Pure protein balls – Chicken & Spinach meatballs.

You’ve got to try these little babies!

I make a batch every Sunday and consume them during the week as my protein snack in between meals. Sometimes I have them for lunch with a cup of steamed corn for a delicious healthy lunch.

They are the perfect on the run snack and great for the kid’s lunch boxes too!

 Chicken, Spinach meatballs

 

1 Kg Chicken fillets (Chopped up in your food processor)

1/2 punnet Mushrooms finely chopped (I use my food processor)

1/4 cup Oatbran

1/2 cup finely chopped onions (again the food processor)

+- 60g Spinach ( 6-8 leaves) finely chopped

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Chicken spices ( I use Robertson’s Chicken spices)

3 egg whites

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.

Spray 2 x muffin tins with Cooking spray or rub with Olive oil.

Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl using your hands.

Roll balls, place onto muffin tray sprinkle with some more Chicken spices and bake until golden   brown.

Tips

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The mixture will be sticky, it’s normal. If you are going to add more oatbran your meatball will be too dry.

DON’T be lazy and chop up all your veggies and the chicken together…you WILL end up with green meatballs, ask me I’ve done that.

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Rosemary and Beef Kofta’s with spicy rice

Phew! I’ts been  more than a week since my last post.

I’m exhausted, emotionally unstable (blame it on the full moon), I don’t have an appetite (sorry can’t cook if I’m not hungry) and besides that I just can’t seem to get ahead of my workload….

Anyway, I’ve discovered a bottle of Robertson’s spice for rice in the back of my grocery cupboard and thought I should make some spicy rice to go with the Rosemary Kofta’s.

If you don’t have spice for rice you could simply add 3 ml turmeric and 2,5 ml chilli powder to your rice while cooking.

For the Rosemary koftas

 600 g Beef mince

6 sprigs of Rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

5 ml of chopped rosemary

5 ml paprika

1/2 cup of Brown bread crumbs ( whiz up one slice of bread in a food processor)

Oil for frying

Remove the leaves from the Rosemary sprigs leaving a tiny bit behind at the end of each sprig.

Use 5 ml of the rosemary leaves that was removed and chop finely.

Mix all the ingredients together for the koftas. Shape the meat by hand into a sausage and stick the Rosemary “skewers” in the middle of your kofta.

Fry in a hot pan until done.

For the Spicy rice

2 cups of cooked rice (Cook with rice spices)

1 onion

1 carrot (thin julienne slices)

1/2 cup of fresh or frozen peas

handful of flat leave parsley (roughly chopped)

1 tbsp garlic butter

Olive oil for frying

Slice your onions and caramelize in the olive oil. Add the Julienne carrots and saute’ for a few minutes, add the peas and saute for another 3 – 4 minutes. Add the garlic butter to the veggies and season with salt and ground pepper. Add your cooked rice to the veggies and mix through. Garnish with chopped flat leave parsley.

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Lamb Curry with butternut puree and Maize rice

So when last did you eat maize rice?

After realizing that I haven’t actually ever cooked maize rice I thought I should google it. Ha! surprise there were no instructions to be found. So I went with my gut feeling and cooked it like I would cook rice, just a little longer.

To spice it up I made a lamb curry dressed over butternut pure’. Now that is just a fancy way of  having your meat on top of your butternut. Would have been the same thing if you plate it next to the meat but I like to play with my food.

Serves 4

Ingredients 

600 g stewing lamb cuts

1 garlic glove finely chopped

1 onion chopped

5 ml Garam masala

5 ml Turmeric

5 ml chilli powder

5 ml salt

5 ml Jeera (cumin seeds)

1 x Cinnamon stick / 2.5 ml cinnamon powder

1 x star anise

2 red chillies (whole)

 3 x tomatoes diced

2 potatoes cubed

2 carrots peeled and cut into slices

60 g tomato pure’

Olive oil for frying

Rub the lamb with the spices (masala, turmeric, chilli powder, salt). Fry your onions and garlic  with the cumin seeds in a little olive oil until soft. Add the lamb and braise until the lamb is browned. Add the carrots, Cinnamon stick, star anise and the whole chillies to the pot and fry for another minute. Add the tomatoes and enough water to cover the meat, cook for +- 30 – 45 minutes on a low heat until the meat is soft. Make sure to check on your curry regularly and add more water if needed. Add the tomato paste and potatoes to your curry and cook until the potatoes are soft and the liquid has reduced to a sauce. Season to taste.

