Of course, I agreed to give it a try!

After ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the fancy packaging, I decided I’d make some Granola Muffins.

I found a Nigella recipe at NY Times online (originally published with AT MY TABLE; The Ritual of Breakfast, Without the Stress), but I’ve made so many adjustments, I’ll post my own version of it now.

The Nigella recipe was in “cups”, and I used a standard tea mug. I couldn’t find any buttermilk, but read online that a tbsp of lemon juice left in my cup of milk for 20mins would do the trick!

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients (Made 12 muffins)

• 1 x cup self-raising flower
• 1 x cup milk (with 1 x tbsp. lemon stirred in and left for 20 mins)
• 1 x cup light brown sugar
• 1 x tsp salt
• 1/3 x cup vegetable oil
• 2 x cups Lizi’s Granola
• 1 x large egg

I preheated the oven to 180 degrees and lined my muffin tin with paper cases.

Into a large bowl, I whisked together the milk, sugar, egg and oil.

I combined the flour, salt and baking soda, then added to the bowl of egg/milk mixture, stirring it all gently until just combined and no more. Then I added the granola.

Another gentle stir, incorporating all the ingredients, and it was ready to go into the cases. Don’t overfill… they will rise.

I baked these babies for 25 minutes, until they were nicely golden. I made sure they were ready by popping a skewer in the thickest part and making sure it all came out clean & batter free.

You could wait until they cool before eating… or suffer burny fingers like us!

I very much enjoyed having one with my tea at the office the next day, and they went down a treat with all who tried them…

My colleague, Selina, especially enjoyed the granola over her fruit and yoghurt.

These muffins are sweet and dense, and the seeds through the granola give it a perfect crunchy balance.

Plus, you don’t feel half as guilty than if it was a triple chocolate chip chunky thing. Our consciences are clear…

Give them a try and see what you think!

Enjoy x

The whole “cheeseboard” thing has never appealed to me. It’s downright sacrilege to put it anywhere near a dessert menu, if you ask me. Perhaps if they’d put it on the “Starters” menu, we’d be having a different conversation right now. Don’t ever make me choose between you and chocolate fudge cake. You’ll lose.

So, when I was given a block of blue cheese from a post-festive glut, I have to say I was a tad feart. Blue cheese? That… veiny stuff? In an admission that will appall many a foodie, my cheesy repertoire extends to goats cheese, mozzarella balls and a nice, mature cheddar. You could smother any of those over any dish and it would be wonderful.

Could the same be said for this St. Agur blue cheese? I decided to incorporate it into a lasagne and find out.

I padded the mince out with some red peppers and chopped tomatoes; I thought it would be a nice contrast to the tangy blue cheese. Since I don’t drink, I just bought a teeny bottle of wine for around £1.50. Some people are particular about the type of wine they cook with. I’m not. When you add red wine to a dish like lasagne, you’ll undoubtedly improve the flavour of the dish, but you’re not going to detect the “accent of black cherry” or “pungent aroma of vanilla”.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients (Serves 6-8, dependant on greed)

• 500g beef mince (I used lean steak)
• 2 x onions, diced
• 5 x cloves garlic, minced
• 1 x Oxo cube
• 500ml passata
• 3 x tomatoes, diced
• 2 x red peppers, diced
• 1 large glass (175ml) red wine
• 2 x tbsp Italian style seasoning
• 2 x tbsp tomato puree
• 12 lasagne sheets
• 100g grated mozzarella cheese
• Grated Parmesan (Optional. I used dehydrated Fallini Formaggi)
• 70g butter
• 70g flour
• 450ml milk
• 90g blue cheese (I used St. Agur)
• Salt & Black pepper (to taste)

First, I browned the mince then drained the fat (even lean steak has excess fat). I added the onions & garlic, then crumbled over an Oxo cube.

Once the onions were translucent (around 5-10 mins), I stirred in the passatta, red wine, Italian style seasoning, salt & pepper and tomato puree.

Next went in the chopped tomatoes and red peppers. I let it all simmer for around 30 mins, stirring frequently.

