a few more slices, with coffee and a good read!

I'm trying another loaf today - Honey and Sunflower Seed - I've replaced the sugar with a generous teaspoon of honey (mixed with the warm water as before) and I measured by eye rather than weight. It's sitting in the utility room proving at the moment... we'll see how it turns out later!

Making bread from scratch without a bread machine sounds like it takes ages... but activity-wise it takes next to no time; prep takes 5 minutes and that's only to let the yeast activate, kneading takes in total about 12 minutes, so really under 20 minutes effort is required. With the rest of the time you can go off and do something or nothing, whatever you fancy! And the pay off / effort:result ratio is off the scale! Well worth a go and it means no extra kitchen contraptions to find a home for!

Butternut and Chick Pea Salad

I tried this, or something similar, at work and have recreated it at home today, with a twist. Here's what it is and how to do it:

1 Butternut Squash
1 240g (drained) can Chick Peas
1 120g (drained) can Black Eyed Beans
1 Orange
Half a block of hard feta cheese
Salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Cut the butternut squash into bite sized pieces, toss in the olive oil and salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 30 mins at 180 degrees (fan oven).
2. Tip the roasted squash, and both cans of peas / beans into a big bowl
3. Cut the orange in half and squeeze every last drop of lovely juice out, and add to the squash and bean mixture
4. Toss everything together well
5. Get yourself a couple of big bowls to eat from (this serves 2 hungry people at lunchtime)
6. Chop the feta cheese into centimetre square pieces and sprinkle over the salad

And that's really all there is to it. Yummy and pretty healthy, and it looks like sunshine.