Butternut Squash & Sausage Tagine

A few weeks ago I bought my very first Tagine. I've wanted one for a while but never actually got around to buying one. I found a a glossy red one in Dunelm which now sits nicely on my windowsill (as it won't fit into any of my cupboards!). 

We all love the Moroccan flavours in dishes that I've cooked previously (Moroccan Meatballs & Moroccan Lamb are two of them) so I decided to use up some sausages and throw everything into the Tagine and cook in the oven for a couple of hours, and it turned out perfectly, with clean plates all round!

 

Butternut Squash & Sausage Tagine - serves 4/5

12 good quality sausages (I used apple & herb)
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 butternut squash, peeled & chopped
1 Bramley apple, peeled, cored & chopped
1 400g can of chickpeas, drained
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 lemon, sliced into wedges
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
500g passata
fresh coriander

• Heat a frying pan and fry the sausages to brown them
• Add the sausages to a large tagine, followed by all of the other ingredients apart from the fresh coriander
• Give everything a quick stir to combine and distribute evenly
• Place the tagine lid on and place in a preheated 150C oven for 2 hours
• Serve on a bed of cous cous and scatter fresh coriander over

Weight Watchers Filling & Healthy : this recipe is suitable for filling & healthy (just point the sausages or replace with lean chicken)

Wild Garlic & Chilli Frittata

After a little over indulging at the weekend it's back to the healthy eating to get ready for my little break in Spain in a couple of weeks. I've also joined a new bootcamp with some friends, and we're on full on diet and fitness mode for the summer, especially now that Spring has finally arrived with some warmer weather.

Frittata's are great for eating at anytime of the day, and can be whipped up in minutes using leftover cooked vegetables or meats. For this one I used wild garlic that I had left over from my Riverford recipe box.

As I made this healthy I only used a small amount of parmesan cheese on the top, which could be left out completely or replaced with cheddar.

Wild Garlic & Chilli Frittata - serves 2/3

drizzle of olive oil

bunch of wild garlic, chopped

1/2 green chilli, finely chopped

6 eggs

100ml skimmed milk

salt & pepper

25g grated parmesan cheese

• Heat the oil in a non stick omelette pan
• Add the garlic & chilli and fry for a couple of minutes to wilt the garlic
• Whisk the eggs together with the milk & a pinch of salt & pepper
• Pour the eggs into the pan and cook over a medium heat until almost cooked through
• Sprinkle over the cheese and place the pan under a hot grill for a couple of minutes to brown off & finish cooking

Serve warm or cold with a fresh salad

Weight Watchers Filling & Healthy - if you use the olive oil from your healthy oil allowance then this would be free on the filling & healthy plan, with the exception of the cheese, which would be 1 point per 1/3 of the frittata

Butternut Squash & Tomato Soup

The weather recently has definitely been more spring like. Coats have been ditched and more time is being spent outdoors. Then, all of a sudden, a frost hits again and we feel that we're back in the depths of winter. What better way to warm yourself up on a chilly day than with a bowl of soup. This butternut squash and tomato soup is extremely simple to make, has few ingredients, yet tastes as good as a good quality cream of tomato, and is a lot healthier too.

The husband wasn't feeling too good so I served him a bowl with a cheese toastie, sprinkled with a few bacon flavour bread bites, from this month's Degustabox.

Butternut Squash & Tomato Soup

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped

water

1 stock cube    

400g can of chopped tomatoes

salt & pepper to taste

• Add the butternut squash to a large pan
• Cover with water & add the stock cube
• Bring to the boil and simmer until the squash is softened
• Add the tomatoes and bring back to the boil
• Remove from the heat and blend to a puree with a hand blender, adding more water if necessary
• Add salt and pepper to taste

The soup is completely free on Weight Watchers filling & healthy plan (minus the cheese toastie and bread bites).

Bolognaise and Chips in the Tefal Actifry Family Express XL

I've been using my Tefal Actifry for a few months now, and I have to say that it's one of the most used small kitchen appliances that I've ever owned. We regularly enjoy eating healthy chips, wedges or roast potatoes that have been made completely fuss-free. It's so easy to use that the kids can use it too, and when I take Jack for his swimming lesson I ask one of the older children to set an alarm for 5.45pm as a reminder to turn it on so that we have chips ready for when we get home.

Up until now we've only had the 1kg machine, which I do have a tendency to overload to make sure there is enough to go around the hungry brood. Recently Ideal World got in touch to ask if I would like to try out one of the Tefal Actifry Family Express XL machines, as part of their Easter celebrations.