Then it was time to make the white sauce. I melted the butter and added the flour, stirring quickly to make a roux. In went the milk, then I whisked furiously till smooth. After a few minutes, you’ll feel the mixture start to thicken and expand into a perfect sauce consistency. I crumbled in 90g of the blue cheese and added a generous dash of pepper, then poured into a measuring jug for easy assembly of the lasagne.

My lasagne comprised of two layers, in this order: Mince, lasagne sheets, white sauce, grated Mozzarella, Parmesan and black pepper. Repeat.

I baked in the oven at 180 degrees for 45 mins, covering with foil for the first 30 mins.

I served up with a nice side salad and plenty of garlic bread. Divine. Just divine.

I’d thoroughly recommend this. The cheese wasn’t too overpowering at all. This is lasagne on steroids. It tastes even better the next day and freezes extremely well (should it make it to the freezer… good luck with that one!)

Give it a try!

Enjoy x

That’s what I get for not making my own. Shame on me.

I love carrots. I love coriander. Something had to be done here… it was time to have a go myself.

This recipe actually came about by accident. I thought I had two veggie stock cubes, but one of them turned out to be beef! I popped it in anyway… it tasted so good I won’t be making any changes to the recipe. I love it when that happens!

You can, however, omit the beef cube and have two veg cubes, to make it Vegetarian.

This one’s nice and simple. Here’s what I did:

Ingredients (Serves 6-8)

(Easily Doubled/Quadrupled/Centupled if you must!)

• 1kg carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 x onions, roughly chopped
• 2 x cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 x tbsp ground coriander
• 1 x tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 veg stock cube
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1.5 litres boiled water
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 x tbsp fresh coriander, chopped finely

I sautéed the onions for 5 mins in a little oil (you can use some of the stock if you’d prefer to make it Zero Pro Points), before adding the garlic, carrots, ground coriander and paprika.

After stirring for a few minutes, mixing it all together, I added my stock and brought to the boil.

I simmered for 30 mins, until the carrots were soft, then used my hand blender to whizz it into submission.

I stirred in the juice of half a lemon & fresh coriander, and served with crusty, buttery bread.

Good grief, it’s delicious. Perfect for days like today, when the snow is falling and you just want to curl up with a blanket, a good book and plenty of hearty food.

If you have a big enough pot to make double… do it. It freezes exceptionally well: ideal for work lunches (microwave permitting). It’s also very diet-friendly, if you’re into that kind of thing. I’ve been reliably informed that this recipe is Zero Weight Watchers Pro Points. Hard to imagine, as it’s so filling!

Have a wee go and let me know what you think.

Enjoy x

Tweet

Having gone through a recent Peanut Butter *on everything* phase, I salivated when I spotted this recipe (from the Nigella Express cookbook) for Sesame Peanut Noodles.

A perfect accompaniment for my meat dish…

As you may already know, I love my marinades (Tuscan Lemon Chicken or Honey Soy Salmon, anyone?). I fancied trying a nice Chinese style pork marinade this time. Pork is underrated, I think. And so much cheaper than chicken or beef!

I found a cracker on the Allrecipes.co.uk website, but have adapted it ever so slightly to suit myself.

I’d encourage any keen novice cook to deviate from a recipe; it’s good to experiment!

So, I did my marinade first. You can make this the night before, if you’re super organised:

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 500g pork loin steak (you can use pork chops if you’d prefer)
• 100ml light soy sauce
• 2 x tbsp Worcester sauce
• 6 x garlic cloves, put through the crusher
• 1 x tbsp sesame oil
• 1 x tbsp whole black peppercorns
• juice of one whole lemon

First, I mixed everything together in my dish, minus the pork. It smelled terrific.

I then thoroughly coated my meat in the marinade. Get it all nice and rubbed in. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour (preferably overnight).

When it was time to cook, I removed the cling film and put the dish into a preheated oven at 190 degrees for 40 mins.