For the butternut puree’

preferably steam your butternut until soft. Whiz in a food processor seasoning with a few teaspoons of sugar and salt to taste.

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Healthy Meat pies with a butterbean pie topping.

I’m absolutely in love in th the  whole range of Eating for Sustained energy Cook books from Liesbet Delport and Gabi Steenkamp. These woman know how to develop good home-made food recipes, while keeping it interesting, healthy and quick to make. When ever there is a new recipe book on the shelves I don’t even flip through it any more I just buy it!  The recipes are based on the low GI low GL principles, low in fat and best of all low in carbohydrates as well.

The recipes are delicious and the photos are absolute taste bud teasers.

I’ve decided to make individual pies instead and to incorporate more veggies into my meal I’ve added a Portobello mushroom on the bottom of the pie pots which was a lovely surprise as no one expected it.

 Serve 6

5 ml Olive oil

1/2 tsp dry/fresh  thyme leaves

1 medium onion chopped

6 x Portobello mushrooms

 garlic butter to fry the mushrooms with

400 g topside mince

5 ml chilli powder

4 tomatoes chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

40 g tomato puree

5 ml brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Pie topping

1 x 410 g tin butter beans (drained)

100 ml low-fat milk

1 egg

60 ml water

250 ml cake flour

10 ml baking powder

Pinch of salt

Fry the Portobello mushrooms in a pan with the garlic butter. Place a mushroom at the bottom of each pot pie.

Heat the oil and fry the onions until soft. Ad the meat,  thyme chilli powder  and  fry until brown. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and the brown sugar. Add just enough water to make a rich sauce and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.  Season to taste.

For the topping; Mash the beans together with milk water and egg, or process in a food processor.Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt onto the beans. Mix well. Spoon the meat mixture into the pots.

Spread the pie topping over the meat with a spoon.

Bake for 20-25 minute in a preheated oven at 180 degrees.

Serve hot with roasted veggies or a large salad

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Oven baked Crumbed Chicken Fillet, a healthy alternative

Crumbed Chicken breast served with potato wedges and a mushroom salad.

I love Chicken and in all honesty Chicken with the skin on is so much better!  Unfortunately I do have high Cholesterol and my Doctor would not approve.  Try this no skin, no fat, oven baked crumbed chicken fillet and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

500 g Chicken fillets

2 Tbs low-fat mayonnaise

2 tsp English mustard

+- 2- 3  thick slices of brown bread (Stale bread works best)

2.5 ml salt or Chicken spices

Pre heat oven to 200 degrees and grease or spray a baking tray with a non-stick spray.

Place a plastic bag or cling film over your chopping board and flatten the chicken breasts with a mallet.

 If you don’t have a mallet don’t stress! take a deep breath. Simply place the chicken fillet in the bag on our chopping board or place between two pieces of cling film. Beat the chicken breast with a rolling-pin, great for the stress levels as well!

Cut your bread into big chunks using your food processor to create fine breadcrumbs. Season with salt or Chicken spices.

If you don’t have a food processor simply grate the  bread with light hand with your cheese grater.

Mix the mustard and mayonnaise and rub the chicken on both sides with the mixture. Dip chicken fillets in the crumbs and place on your baking tray. Bake until golden brown and done +- 20 minutes.

Tips

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Cut Chicken into bite size strips continue with steps above and bake. Great as picnic or party snack or for the kids lunchboxes.

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Bobotie Bites

Bobotie is a South African Dish consisting of spiced mince meat and dried fruit baked with an egg-based topping. It is also made with curry powder leaving it with destinct taste.

This is a healthier version and baked indivudiually, great for a late afternoon protein snack, kids luncboxes or as a party bite.

I’v made it specially for supper served with a fresh tomato and onion sambal, rice and beet salad. All left overs was used as protein snacks later in the week.

Makes 24 Bobotie bites

Each bobotie bite equals 1 protein

Ingredients

1 Medium onion finely chopped

10 ml dried mixed herbs

15 ml Curry powder

5 ml Turmeric

2.5 ml Salt

30 ml Oat bran

15 ml Worcestersauce

30 ml Chutney

50 g Dried Sultanas

3 Large eggs

500g Beef mince meat

310 ml Fat free or low fat milk

Extra pince of Turmeric

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and spray or grease two muffin pans lightly with a non-stick spray or oil.