This machine is ideal for our family; with it's 1.5kg capacity I can cook more than enough chips for all of us without overloading it. For a midweek dinner I decided to try something that I haven't tried in the Actifry before, but something we love eating - bolognaise. The advantage of making it in the Actifry is that you can add all the ingredients at the beginning, set the timer for 25 minutes and just leave it, without the need to keep stirring.

As far as I can see, Tefal have made a few improvements to this model that differ from the 1kg Actifry that I had previously :

• the bowl no longer has a hole in the middle and is instead raised up in the centre, which means there is no risk of leakage into the base of the fryer if it's used without the paddle
• the paddle has just one button to release it easily from the bowl, whereas previously it was necessary to hold it on both sides, which could be a little fiddly, especially when hot 
• the lid has a large transparent viewing window making it easier to view the food cooking without needing to open the lid
• the Express Technology means that chips take around 5-10 minutes less than previously - which makes all the difference when you have hungry kids!
• Once the programmed time has ended, cooking stops, unlike the older model that keeps cooking - if you don't hear the alarm your food may overcook

Beef Bolognaise in the Tefal Actifry - serves 4/5

1 tbsp olive oil

500g lean beef mince

100g onions, chopped

100g peppers, sliced

100g mushrooms, sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 400g can of chopped tomatoes

• Add all the ingredients to the Actifry
• Set the timer for 25 minutes and turn it on

The dish isn't as saucy as it would be if you cooked it in a pan, but it's no less delicious ,and is great served with freshly cooked pasta.

I also cooked a batch of chips (using just one spoon of Olive oil for the whole pan) in the new Actifry in just 30 minutes, and doused them in plenty of salt and vinegar, just for research purposes of course.

These dishes are also suitable for Weight Watchers filling & healthy, if you use 5% fat beef mince, and take the olive oil from your daily allowance.

The Tefal Actifry Express XL is available from Ideal World TV

Their  ‘Great Easter Giveaway’ launches on the 2nd April - #Easters4Sharing

Baked Banana & Cinnamon Porridge

Last March we had a bit of a heatwave. I bought a new car around this time last year; a convertible, and I had the roof down on the test drive, the way home a few days later, as well as for most of the rest of the month.

Today the conservatory roof was being battered by hailstones and a gail was blowing. Come on Winter, you've had your go, it's time to let Spring have a turn. I want to get that roof down again and feel the sun on my face.

In the meantime I'm warming up after the school run with a healthy baked porridge, which is completely Weight Watchers filling & healthy friendly. If you have a bit of a sweet tooth you may want to add some extra Maple syrup, or add some chopped nuts to give it a bit of a crunch.

Baked Banana & Cinnamon Porridge - serves 1

1/3 cup porridge oats
2/3 cup skimmed milk
pinch of cinnamon
1 banana, sliced lengthways
1 tsp pure Maple syrup

• Add the oats, milk and cinnamon to a small ovenproof dish
• Lay the banana slices on the top & drizzle with maple syrup
• Bake in a preheated 180C oven for around 20 minutes, until the milk has been absorbed and the dish is golden brown & puffed up

Lemon Pepper Chicken (in the Actifry)

There are not many kitchen gadgets or small appliances that I can say have been worth their weight in gold, but I can honestly say that the Tefal Actifry has earned it's place on my kitchen shelf, and not been pushed to the back of the cupboard.

We mostly use it for healthy chips, wedges or roast potatoes, and it's so simple that even the husband can use it. From time to time I do the odd stir fry in it, but as it's not large enough to make stir fry for the whole family, I only really use it when I'm making lunch for myself or dinner for two.

It is, however, large enough to cook enough chicken or pork for all of us in only 10 minutes, which can then be added to fried rice, pasta or vegetables.

Lemon pepper chicken is a dish I like to make myself for lunch as it's really quick and takes little effort, as well as being really tasty, with enough pepper in it to give it a nice kick.

Lemon Pepper Chicken - serves 1

1 chicken breast

juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp ground black pepper (more or less depending on your taste)

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp olive oil

• Cut the chicken into thin strips & place in a bowl
• Add the lemon juice, black pepper, soy sauce & olive oil and mix to combine
• Add to the Actifry and spread around to avoid it sticking together
• Cook for 10 minutes (this may vary slightly depending on the thickness of your chicken. ensure it's fully cooked before serving)

I served with fried brown basmati rice and vegetables

Weight Watchers Filling & Healthy : This is suitable for Weight Watchers filling & healthy and is completely free if you use the olive oil from your healthy oil allowance.

