Thai inspired noodle soup

I LOVE Thai food!! Although I've only started eating it in the last two years...what a shame I didn't discover all the beautiful flavour combinations earlier! This recipe is Thai inspired and is based on a Nigel Slater recipe from his simple suppers collection..and it's exactly that..simple!  It's warming and comforting and if you use reduced fat coconut milk..not totally fattening either! 

The recipe below serves 2 people.  To make the Thai inspired soup you'll need:

• 1 good knob of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1-2 red chillies, seeds removed (optional), roughly chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1-2 stalks of lemongrass (tough outer layers removed), roughly chopped
• 1 handful fresh coriander, a few sprigs reserved and chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 lime
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• prawns 
• Rice noodles (or if you cant get them use fine egg noodles)
• oil for frying

Firstly blend the ginger, chilli, lemongrass, garlic and coriander in a food processor.  Alternatively if you are like me and have left your food processor 105 miles away until you move into your new house permanently then you can use the jars or tubes of already ground up chilli/lemongrass/ginger paste, grate your garlic cloves and finely chop your coriander. It works just as well.  I used a generous teaspoon of the lemongrass, ginger and chilli pastes and stuck with the amounts above for the garlic and coriander.  Either way, add your "paste" to the pan with a little bit of oil and cook for a few minutes to release the aromas. Mmmmmmmm!!!!

Next, add the juice of half a lime, the turmeric and some vegetable stock.  Nigel recommends a "small jug"...me, I didn't have a measuring jug or a kettle (again 105 miles away!) so I boiled a little water in a pan and added the stock cube.  I would estimate I probably added about 300ml of stock.  What is a "small jug" anyway? I like Nigel's style of cooking..no set measurements, just a bit of a guess, go with it and make it to your taste..I suppose that's what makes it simple, not having to measure everything out perfectly.  Anyway, I digress... simmer the stock/paste mixture for a few minutes.

Whilst the stock/paste mixture is bubbling away put your noodles on to cook.  Add a can of coconut milk to the stock/paste mix and bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer it for a few minutes.  Once it has simmered away for a few minutes, add your prawns (if cooking from raw then to cook for a few minutes, or to reheat if you have bought pre-cooked ones.  I prefer raw ones, but hey sometimes you cant always get them so go with what you prefer/have to hand)

When the noodles are cooked, drain them and add them to a couple of nice deep bowls and ladle the soup/prawns over them and serve straightaway.  I added a little extra coriander to the top of mine too.  Nigel says that this recipe also works well with chicken, scallops or mushrooms as an alternative to prawns.  Whatever you choose to put in it, it's flippin' tasty! It's like a great big hug in a bowl and all in under 20 minutes, perfect!

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

Ok...so that's not entirely true since I used a pizza base mix but if someone is going to make my life easier and measure out all the ingredients for me then i am not going to argue with that.  It is homemade in the sense that it is not from the shops or the takeaway so you have greater control of what goes on the pizza. 

I came across this recipe in this month's Weight Watchers magazine.  My other half's instant reaction when I told him I was making pizza was ooh, then I told him it was a Weight Watchers recipe and he looked disappointed.  He soon ate his words though as it was delicious and I would definitely make this again.  It's ready in the time that it takes for one to be delivered and the pizza base mix was really cheap.  The only thing I would do differently is leave it in a little bit longer as it was a bit doughy in the middle - but then I find that even shop bought ones are.  I have got to get myself one of those pizza stones that I have been told makes all of the base crispy not just the sides.

The recipe in the magazine was for a sausage pizza but I decided to make a pepperoni pizza instead.  It was the same number of points - 8 pro points per slice.  The recipe serves four with a nice salad on the side.  The good thing about making your own pizza though - have whatever you want on it.  Obviously a veggie pizza is going to be less points per slice.

To make the pizza you will need:

• 1 packet of pizza base mix (found in the home baking aisle in the supermarket)
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste (i used sacla intense sundried tomato paste)
• 1 shallott, sliced
• 9 large slices pepperoni
• 1/4 tub roasted peppers (from the deli)
• 2 medium tomatoes on the vine, sliced
• 1 pack of half fat mozzerella, torn into chunks 
• Pepper
• Dried Parsley
• Calorie Controlled cooking spray
• Plain Flour

Pre-heat your oven to Gas Mark 7 or 220 degrees.  Prepare the pizza base as per the instructions on the back of the pack - in my case it was adding hot water from the tap and kneeding it.  Roll out the dough on a floured surface until its thin like how you imagine a thin crust pizza base would be before its cooked.

Spray a baking tray with calorie controlled spray and then dust it with a little flour so that the pizza base doesnt stick.  Now here is the tricky bit - transfer the dough from your work surface to the tray.  I had to do this twice as it looked a right mess the first time i did it, so I squished it all up and rolled it out again.  Once on the baking tray, turn the edges up a little to create a sort of crust.