Mix the Onions, all spices, Oatbran, Worcestersauce, Chutneay, Sultanas  and 2 x eggs in a mixing bowl.

Mix the Mince meat in and add  +- a Tablespoon of the meat mixture in the muffin pans. 

Mix the milk and the remaining egg with a pinc of Turmeric and spoon the milk mixture over the mince mixture.

Optional - Add a bay leave on each of the bobotie bites.

Bake for +- 30 minutes until done. Remove from oven and let the bobotie bites set before removing from the pan.

Tips

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If you don’t like Sultanas replace it  with one peeled and finely grated apple.

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Food Porn – Sausage meets Bun

And then it happened, the most beautiful love story of all times, Sausage meets Bun. The warm sausage was carefully place in the middle of the soft bun covered with chunks of tomato love oozing with a silky mayo and mustard sauce. As the first bite entered my mouth I could taste the sausage and sweet tomato teasing my tongue. Bite after bite it left me craving more. It was love with first sight.

………earlier that same day………….

Oh what a lovely lazy public holiday it was! I went to bed so early the previous night (not by choice, no electricity), woke up feeling completely  refreshed. Breakfast was a simple slice of dark Danish rye bread toasted and topped with creamy scrambled eggs and then just before we got too lazy another power failure leaving us looking for charcoal and fire lighters to make our “Worsrolletjies” for lunch.

Ingredients

1 Pack of sausages

6 White Bread rolls

3 medium tomatoes

1/4 onion

4 tbs light mayonnaise

1 tsp English mustard

Salad leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

On the barbeque grill your sausages.

Deseed tomatoes and dice up. Finely chop the onion and mix with the tomatoes. Add the Mayo and mustard and Salt and pepper to taste. Assemble your Hot dog cutting the bread roll open on the top but not right through. Butter and place salad leaves on both sides. Add a dollop of the tomato mixture onto the bun and place grilled sausage on top. Voila! Enjoy.

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Slow cooked Tomato stew

It is summer in South Africa, the last few days however we have been experiencing some wet and cold weather conditions on the Highveld. It is the kind of weather that reminds you of winter,  hot soups and creamy stews, my favorite time of the year!

This lovely Tomato stew (Tamatie Bredie in Afrikaans) is a family favourite that I love to serve with fresh home-baked bread.  There is nothing quite as nice as to sweep your plate clean with a slice of bread  sucking up all the lovely juices.

Make sure you have at least an hour and half on hand for this dish as it needs to cook slowly at a low temperature.

Ingredients

20 ml olive oil

1 – 2 Onions (sliced)

 2.5 ml Jeera ( Cummin seeds)

2,5 ml Garam Masala spice

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 garlic gloves (peeled and crushed)

2.5 ml ground pepper corns

2.5 ml salt

 500 g beef chuck ( roughly cubed)

2 – 3 carrots (peeled and sliced into rings)

4-5 potatoes (peeled and quartered)

5 ml dried Thyme

1 bay leave

4 -5 tomatoes (finely chopped)

50 g tomato puree

15 ml sugar

60 ml chutney (strong)

10 ml Worcestershire sauce

Use a large pot, heat up and add olive oil. Braise the onions together with the Jeera and masala for a few minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the ginger, garlic, salt and pepper and  the beef and braise for a few minutes untill the meat is sealed.  Add the Thyme, bay leaves, carrots and potatoes and full the pot with just enough water to cover the ingredients, reduce the heat and let it cook with the lid on until the potatoes are soft. Remove the potatoes and keep separate. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar, chutney and Worcestershire sauce  to the meat and cook on a slow heat with the lid on for +- 45 minutes untill the sauce has thickened naturally. Stir every 10 minutes and ensure that there is enough cooking juices  by adding water or beef stock to the meat should it cook dry. Before serving add the potatoes and salt and pepper to taste and let the stew rest for 5 minutes with the lid on.

Serve with freshly baked bread.

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Skinny Lasagna

As a BBC Food Fan I’m totally obsessed with the program Cook yourself thin. 

What a mind shift experience it was the first time I’ve watched it, you could actually have your cake and eat it!

