Because Breakfast should not be boring!

Please, not another day of oatmeal….

Yip, that was my thought exactly, so instead I’ve decided to indulge in a healthy high protein egg white omelette with a spinach, mushroom and cheese filling.  And to round it of  I’ve sprinkled some roasted black sesame seeds on top.

I almost forgot I had these black sesame seeds in my pantry, off course I’m obsessed with it now, they are just so darn pretty! don’t you agree?

Now go on! have some eggs for breakfast and remember omelets is great for supper too.

Recipe 

 

 

yields 2 omelets 

4 egg whites and two whole eggs

90 ml water

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup of frozen or freshly chopped spinach

1/2 punnet of mushrooms sliced

1/2 onion

60 g  low-fat  cheese

Olive oil

tbs sesame seeds (roasted over a dry hot pan)

Fry your onions and mushrooms in a separate pan until brown and cooked through add the spinach and fry for another minute or two and set aside.

Beat the eggs and water together in a bowl and flavour with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat your egg pan and add some olive oil.

Add half of the egg mixture in your pan, cook on medium heat for a few minutes until the egg sets but still soft and moist on top.

Add half of the mushroom mixture and half of the cheese on one half of the omelette.

Flip other half over and fry for another 30 seconds until the cheese is melted.

Repeat process with rest of the mixture for the second omelet.

Serve hot and sprinkle with some sesame seeds before serving.

Now go on! have a omelette for supper too.

 

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Curry Chicken fillets with Chutney and Coconut

This is not your typical “Kerk bazaar” (Church fete’) Curry and rice recipe, but I’ve tried to adopt a much healthier version for an old classic.

Traditional Curry and Rice, as our  South African folks would tell you consists of Curry Mince / lamb with added vegetables such as carrots, potatoes or peas over a bowl of white long grain rice.  Don’t confuse this curry with your traditional Indian curries, they are two completely different meals.

At any good Church Fete’ you would have the additional trimmings to enrich your (plastic) bowl of curry.

First you have your bowl of sliced bananas mixed with mayonnaise and a tad bit of condensed milk that you would spoon over your curry, more than 2 tablespoons is considered rude as you need to keep in mind that everyone else in line behind you also want some.  If you are brave enough and don’t mind the church aunties giving you a dirty look than go ahead, have another table-spoon!

Secondly comes the Tomato Sambal that normally consists of diced Tomato and onions with a dash of salt and pepper.

Then comes the ever popular Mrs. Balls chutney, one tablespoon is efficient and lastly,  a healthy heaped teaspoon of desiccated coconut is added on top.

My husband and son loves mixing everything together before they eat it, I prefer eating it as is,  in layers.

For the recipe below I’ve used Chicken breast which I’ve  marinated in a Curry yogurt marinade. The white rice is replaced with brown rice for a healthier option and low-fat mayonnaise and low-fat chutney was used.

A great mock recipe that fools the taste buds but still pleases the senses.

Enjoy!

Curry Chicken Fillets

400 g – 500 g Chicken Breasts (sliced in half-length ways)

175 ml plain yogurt

2 tsp curry powder

or alternatively mix your own curry powder

(1 tsp Dahnia and Jeera powder mix, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp ginger powder)

salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken fillets length ways in half and pound the chicken fillets gently between two sheets of cling film.

Mix the curry, salt and pepper and the yogurt together. Rub the yogurt mix over the chicken breast and pour the rest of the mixture over the chicken in a container and marinate over night or at least 3 hours before cooking.

Grill chicken fillets in a pan with a little olive oil until done. Serve with the following side dishes

Cooked brown rice 

Tomato and Onion Sambal 

Chop 3 firm tomatoes and 1/2 onion , season with salt and black pepper

Banana and mayonnaise 

Slice 2 bananas and mix with 4 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise

Serve Chicken breast with a dollop of Chutney and a teaspoon of desiccated coconut on top besides the side dished on your plate.