The instructions on the back of my packet of pizza mix told me to leave it somewhere warm for ten minutes, so i left it on top of the hob while the oven was pre-heating.  Not sure what it was supposed to do as it didn't seem to rise or anything, but i guess there was a reason for it.

Spoon the paste onto the pizza base and spread it out into a thin layer leaving a little gap around the edge.  Add your toppings.  Season with pepper and sprinkle some dried parsley over the top (as much as you like, I probably used a teaspoon).  Alternatively you could sprinkle over some basil.

Put the pizza in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the base is crispy and golden and serve with some salad. How good does that look!? Delicious!

Chicken Tikka Kebabs

These kebabs are so easy to make and don't take long at all to make, which is great when you don't have a lot of time or you've had a long day at work and want something quick and simple for tea.  These would also be great for BBQ's in the coming months, if the weather in the UK holds out!

The recipe below serves two people but its very easy to increase the quantities if you are serving a lot of people - it works out as 1 chicken breast per person.  If you are following weight watchers it works out as 14 pro points for the whole recipe or 7 pro points each.  Serve it with a 0 point salad and if you have some points to spare, why not add some tasty flatbread or a pitta bread.

To make the kebabs for two people you will need:

• 2 medium skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon curry paste - I used tikka masala but use whatever type you fancy
• 2 tablespoons half fat creme fraiche or Greek yoghurt
• Metal skewers

In a bowl, mix together the curry paste and the creme fraiche or Greek yoghurt, whichever you have decided to use.  Add the chunks of chicken and marinate for about 5 minutes.

Thread the chicken onto metal skewers - there should be enough chicken to make two generous skewers or three normal ones.  Place the skewers onto a baking tray.

Place the skewers under a medium grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Alternatively put them on the BBQ and cook for the same time.  If the marinade on the skewers looks like it is drying out or like there isn't enough, use some of the leftover marinade to spread over the chicken.  

Serve with mixed salad leaves and this delicious tomato and onion salad.  

Warm smoked salmon salad with mint, chilli and lime dressing

The weather in the UK has been lovely over the last couple of weeks.  When the sun comes out I tend to loose my appetite and when I do want something to eat its usually something light like a salad.  I have had some requests for some lighter dishes now that we have some nicer weather, and this is a perfect example of something light but is it a bit more interesting than your bog standard garden salad.  You could have this as a starter between a few people, a main dish for two or up the quantities a little and serve it as a salad option at a BBQ.  Asparagus is in season at the moment and it tastes delicious in this dish!

The recipe below is for 2 people as a main dish.  For those following weight watchers this salad is 9 pro points per serving including the dressing.

For the salad you'll need:

• 2 smoked salmon fillets
• 6 new potatoes
• handful of green beans
• 10 asparagus spears
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 pack of mixed salad leaves
• 2 spring onions
• Fresh Parsley
• Fresh Mint

For the dressing you'll need:

•  1 tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce
•  Juice of half a lime
• 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook your potatoes for 15 minutes, until tender.  Meanwhile follow the instructions on the pack of smoked salmon fillets and warm them through in the oven.

While the potatoes are cooking take a large dish or bowl and add your salad leaves, spring onions and tomatoes.  Chop up a tablespoon of mint and a teaspoon of parsley.  Put all of the parsley and half of the mint into the salad.  Just before the potatoes are cooked add the green beans and asparagus tips to the pan and cook for two minutes.  Drain and set to one side to cool a little.  The salmon should be warmed through by this point

Once cooled a little, slice the potatoes in half or three depending on how big the potatoes are and add them to the salad along with the green beans and asparagus spears.  Take the salmon and using your fingers, flake the salmon all over the salad in nice bite sized chunks.  Using salad tongs (or a normal fork and spoon work perfectly well) toss the salad together so everything is mixed well.

In a small bowl, add the olive oil, sweet chilli sauce, lime juice and the rest of the mint and mix together.  You can see from the picture below that it doesn't look like much dressing but you don't want lots otherwise it will overtake the gorgeous flavour of the smoked salmon, instead it just compliments it. Spoon over the salad and serve.

Absolutely delicious!!  

Lamb and Feta burgers

With loads of changes going on recently, I have somewhat neglected the blog and been sticking to recipes I have made before, with little enthusiasm for making anything new.  But, I did manage to find some time to make some of these burgers.  I normally make my own burgers as they taste much nicer than shop bought or frozen ones but they are normally made from beef.  Then I came across these Lamb and Feta burgers on the Weight Watchers i-phone app, which I thought was a brilliant combination and don't know why I hadn't thought of it before since I really like Greek food.  The recipe below serves 4 (or 2 hungry people!) and each serving (with Tzatziki and pitta) is 11 pro points

To make the burgers you will need:

• 500g lean lamb mince (125g per person)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon mint
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 onion, very finely chopped
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt and Pepper
• 4 Pitta Bread (if you are on WW use WW wholemeal pitta breads)
• 1 tablespoon shop bought Tzatziki (or make your own if you can be bothered)
• 85g Feta Cheese, crumbled

In a large mixing bowl, add the lamb, onion, garlic, mint, parsley and feta.  Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and season with a little salt and pepper.  Mix everything together - get  your hands in there and squish it all about!!