I thoroughly enjoy the hints and tips and the recipes are so easy and exciting.

This recipe of Skinny Lasagna made my day, I love pasta especially Lasagna but off course if you are on a constant diet you never ever have lasagna.

I’ve adapted it to my own liking, do give it a try you will be amazed that something so low in fat and carbs could taste this good.

The secret to this recipe is to replace half of  the high carbohydrate lasagna layers with slices of gourgettes which taste absolutely divine and which by the way are well hidden under the white sauce and meat layers…great for fooling children to eat their veggies!

Meat Layer 

300 g Lean Mince meat

1 tsp Robertson barbeque spices

1 tsp Robertson Italian herbs spices

1 onion finely chopped

1 crushed glove of garlic

5 ml olive oil.

1 punnet button mushrooms sliced

1 – 2 carrots diced

1 small tin tomato paste

1 tbs brown sugar

Braise the onion in a little water in a pan until soft, when most of the water has evaporated add the olive oil and fry for a minute longer.

Lower the heat and add the mushrooms and Italian herbs spices. Add the mince meat and fry until cooked through. Add the crushed glove of garlic and the Barbeque spices. Add carrots and full the pan with just enough water to cover the meat and carrots, simmer until carrots are cooked trough. Add the tomato paste and the brown sugar and cook for a further 2 minutes.

White sauce layer

300ml Low fat milk

3 tbs Flour

1 tsp English mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix cold milk with the flour and slowly heat, cook until thickened constantly stirring. Add English mustard and salt and pepper.

Gourgettes layer

1 punnet of gourgettes, thinly sliced length ways.

1 tbs garlic and parsley butter

Fry Gourgettes in a non stick pan with a little spray and cook until golden in color. Do this in two batches.

After frying the gourgettes add everything back to the pan, add the butter and give it a quick fry again.

The gourgettes soak up all the lovely flavors of the butter and gives the lasagna a sensational taste.

Lasagna layer

4 sheets of lasagna.

60g Mature Cheddar Cheese (using mature cheese means using less cheese with the same amount of cheese flavor.

I’ve used Simonsberg 4 month mature Cheddar cheese for this recipe.

Spray your baking dish with spray and cook. layer gourgettes on the bottom followed by the white sauce, meat and lasagna sheet, repeat and top with 60g Matured Cheddar Cheese. Bake for +- 30 minutes.

Serves 4

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Tips

 For a complete supper meal serve with a simply salad on the side.

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Pork Meatballs and Corn for lunch

Although I’m not with the Weigh-less group anymore I still enjoy the product range they have to offer,  especially the  pork bangers and bacon.

Weigh-less have an excellent eating program that have really taught me that you don’t have to starve to lose weight, which were great news for me because I can eat a horse and floss with his tail!

 I used to join lose weight,  just to fail miserably during the Holidays and trying again 6 months later after regaining all the weight plus a few more.

I came to realize one day that the problem is not with the diet or the temptations during holidays, it’s really about me not relaying on myself but on someone else to keep me in shape and on track.  I could honestly not cope without my group leader for a week!

My husband always asked: “Why do you need to pay someone to tell you to eat right?” and as much as I hated to admit it at that time it was true. At some point I had to make the decision to make my own  good choices, to “behave” not because my group leader is going to weigh me next week and I don’t want to disappoint her but because  don’t want to disappoint myself. 

I guess in the end it all comes back to self love!

Recipe 

1 pack of Weighless herbed pork bangers ( as a substitute use pork or chicken mince +- 400 g)

40g Oatbran

1 small tomato (deseeded and finely chopped)

1 fresh green chili (finely chopped)

1/2 onion (finely chopped)

Cut the skin of the pork bangers open, remove all of the meat and mix with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and ground pepper.  Roll into 12 small balls and fry in a little olive oil in a pan.

I’ve used Frozen corn kernels that I’ve cooked for a few minutes, strain and set aside.   Use the other half of the onion chopped up and fried with strips of sweet pepper and spring onions. Add the corn to the onion mixture and fry for a few minute more.  Enjoy with the pork meatballs.

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Tips

Add a little water to your pan before adding the olive oil and let the meatballs steams a bit. As soon as the water has dried up add your oil and fry. This will “set” the meatball making it easier to fry as it could easily crumble.

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