With around 20 minutes left to go, I set about making these gorgeous noodles to go with it:

Ingredients (Serves 4):

For the dressing:

• 2 x tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 x tbsp light soy sauce
• 3 x tbsp sweet chilli sauce (ok… it was more like three BIG squirts)
• 100g wholenut peanut butter
• juice of half a lime

For the noodle salad:

• 120g pack of mangetout & babycorn
• 100g beansprouts
• 1 red pepper (deseeded and diced)
• 2 x spring onions (finely sliced)
• 4 x medium egg noodle nests
• handful of fresh, chopped coriander
• sesame seeds (as many as you’d wish to sprinkle at the end)

First, I soaked my egg noodles in boiled water for four minutes, before dunking into a bowl of iced water (if you have “ready to eat noodles”, you can skip this part), and set aside.

I made my peanut dressing, mixing the toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and peanut butter together, then squeezing in the lime juice. It doesn’t look pretty, but all good things…

… come to those who wait.

(Still not pretty, eh? It tastes good, I promise.)

I stir fried, in a little sesame oil, my mangetout, babycorn, red pepper and spring onions, for a couple of minutes.

In went the beansprouts and noodles for a further three minutes.

I drizzled over my peanut dressing, making sure to coat everything nicely. Get right in aboot it!

Time to get the pork out of the oven! Get everything plated up, before sprinkling over your sesame seeds and some lovely, fresh, chopped coriander. Mmmm…. voila!

Enjoy x

Tweet

All I really needed was the lovely Janet & David to show me the ropes in person. I only wish they lived closer to me (OK, if we’re wishing here… I wish I lived closer to them, all the way in Oz!), so they could teach me everything they know about cooking.

I only hope my step-by-step photographs do the tutorial justice, and can convince a shy cook to give it a go. I promise, you’ll love the end result.

This is Part 2 of my Indian Feast. For the Chicken Cafrael Recipe from Part 1, click here.

Here is the delicious Chicken Curry (Murgh Masala), adapted from Keith Floyd’s: Floyd’s India cookbook.

 Ingredients (Serves 4)

• Vegetable oil
• 2 red onions, finely sliced
• 5 red tomatoes, chopped
• 600g boneless chicken, cut into morsels (we used chicken thigh fillet, skinless)
• Salt
• 1 x tsp brown sugar
• Small handful of chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 green chillies, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2.5cm piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp chilli powder

First, David sauteed the onions in oil until they began to brown.

He then added the tomatoes, followed by half the garlic, ginger and chillies.

Next, he stirred in the ground turmeric and chilli powder…

… then left to cook gently until it all turned into a lovely gravy-like consistency.

Next, he stirred in the chicken and the remaining half of the chillies, garlic and ginger, then cooked until all the liquid absorbed and the mixture became a bit dry.

At this point, he seasoned to taste, added the brown sugar, then covered the chicken with water. He brought it to the boil then simmered gently until the chicken was cooked through.

And that’s all there is to it! Sprinkle some fresh, chopped coriander leaves over the top (I’m loving coriander at the moment), and a generous sprinkling of garam masala and you’re good to go.

Why not try this the next time you’re having people over for dinner?

Warning: You may never order Indian Takeaway again after this. I apologise to all local establishments.

Happy Diwali

Enjoy! x

Tweet

When the lovely Janet & David welcomed us into their home earlier this year, they taught me how to make two gorgeous Indian dishes: Chicken Cafrael and THE most amazing Chicken Curry (Murgh Masala). They kindly let me take photos of each of the steps for the blog.

I’ll tell you what… I’m printing out both blog posts as soon as they’re published, and adding them to my “To Keep Forever” recipe binder! I suggest you do the same.

Both recipes are from the drool-inducing book: Floyd’s India.

Today’s post is for the Chicken Cafrael:

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 4 free range chicken breasts (or two ridiculously large ones like in the photo above!)
• 2.5cm piece root ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• a handful of coriander, chopped
• 1 x tsp coriander seeds
• 1 x tsp black peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 4 cardamom pods
• 1 small piece of cinnamon stick
• 4 fresh green chillies
• a dash of white vinegar

First, Janet ground up the peppercorns, coriander seeds, cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick.

She added the green chillies, garlic, ginger and white wine vinegar together and blitzed.

 She combined the two to make the Cafrael marinade.

Making several slits through the chicken breast with a sharp knife, Janet stuffed the mixture into the gaps and covered the chicken with the marinade. She left it to absorb the lovely flavours for about an hour.