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Quinoa and Beef Salad – High protein lunch

Did you know that Quinoa is in fact a seed and not a grain?

I’ts high in protein, good news for body builders, fitness fanatics and vegetarians and it’s also gluten-free.

I love the texture of Quinoa, it’s very similar to couscous although you cook it like you would cook rice.

Try this high protein salad for lunch, a great and filling super food for when you hitting the Gym in the afternoon!

Ingredients 

500 g Beef cut into thin strips

1  1/2 cups of cooked Quinoa

3 tbs of Olives (pitted and sliced)

1/2 cup of cooked Corn

3 sprigs of spring onion

1/2 onion finely diced

Salt to taste

Olive oil for frying

15 ml of Salad Dressing of your choice

Fry the onion and the beef  in  a little olive oil, set aside. Chop the spring onions and add to beef. In salad bowl mix together the remainder of the ingredients adding the beef last. Add Salad dressing of your choice and mix through one last time.

Serve hot or cold.

Tips

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Quinoa contains a chemical called saponin that has a bitter soapy taste. Most commercial Quinoa will already be washed, but it’s a good idea to rinse it before you use it in case there are residues.

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Fat free, Sugar free Jelly glasses

Desserts, this can be a tricky one since the most enjoyable desserts are high in fat.

Here is a healthy alternative, sugar-free, fat-free jelly in two-tone, served with a piece of canned fruit (in juice not syrup) at the bottom of the glass. Just enough to hit that sweet spot.

Serve it in your prettiest glasses, you can also add a  dollop of low-fat custard to the top.

Watch out for the Fat free Jellies at your local grocer, I love this Simply delish Zero range. It needs no refrigeration, it’s suitable for vegetarians and diabetics, I’ts Gelatine free (Halaal approved), Tartarzine free with no added preservatives….did I mention it’s fat-free and sugar-free?  and most importantly it taste great.

 

 

Ingredients 

2 different packets of Jelly

I’ve used Pineapple and Cherry flavour.

1 tin of fruit pieces in juice

Make jelly according to the instructions on the back of the packet.

Place fruit on the bottom of your glasses, I’ve use a Pear and a cherry for each glass. Pour the Pineapple jelly half way into your glass. In the meantime vigorously mix the cherry jelly with an electric beater until the jelly are full of air bubbles and foamy. Top the glass with the rest of the cherry jelly and let it set. Chill in the fridge until serving.

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Healthy Hake Fish Cakes

 

What to do with Hake?

My husband is a Salmon kinda guy and I’m Hake kinda girl.  I love fish cakes but the problem with most recipes is the high carbohydrate content with all the added flour and breadcrumbs.

I’ve adjusted the recipe accordingly and it was still pretty darn good, the mere thought of having a healthy fish cake was enough to make me smile.

Because I’ve used my carbohydrate portion for the fish cakes I only had salad with the fish cakes for supper. The left over Fish cakes was great for lunch the next day.

I’ve served the fish cakes with a sprinkling of Chopped up Fennel fond, what a taste sensassion!

Ingredients

Yields +- 15 Fish cakes 

500 g hake fillets (skinless and deboned) completely thawed.

2 shallots finely chopped

4 sprigs of spring onion chopped

8 baby potatoes peeled and boiled until soft

1 whole egg mixed

2 tbs flour

5 ml salt

5 ml Lemon juice

Olive oil for frying

For Garnish

20 ml Chopped fennel fond / Dill

Use a non-stick pan for these fish cakes.

Break up the hake fillets with a fork and sqeese  out most of the water out, add to your mixing bowl.  Add the cooked baby potatoes with the fish and mash together. Add the rest of the ingredients to the fish and the potato mixture and mix through.

Heat your non stick pan and add a little olive oil. Form small balls (about the size of Golf ball) with your hands and flatten.

Fry a few at a time in until golden brown on both sides.

Serve with a hearty Salad.

Tips 

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What is Fennel fonds? It is the top leaves of the fennel plant that have a distinct liquirice taste. You can also use Dill instead of Fennel with any fish dish.