Once mixed together, separate the mixture into four equal pieces.  Take one piece and roll it into a ball, then flatten it out between your hands into a burger shape.  Repeat with the other 3 pieces.

Place the burgers on a baking tray and set to one side.  Place your pitta bread under a medium grill to warm through for a couple of minutes.  Remove from the grill and place the burgers under for around 10 minutes - turning after 5 minutes.

Once cooked, cut each burger in half and serve 2 halves in a pitta bread (it fits better that way!)with whatever salad you fancy and a tablespoon of Tzatziki.  Yum!! 

American Blueberry and Lemon Pancakes

I came across this recipe for American blueberry pancakes on BBC Good Food and added my own little twist with a bit of lemon juice.  You can find the original recipe here.  With pancake day and valentines day coming up you could cook your other half breakfast in bed...or you could just eat them yourself! :-)

The recipe below makes 10 pancakes and believe me 5 each is more than enough - I couldn't finish mine but they were absolutely delicious! To make the pancakes you'll need:

• 200g self raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 300ml milk
• 1 pack of blueberries
• 1 lemon
• small knob of butter
• honey for drizzling

In a bowl mix the dry ingredients - the self raising flour and baking powder.  In a separate bowl add the egg, milk and the juice from half a lemon and whisk together. 

Make a well in the middle of the flour/baking powder and add the wet ingredients - I don't have a mixing bowl at the moment so I used a pan to combine the two.  Then whisk together and create a thick batter.  Melt a knob of butter and then add this to the batter, then beat until its all mixed together.

Add half of the blueberries to the mix and stir gently.  At this stage you could add any fruit you liked really - raspberries, raisins etc but the blueberries are gorgeous.

Melt a little butter or oil in a non stick frying pan.  Take a large tablespoon (or in my case I found a serving spoon worked well) and pour a spoon full of the mixture into the pan.  Depending on how big your pan is you can cook 3 or 4 at a time.  Cook the pancakes for 2 or 3 minutes on each side  - I found that once the mixture started to look like it was cooking on the top side and little bubbles were starting to appear then it was time to turn.

When the pancakes are cooked stack them on a plate and sprinkle the rest of the blueberries on. Squirt a little bit of lemon juice over the top then drizzle some honey all over the plate and tuck in!!

Naaachooooooooo!!!! (or Nachos to everyone else)

Sometimes on a Friday or Saturday night when I've had a hard week at work and I want to sit down and relax with a film I rustle up these nachos for tea.  They aren't all that healthy since they are covered in cheese but a little plate is enough to fill me and they are ready in no time!  It's great film food because you can eat the nachos with your hands.  The one's below are made with a chicken topping but you can swap the chicken for a meat or veg of your choice.

Here's what I used:

• 1 pack of mini chicken fillets, diced (1 pack is enough for 2 people)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, cut into small pieces
• Cheese (I was lazy and used a pack of already grated Cheddar and mozzarella)
• 1/2 packet fajita seasoning (I use Old El Paso BBQ fajita seasoning)
• Tortilla Chips (I like to use Doritos sizzling fajita or Asda's own BBQ flavour tortilla chips for a bit of a twist)
• Various dips to serve - salsa, guacamole, onion and garlic, sour cream whatever you want really!

1) First fry the chicken, onions and pepper in a pan until the chicken is cooked and the onions have softened.  Once cooked, add the fajita seasoning and a tablespoon of water to the pan.  Stir together so that everything is covered in the seasoning.  Put to one side

2) Put a layer of tortilla chips onto a plate and sprinkle with cheese.  Place under a medium grill until the cheese has melted - this doesn't take long so keep an eye on it!

3) Once the cheese is melted remove the plate from under the grill.  Add another layer of tortilla chips then spoon the chicken/onion/pepper on top of these.  Add more cheese and place under the grill again until the cheese has melted.

4) Remove from grill and serve.  Try adding slices of tomato or some jalapeno peppers to the nachos or dollop a little bit of dip around the plate. 