Janet gently fried the chicken breasts in some oil until both sides were cooked through and the outside was nice and crisp.

A quick seasoning with salt & pepper and that’s it! How gorgeous does that look?

Anyone who even marginally enjoys Indian Food should give this recipe a try. It’s not overwhelmingly spicy, so perfect for sensitive wee palates like mine!

As for the amazing Chicken Curry (Murgh Masala), I’ll be posting that recipe next time, so keep your eyes peeled!

Enjoy x

Tweet

Recently, I was sent a bottle of Blue Nun wine and some Sophie Mitchell (from the How To Cook Yourself Thin TV programme) recipe suggestions.  There was one for Riesling Braised Chicken with artichoke hearts that sounded mouth watering, so I had to try it.

I was pleasantly surprised! Having hearts for dinner isn’t as gory as it sounds.

This Riesling Braised Chicken is an excellent midweek meal, which would probably taste even better the next day (we scoffed it all before we could find this out for ourselves, though!).

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 chicken breasts
• 6 shallots, peeled and halved
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 300ml Blue Nun River Riesling
• 600ml chicken stock
• 150g artichoke hearts
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 tsp corn flour and a little water

First, I browned the chicken in a little olive oil for a couple of minutes (each side), before setting aside for later.

Next, I fried the shallots, garlic, carrots and thyme for 5 minutes.

Returning the chicken to the pan, I added the wine and simmered for 10 minutes.

Next went in the chicken stock and artichoke hearts, and I let everything simmer for a further 40 minutes.

Just before the 40 minutes were up, I mixed a teaspoon of cornflour with a little water, then stirred into the sauce for the final few minutes, thickening it up nicely.

I served it with cream cheese & chive mash, and some crunchy green beans. Delicious!

I’m fairly certain this would work nicely, bunged in the slow cooker for 4-5 hours too.

This is a great meal for those who are clinging on to those last embers of summer, as it has a nice, light taste to it. I’m no longer in denial about the onset of winter… the gloves came out of hibernation this morning. Bring on the stodge!

Blue Nun River Riesling is priced with a RRP of around £5.99 and available to buy from most UK supermarkets.

Enjoy x

Tweet

I adore the chinese version; I could devour a whole pot on my own!

This is one of those dishes I’ve wanted to make for a good while, but never got round to until last week. Looking for a nice recipe, I was annoyed to see they all had pak choi/carrots/red chilli in them. That’s not right! I wanted the kind you get from a takeaway (or certain buffet restaurant), with a clear broth, thin noodles and delicate strips of chicken, decorated with tiny slices of spring onion.

It may not be authentic, but it’s tasty!

So, tasting it in my head, I came up with this:

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp chinese five spice (or ground mixed spice)
• 175g chicken (I used breast mini fillet; you can use any type you like)
• 1.5ltr chicken stock (3 stock cubes)
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 200g chinese style noodles (medium, thread, rice, your choice…)

First, I fried the garlic, ginger and ground mixed spice in the sesame oil for a few minutes.

I then added the stock and chicken mini fillets, poaching it for 20 minutes.

I took the chicken out and shredded into thin strips.

Check your noodle packet instructions (you might be able to plonk yours straight in), but I soaked mines in boiled water for a few minutes, rinsed with cold water, then added to the soup pot, along with the soy sauce, spring onion and the shredded chicken.

After five more minutes of simmering, it was good to go. Mmmm….

I admit, I was very chuffed with myself over this one. Definitely a keeper!

What’s your favourite soup recipes? I’m always on the lookout for new soups!

Take Care x

Tweet

Well, hello stranger!

It’s been forever, I know, and I have missed you so! A mixture of being away, losing my routine and not eating particularly well has led to my being a bad food blogger. *slaps wrist*

It feels good to be back, though. I’m looking forward to dusting off my cook books and getting creative again, especially with the darker nights coming in (you know I love my comfort food).

But there’s still a few days of summer left yet! With today’s post, I’m going to ease myself back in with a lovely Mocktail recipe you can maybe enjoy in the garden, before the air gets too cold!