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Low fat – Spicy Chicken Kebabs with Savoury herb rice

I think the idea of going on holiday have finally hit home with me, only 56 days to go!

With that happy thought also comes a bit of beach body anxiety, I’m still have 6 kg to lose before my reaching my goal weight and with all the work stress and other nonsense I tend to lose focus a bit.

I have been going strong with the exercise but I still have days where my training session needs to take the back seat over deadlines and family responsibilities….so dissapointing at times, but such is life.

As they say, a flat stomach happens in the kitchen and I have finally made peace with the idea of having Chicken and Fish 5 times a week instead of red meat, in fact not having Chicken daily makes me a bit nervous.

Off course eating Chicken fillets day in and day out soon becomes boring and then you have to put your thinking hat on to zoosh up something out of the ordinary to keep the family happy.

I’ve made these Spicy Chicken kebab’s last week. Marinating the Chicken overnight really made the meat moist and succulent and full of flavour.

Ingredients For Spicy Chicken Kebabs

500 g Chicken fillets

1 onion

1 red / Yellow pepper

1 green pepper

175 ml plain yogurt

1/2 tsp Masala powder

1/2 tsp Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Jeera & Dhania mix powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Salt

1 Green Chilli seeded and chopped finely (optional)

Bamboo Skewers

Cut the Chicken fillets in bite size pieces and set aside. Cut the onion and Peppers in blocks and tread the meat alternatively with a piece of Onion and Peppers onto the Skewers. Place kebabs in an airtight container.

 Mix all the spices and the Chilli with the plain Yogurt and pour over the chicken Kebabs making sure every one is covered with the marinate by rubbing it onto each kebab with your hands.

Marinate Chicken Kebabs overnight (or at least 3 hours) and fry in a pan with a little olive oil until the chicken is done and browned on all sides.

Ingredients for the Savoury rice 

1 Cup of Basmati rice

Salt to taste

1 tsp Veggie Spices (I’ve used Ina Parmaan’s veggie spice)

2 sprigs of fresh Thyme

1/2 onion sliced

1 punnet of mushrooms

15 ml Garlic and Parsley butter

Cook the Basmati rice with Veggie spices as you would normally cook your rice, set aside.

Fry the onions, mushrooms and Thyme with the Garlic and Parsley butter.

Mix the mushroom mix with the rice and serve with the Kebabs.

Tips 

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If you don’t have the above spices available you can use 15 ml curry powder instead. 

Use 5 ml dried Thyme if you can’t get any fresh Thyme for the savoury rice 

Soaking the bamboo skewers in water before hand will prevent them from burning when roasting Kebabs on the grill or in the oven. 

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Rosemary and Orange Sunday Roast Chicken

 

 

Rosemary is probably one of the greatest herbs to compliment a Roast Chicken, pair it with Oranges and you have a winner Sunday Roast without much effort.

I’ts been said that a thriving Rosemary bush in a family garden indicates a female head of the household. Well I’ve got 3 different variations of Rosemary (Pink, blue and white)  growing in my garden and boy oh boy are they thriving!  Seems my husband’s allegations of me constantly wanting to wear the pants in the house might not be all that wrong.

Rosemary is also associated with memory were in ancient Greece students would adorn their hair with sprigs of Rosemary while studying….now I’m just wondering  how I would look attending my meetings with Rosemary in my hair, Greek Goddess!

And don’t forget that a sprig of Rosemary under your pillow will protect you from evil spirits and nightmares.

Recipe 

1 Whole Chicken 

Juice of 2 fresh oranges  

15 ml Robertson’s Chicken spices 

1 Sprig of Rosemary 

600 g Baby potatoes 

Rinse Chicken and rub with the Chicken Spices, place in your Roasting pan (with lid). 

Cut the Rosemary sprig in 3  pieces and place in the Roasting pan with the Chicken. 

Peel baby potatoes and add to the pan. 

