Tuscan Chicken

 A nice easy and tasty meal with chips, rice or jacket potato.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1.5 garlic cloves, minced
• 0.5 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp paprika
• 0.5 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp butter
• 0.5 cup heavy whipping cream
• 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated 
• 0.5 cup cherry tomatoes. halved
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp tomato puree
• Handful Grated Cheddar
• 1/2 onion

1.           Season chicken with Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper.

2.           In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil.

3.           When the skillet gets nice and hot, add your chicken and sear on both sides until brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.

4.           Add butter, garlic, onion and diced tomatoes to pan for 5 minutes stirring occasionally on medium/ low heat.

5.           De-glaze pan with chicken broth. Scrape the pan to remove the bits that might have stuck to the bottom.

6.           Add heavy cream, tomato puree, cheeses and spinach and simmer on medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken stirring occasionally so that it doesn't stick. (It took approx seven minutes.)

7.           Add the chicken back to the skillet, and simmer on low heat for five minutes.

Calories: 380kcal | Net Carbohydrates: 4g

Rhubarb Squares

Made this with Strawberries instead of rhubarb. My condensed milk was quite a dark yellow so cooked cake was quite dark.

14 ounces canned condensed milk

1 1/4 cups self-raising flour

2 cups diced rhubarb

1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar, optional

Instructions

1.                 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a square 9×9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.

2.                 In a large bowl, use a sturdy spoon or spatula to stir together the condensed milk and flour until combined.

3.                 Next, add in the diced rhubarb and fold into the thick batter. The batter is extremely thick, so don’t be alarmed! 

4.                 Transfer batter to lined cake pan.  Press the batter into the pan, being sure to get into the corners.  Try to get the top as evenly flat as possible. 

5.                 Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from pan.  Cut into 16 squares and dust with confectioner's sugar if you so desire.

 

Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g

 

If you want beautiful, bright red flecks of rhubarb in your squares, soak the diced rhubarb in grenadine for an hour.  

Crustless Quiche

 This amount serves 2; I used garlic granules and streaky bacon

Fry Light Spray

1 Clove Garlic peeled and very finely chopped

2 bacon Medallions cut into strips

200 g Mushrooms quartered

3 Medium Eggs

30 ml Skimmed Milk

30 g Low fat Cheddar Cheese grated

Salt & Black pepper

2 Cherry tomatoes halved

Calories 165 / Net Carbs 4

 

You will need an 8 inch / 20cm flan dish or sandwich tin

Preheat your oven 180C/350F/Gas4

In a frying pan, using fry light fry your bacon medallion pieces, garlic and mushrooms for approx 10 minutes until lightly golden

Spray your flan dish or sandwich tin with Fry Light and tip in your cooked mushroom & bacon

Next crack your eggs in to a bowl, add your milk, salt & pepper and mix with a fork or whisk

Add your grated cheese to your egg mix and stir

Tip your egg mix over your mushrooms and bacon into the flan dish or tin

Pop your halved Cherry tomatoes on top

Bake in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until cooked (firm to the touch) and golden in colour

Blueberry Scones

 I made using strawberries and added some icing on top - very moorish.

·    1 ¼cup Almond flour

·    1/3 cup Coconut flour

·    ¼ cup Granular erythritol sweetener, 

·    1/2 teaspoons Gluten free baking powder

·    2 Tbsp Butter, soft

·    ¼ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

·    ¼cup Cream

·    2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

·    1 large Egg

·    1/2 cup Blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS

1.                  Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.                  In the bowl of your mixer combine all of the dry ingredients.

3.                  Add the softened butter and cream it together with the dry ingredients until it is well mixed.

4.                  Add the almond milk, vanilla extract, and egg and continue mixing until well combined.

5.                  Add the blueberries and using a spatula fold them into the dough. Leave to settle for 15 minutes.

6.                  Using your hand, shape dough into a circle. Cut into 8 and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

7.                  Bake in the 350 degree F oven for 18-23 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and you begin to see a few golden brown spots on top.

8.                  Remove from the oven and let the scones cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

 

110 Calories / 3 Carbs

Leg of Lamb with Harissa, Roasted Aubergines & Tomatoes

 Recipe from Ocado - was delicious

• 2 aubergines, thickly cut into 1cm slices
• 1 red onion
• 2½ kg leg of lamb
• 3 tsp harissa paste
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil with garlic
• 16 small vine tomatoes

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2. Line a roasting tin with the aubergine slices, then scatter over the onion. Place the leg of lamb on top of the vegetables, and tuck the halved garlic alongside.

Step 2

Stab the lamb all over with a very sharp knife, then rub all over with the harissa paste. Sprinkle the meat and vegetables with the sea salt, then drizzle over the garlic oil. Transfer to the oven and roast for 30 mins, uncovered, then cover with foil and roast for a further 2 hrs.

Step 3

Turn up the oven to 180°C/150°C fan/gas 5 and uncover the lamb. Cook for 30-40 minutes until lamb is to your liking. Turn oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2 for last 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the tin for the last 20 minutes.

Stroganoff Pie

 This was really tender as I cooked in the slow cooker for 8 hours on slow, I did omit the mustard.

500g Casserole Beef

2 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 brown onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 cup beef style liquid stock

100g cup mushrooms, thickly sliced

1/3 cup cream

Fresh chives, chopped, to serve

Mash topping

 

Step 1

Place beef in a large bowl. Add flour. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a 10-cup-capacity, heavy-based flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Cook beef until browned all over. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Step 3

Add onion to dish. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and paprika. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste, mustard and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then add to slow cooker for 4-5 hours on HIGH. Add mushrooms and cook for another hour or until beef is very tender. Stir in cream.

Step 4

Meanwhile make Mash Topping: Place potato in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Boil for 12 to 15 minutes or until potato is very tender. Drain well. Return potato to pan. Add butter and cream. Mash until smooth and combined.

Step 5

Place beef from slow cooker in oven proof dish. Dollop beef mixture with mash topping. Spread to cover filling. Bake for 25 minutes or until top is golden. Sprinkle with chives.

448 Calories

Orange Cake

 Had 1 orange left from doing Salmon.

• 125g butter, softened     
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour sifted
• 1 tbs orange zest, finely grated

• 1/3 cup butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar sifted
• 2 tbs orange juice *to taste
• 1/2 tsp orange zest, finely grated

 

Combine all cake ingredients and beat thoroughly for 3 minutes.

Pour mixture into a greased 20cm x 10cm loaf or 20cm ring tin.

Bake in the centre of a 180C / Gas 5 oven for 30-40 minutes.

Turn onto a wire rack and allow to cool.

Mix orange icing ingredients together in a bowl, then ice cake.