Since becoming teetotal in January, I’ve been on the hunt for good mocktail recipes. When I was sent this bottle of Elderflower Cordial to review, I done a quick google search and came across this gorgeous Elderflower Fizz recipe from the Netmums website.

This is one seriously refreshing drink. And really easy to make. Into one glass, add:

• Plenty of ice
• 25ml elderflower cordial
• 5 fresh mint leaves, chopped
• Sparkling water (topped right up)
• 1 lime wedge

I like to bash the chopped mint against the ice with my straw, to bruise it a bit more and ring the flavour out of it.

Bottlegreen’s limited edition elderflower is available from all major supermarkets. Elderflower sparkling pressé (750ml) is priced from £2.39 and elderflower cordial (500ml) from £3.15.

To find out more about Bottlegreen, click here. They have a lovely selection of recipes using their cordial here, yummy!

Have a lovely weekend, everyone! x

Tweet

While snacking is a well-known cause of inadvertent weight gain for most people, for runners it’s an important way to maintain energy levels.  Most health experts agree that the “little and often” approach to topping up your energy levels is by far the healthiest approach for those who run, either for the health benefits or professionally.  The key to any healthy diet to help make the most of exercising is planning and for runners this is essential.

Snack Constantly

So, let’s start with snacking.  Firstly fatty snacks should be out; carbohydrate rich food sources are the best for active runners as these keep energy levels up without the downsides of too much fat.  For breakfast, cereal is an ideal source of high quality carbohydrate and it’s actually a good snack food – best eaten dry.  Crisp breads, whole-wheat bagels and bananas are also excellent snack foods that will keep hunger at bay during the day and keep your energy levels topped up.

Essential Ingredients

If you’re running most days all that snacking will provide plenty of energy but you won’t feel too full.  It’s important not to forget main meals, whatever your sport of choice.  Again, for runners who run for the health benefits, a diet that contains good amounts of energy food is a firm favourite.  Pasta is a common ingredient in lunches or in evening meals.  As a substitute baked potatoes, lentils or rice will also provide carbohydrates.  Vegetables, as we all know, are essential for the body’s overall health, whether you’re running or not.  Rich in vitamins these are at their best when prepared with minimal cooking, so should be steamed or micro-waved.  Dairy shouldn’t be forgotten as it provides an excellent source of calcium which strengthens the bones and it also moderates the convulsions in muscles, including the heart.

Big Breakfasts

When it comes to mealtimes there’s an old saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this is very true for runners.  If you’re up extra early to run indulge in a light, energy packed breakfast before you run and ensure you fill up on a healthy one before you set off for work.  Try not to eat lunch later in the afternoon and focus on slow release energy foods including nuts and cereals.  When it comes to an evening meal eat as early as possible; eating later in the evening will affect your sleep and therefore your performance on your next run.

Liquid Lunches, Elevenses and Teas

During any exercise our bodies need a lot of hydration and there are plenty of energy drinks on the market.  However, the simplest way to remain hydrated is to drink water!  Runners need to ensure that they drink plenty of it too.  Don’t try to drink three gallons just before a run (you know what’ll happen).  The best approach is to ensure a steady intake throughout the day.  This applies whether you are running or not, but for runners the basic rule is to drink around five litres a day on running days, and also remember to top up about an hour before you plan to run.  If you don’t already, then ensure that you learn to drink on the go and take around 250 ml for every half hour of planned running.

Weight Watching

Some medical researchers believe that our bodies continue to burn energy at a higher rate in the twenty four hours after strenuous exercise and this means, for serious runners, that it’s important to top up with calories after running.  Ensure that you are eating a balanced diet and that you’re taking in enough extra calories to offset the amount you lose.  This will depend on the amount you run each week and it’s important to keep an eye on your weight.  Running is the default form of exercise our bodies were designed for and it’s considered by many to be one of the most natural forms of exercise you can do.  Food that is rich in carbohydrates for energy, dairy organic milk for muscles and bone strength, along with water and sticking to regular balanced meals will help to keep your body in perfect condition for running.

Author Bio

Charlotte likes to blog about Beauty, Foods & Drinks from extravagant foods to milk&more grocery delivery. She loves eating healthily and exploring new places whilst traveling.

Tweet