Add juice of 2 oranges over the Chicken and the potatoes, place lid on and bake in 180 degrees oven for +-  1 1/2 – 2 hours until Chicken are super moist and soft and golden brown. 

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Ombre Birthday Cake

Let’s just get one thing clear, this is NOT clean eating, it’s a cake full of butter, sugar, flour and  colouring, but it only happens once a year so indulge a little and add an extra 10 minutes to your workout routine tomorrow.

I cannot remember when last I was this excited baking a cake! in fact I can’t remember when last I actually did bake a cake either, so much so that I had no choice but to buy a cake tin since I don’t own one. Strange I know! I normally end up baking cupcakes, probably because I didn’t have a cake tin…lol.

Ever since I saw a picture of a Ombre cake I had an urge to bake one and what better occasion than for my husband’s birthday.

Ombre is the French term for “shaded”. This cake is actually not so complicated as one might think, although it’s a bit time-consuming if you only have one cake tin and you have a power failure half way through the baking process. Note to myself, buy another cake tin!

 My family just loved it!  and so did I since I couldn’t stop taking pictures.

Recipe

360 g Cake flour

1 tbsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

225 ml milk

2 tsp vanilla extract/essence

400 g Castor sugar

225 Butter

4 Eggs

Blue and red food colouring

1 Tin Caramel condensed milk for spreading between the layers / Strawberry Jam

Icing

500 g icing sugar sifted

275 g Butter

Pinch of salt to taste

100′s & 1000′s sprinkles to decorate

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a round cake tin (mine is 22cm) with butter and sprinkle with cake flour.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer on low-speed, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add eggs one by one mixing well after every addition.

Add cake flour mix and milk alternatively to the butter and egg mixture until smooth, add vanilla and mix through.

Divide your cake batter in 5 separate bowls. I’ve used a big spoon adding a spoonful to each bowl. Each bowl contained +- 2.5 spoons of batter.

Leave one bowl white. in a small separate bowl mix 3 teaspoons blue and red food colouring. Add one tsp colouring to each bowl of batter and mix. now add a little extra to each bowl making it darker as you move along. For my second layer I’ve added an extra few drops of red colouring to give it a warm purple colour. I did the same with my last layer by adding a few extra drops of blue colouring.

 There is really no wrong or right way in doing it as long as your colours is not all the same.

This is what mine looked like.

Bake each layer and let it cool on a wire rack. In the meantime mix your icing by beating the butter with an electric mixer adding the icing sugar gradually.

Assemble cake by placing the lightest colour on the bottom. Spread a nice layer of Caramel/Jam in between cakes and finish of by icing and sprinkling with 100′s & 1000′s sprinkles.

Tips

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Bake the cakes by starting with the lightest shade, meaning you can start to assemble your cake as each cake have cooled down.

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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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Nut, Seeds and Berry Chocolate bites

If I knew for sure that I would not gain a pound ever I would’ve became a lollioligist, but since I can’t stop playing around with the 70 % dark chocolate I might as well now pursue a carreer as a  Chocolatier! 70 % dark chocolate is so good for you even when you are on a diet, in fact most diets nowadays suggest that you should have nuts and dark chocolate included in your meal plan. Feeling deprived is one of the main reasons for cheating on your diet. Just keep in mind that moderation is still key here.

5 tbsp Mixed Seeds and nuts (Sunflower seeds, Pumkin seeds, Pistacios, dry Cranberry, nuts)

3 tbsp almond flakes

100g 70 % dark Chocolate

Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Melt Chocolate in a double boiler.

Keep some of the cranberries, Almonds and pistachios aside for the top.

Sprinkle seeds evenly and more or less the same diameter as the size of your chocolate bar in the middle of the cookie sheet.

Drizzle your melted chocolate over the seeds and nuts and mix with trough with a spatula. Sprinkle the almonds, berries and pistachios you have keep out earlier on top.

Chill in the refridirator for +- 15 minute until chocolate is set. Chop into chunks and store in an airtight container.

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