Middle Eastern Spiced Meatloaf

I got up this morning with a spring in my step. Two out of three children were still sleeping so after my shower I went to wake them, and there was a hint of daylight peeking through the blinds. It was great to feel that spring was on it's way. The sun was shining and I decided to go without socks, and very nearly went without my coat on the school run. 

I'm so glad that I came to my senses before I stepped outside the door as it was freezing! I was completely fooled by that sun for a moment, and I'm certain that I'll be keeping the winter coat out for a few more weeks at least.

Once the shopping was delivered I decided to make a meatloaf, which would be a perfect hearty meal for the kids after their first day back at school. I spiced it up with some Baharat spice, which is a blend of spices used in Middle Eastern cooking, that contains paprika, coriander, black pepper, cayenne, cumin, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. It's not too spicy but adds a delicious flavour, and the vegetables keep the meatloaf moist. You could just grate the vegetables, which will give it more texture, but processing them hides them from the pickiest of eaters. I topped with a mildly spiced tomato sauce, which can be blended to make a smooth sauce if preferred.

Middle Eastern Spiced Meatloaf

2 small red onions

1 small carrot, peeled

1 small courgette

750g lean beef mince
3 tbsp ground oats (I grind a large batch of oats at a time in the food processor & store in a jar)
1 egg
3 tsp Baharat spice
1 tsp olive oil

sauce
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp Baharat spice

• Add the onions, carrot and courgette to a food processor and blitz until finely chopped
• In a large bowl mix together the blitzed vegetables, mince, oats, egg and spices until well combined
• Brush a loaf tin with the olive oil and line with baking paper
• Add the mixture to the tin, cover with foil, and bake in a preheated 180C oven for 45-60 minutes, until cooked all the way through, removing the foil for the last 23 minutes
• Add the tomatoes and spice to a saucepan and bring to the boil and simmer until thickened
• Allow to rest for 10 minutes, drain any excess juices before slicing and serving with the tomato sauce

Weight Watchers Filling & Healthy : This is suitable for Weight Watchers filling & healthy and is completely point free (if using the olive oil from your daily healthy oil allowance)

Meatball Subs (and adaptation for Weight Watchers Filling & Healthy)

I've recently started following Weight Watchers filling & healthy plan. So far it's going well and I'm enjoying the freedom of not counting points. When I've counted points in the past I became obsessed with the next meal and saving points for later in the evening 'just in case'. I don't seem to be doing this at all now, and because nothing is out of bounds I find that I don't even want that evening 'treat' that I might have previously saved the points for. I try and make meals that we can all eat together, with slight adaptions in mine - for example, last week I made lasagne and used wholewheat lasagne sheets for all of us but made mine up in a separate dish and topped with natural yogurt and egg beaten together instead of white sauce and cheese.

Meatballs are a dish that we all enjoy, and I usually serve them with a tomato sauce and pasta, or with a creamy Ikea type gravy. This time I decided to serve them a little differently, in some part baked baguettes that I always have a good supply of, with grated Monterey Jack cheese melted on top (Weight Watchers petit pain & cheese for me), and salad.

Meatball Subs - serves 4-5

meatballs

750g Lean pork mince

1 egg

1 tbsp dried thyme

salt & black pepper

sauce

drizzle of olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic

400g can of chopped tomatoes

handful of fresh parsley, chopped

tbsp tomato puree

for serving

baguettes

grated Monterey Jack cheese

fresh parsley, chopped 

• Mix the meatball ingredients together in a bowl until fully combined
• Form small balls from approx teaspoon of mince
• Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 180C oven for approx 15 minutes & set aside
• Heat the oil in a frying pan
• Add the onion and garlic and fry gently for 2-3 minutes
• Add the tomatoes and any meatball juices and simmer for approx 20 minutes until onions have softened, adding a splash of water if it becomes too dry
• Stir in the tomato puree and parsley and add the meatballs to heat through
• To serve, place some meatballs and sauce into each baguette and sprinkle with some grated cheese and fresh parsley

Weight Watchers Filling & Healthy : This is suitable for Weight Watchers filling & healthy by using a Weight Watchers petit pain. Add 20g Weight Watchers grated mature cheddar for 1 ProPoint