Beef Stroganoff

I always had this idea in my head that stroganoff was disgusting, it just never looked appetising, but then again the image I always had in my head was of this dark gray or brown mush in a tray because that's how it used to look when they served it in school..and lets face it, it probably didn't taste all that great either.  Then one day I had some lovely beef strips and wanted to do something a bit different with them from what I normally cooked.  I trawled the Internet and found a recipe for beef stroganoff and decided after all these years it might be worth giving it a go - and boy was that the right decision, this stroganoff is lush! For those following Weight Watchers each serving is 10 points and if you are serving it with rice it is 16 points

The recipe makes enough for two people and you will need the following to make it:

• 1/2 pack of button mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 pack of beef strips
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon of tomato puree
• 3 tablespoons of half fat creme fraiche
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

And here's what you need to do:

1) Briefly fry off the beef in a pan, then add the onions and mushrooms and cook gently until the onions and mushrooms soften.  Once the onions and mushrooms have softened add the garlic and cook for a further few minutes.

2) Dissolve the stock cube in 250ml of boiling water and add the stock to the pan, simmering for 5 minutes.

3) In a bowl or a cup, mix together the Dijon mustard and the tomato puree, adding a teaspoon of water to make it a bit easier to mix and pour into the pan.  Stir it and leave to simmer for a further 5 minutes.

4) Add in 3 tablespoons of half fat creme fraiche (you can add full fat if you like but I'm on a diet!) and stir into the mixture.  Leave to simmer for a further 5 minutes, then add the parsley and season to taste.

You can serve the stroganoff with rice or tagliatelle

Thai Salmon Kebabs

This is another tasty recipe I originally came across on BBC Good Food but then changed slightly to suit my own tastes.  It's low in fat, really easy to make and the sweet chilli marinade goes perfectly with the salmon.  To make the dish you will need

• Salmon fillets, skinless and boneless (1 per person)
• Half bottle of Sweet Chilli Sauce (I used original but you could also use hot)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 Teaspoons dried ginger
• Kebab skewers

And here's what you do:

1) Combine the sweet chilli sauce, lime and ginger in a bowl.  Cut the salmon into strips big enough to fit on kebab skewers.  Add the salmon strips to the marinade and leave for 5 to 10 minutes to absorb some of the flavours.

2) Thread the salmon onto the kebab skewers and grill under a medium grill for 8 to 10 minutes, turning half way through.  The salmon is done when it turns opaque.

3) Serve the kebabs with whatever you feel, I have mine with a nice salad and some new potatoes.  I tend to take the salmon off the skewers once its cooked to make it easier to serve - although it disappears a lot faster that way :-)

Low-fat mushrooms on toast

I first saw this recipe last summer when I was on a diet for my holidays and when the guy cooking this on the telly said it was a low fat breakfast alternative my ears pricked up...I was getting a bit sick of special k! I only tend to make this on a weekend for brunch as I am far to sleepy during the week to make anything other than a bowl of cereal.  It also makes a tasty vegetarian dish.  The recipe below serves one and for those following weight watchers it is only 4 points!

To make the mushrooms on toast you will need the following:

• 1/2 pack of sliced mushrooms or 7 largish mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1tsp parsley
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp half fat creme fraiche
• bread of your choice

Firstly add a little olive oil to your pan and add the mushrooms and garlic to it.  Cook for a couple of minutes over a medium heat until the mushrooms start to go brown. While the mushrooms are cooking, toast or grill your bread.  Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and some parsley.

Add in the creme fraiche and leave to cook for a couple of minutes to warm it through.  Serve immediately on top of your toast.  

A tasty alternative to that bacon sarnie (oh who am I kidding a bacon sarnie would win every time, but still if you are on a diet its nice to know that something is low fat AND tastes nice!)

Really Easy Paella

I love Paella but i was always under the impression that it took ages to make.  Then I came across this recipe on BBC Good Food for paella that cooks in 20 minutes, now that's what i like to hear! I've changed it round slightly to the original recipe but you can find the original if you click on the link above.  The recipe below is for chicken paella but you can easily turn it into a vegetarian dish by substituting the chicken for whatever veg you fancy, the chorizo for 2 tsp of paprika and the chicken stock for vegetable or fish stock depending on how strict a veggie you are! You can also add some nice prawns and mussels instead of chicken to turn it into a seafood paella.

The recipe makes enough for 2 people but just double the quantity to serve 4.  To make the paella you will need:

• Half a pack of chorizo, diced
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 onion, diced
• 125g rice
• 500ml chicken stock
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 100g frozen peas

And here's how you make it:

Fry off the chicken in a pan until its cooked through and set to one side until later.  Next add the chorizo and onion to the pan and cook over a medium heat until the onions soften and the chorizo releases its oil.

Then add the rice and the turmeric to the pan stirring it so that the rice is coated in the oil from the chorizo.  Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and let the whole thing simmer for 15 minutes. 

The rice should start to swell and absorb the stock and after about 15 minutes about 85-90% of the stock should have gone.  At this stage add in the peas and the chicken that you cooked earlier (or if you are making a seafood paella add the prawns and mussels at this stage) and cook for a further 5 minutes.



 Check for seasoning and then serve immediately with lemon wedges.