Butternut Squash & Feta Ravioli

V  Well, I finally did it ... I made my own pasta! We've had a pasta machine for a couple of years, but only made one half-hearted attempt at making tagliatelle (with the wrong flour!) which was pretty disastrous, although quite amusing! This time, however, I used the right flour and followed this recipe and it was absolutely delicious! Served with mixed baby salad leaves and sliced avocado, with a simple lemon juice/olive oil dressing and topped with croutons (made from Warren's own bread ... how homemade can a meal get???) it was a scrumptious meal we will certainly be having again!

I couldn't get a sweet potato, so I roasted a tiny butternut squash instead and substituted some left-over feta that was in the fridge for the goat's cheese (which I'm not a huge fan of); the result was heavenly! The sweetness of the roasted squash, the sharp saltiness of the feta and the heat from the drizzle of chilli oil (go sparingly with this!!) were a magical combination ... all set off by the beautiful soft and thin pasta and a few shards of Parmesan. Totally, totally yummy!

If you've never made your own pasta before, I urge you to give it a go ... you don't even need a pasta machine! This recipe makes it incredibly easy and the result is far superior to any bought pasta, even the good fresh stuff. You need plenty of time and lots of space (especially if you're a novice, like me!) but otherwise it's a very simple process and I'm sure would become much, much quicker with a little experience. Definitely worth a go!

Roast chicken with runner bean babies!

Just a regular roast chicken, served with oven-crisped new potatoes and root mash, but I wanted to record the first time ever of using ... runner bean babies!!

We have maintained our allotment very poorly, this year, and the remaining runner bean crop had got so old and woody that it would have been impossible to eat the pods; inside them, however, we found these little beauties!  We removed the pale green husks as well, and were left with little green beans that tasted as sweet as fresh peas when raw, and had a very mild flavour and almost "creamy" texture when lightly boiled in salted water.

They would mash easily and are mild enough to take on most flavourings, so would be ideal as a bruscetta topping; I have also kept some raw to enjoy in a salad.  You could also add them to soups and stews, for a little extra fibre.

Lime and ginger salmon

This was a dish of two halves, in our opinion ... the salmon was exquisite, but the vegetables were unpalatable because of the rice vinegar, which made them sour and bitter at the same time, YUK!  Hubby followed the recipe in the BBC Good Food magazine and only used one tablespoon of the vinegar (rather than the two suggested) but it was still overpowering.

However ... the same marinade was used to cook the salmon and made it absolutely delicious!  Strange, but true.  This is a very low calorie meal, as no oil is used, but I think next time I would use the marinade for the salmon and use a tiny bit of oil for the veg ... maybe then I could taste the lovely vegetables and not just vinegar!!

Barbecued Duck and Pineapple Salad

Another meal from the BBC Good Food Magazine, this duck and pineapple dish brought lots of "oohs", "aahs" and "mmmm"s from my husband!  The flavourings were surprisingly mild, considering the chilli, garlic and ginger components ... and the fresh, sweet/sharp flavour of pineapple with lime juice dressing cut through the richness of the duck.

We used Gressingham Duck Breasts and, although the recipe suggested removing the skin, beating them flat and barbecuing them ... we chose to leave the lovely skin on, leave them plump and pan fry them, finishing off in the oven.  They were incredibly tender and beautifully flavoured, and the dish itself was surprisingly filling.  Nice one!

Butternut squash salad

V  This dish is called a "salad" but is eaten warm and, as you can see, we made it a main course.  We followed the Good Food Magazine recipe and found it was enough for us, followed by some fresh British strawberries and single cream.  Without a dessert I don't think it would have been enough on its own, especially for my husband who is diabetic and needs a substantial meal before having his evening insulin shot.  (Very low in calories, so also good for dieters!!)

The whole thing took a mere 45-50 minutes to prepare and cook and, because there is no meat involved, was a very low cost meal; it was also nutritious and extremely tasty, with lots of different flavours and textures.  We also loved the look of it, with the jewel-like colours of the golden squash, emerald broccoli and ruby-red dried cranberries.  Definitely one we will be enjoying again!

Seafood Curry (John Torode recipe)

I've never been a great one for using recipes (other than for baking) but as I receive a monthly copy of the BBC Good Food Magazine, I thought I should make an effort!  So yesterday, hubby and I planned a menu for the coming week, including five meal ideas sourced from the magazines.

This was the first contender, a nicely spiced but not too hot Seafood Curry by Masterchef's John Torode, and it was quite lovely.  We made a few changes, because we already had some fish and shellfish in the freezer (and we halved the ingredients, which made plenty for two people), then we served it with John's suggested accompaniment of carrot & cumin salad and some cauliflower florets, steamed in a lidded frying pan with a little oil, mild curry spices and tomato puree.

V  John's recipe allows you to make the curry sauce separately (in advance, if you wish), so making a veggie version of this would simply mean cooking a few vegetables first, then adding the sauce ... or why not make up some felafel mix and cook them in the pan before adding the sauce.  You could then serve it with rice or similar accompaniments to ours.  It really is nice enough to serve to guests, too ... but cheap enough for a midweek treat!

Spicy vegetarian wraps

V  We are really enjoying what we eat on the food combining plan, but sometimes we need a break from the usual "meat-and-vegetable" protein meals and fancy a carb-based one instead.  Both pasta and potatoes make a nice change for us, but last night's meal was based around Discovery wholemeal tortillas and was filling, cheap, easy, healthy ... and utterly delicious!

We made a fairly dry vegetable chilli (carrots, onions, peppers, cubed marrow, mushrooms, tomato puree, kidney beans and seasonings), warmed the wraps, then served them with a selection of accompaniments.  Clockwise from bottom: sliced avocado, soured cream & chives, tomatoes, grated cheese and shredded lettuce.  You may also like to include salsa and/or refried beans.

Stifado beef

This is one of hubby's specialities ... a Greek-style braise of beef with onions (shallots work best), carrots, red wine, seasoning and warm spices (either cinnamon and nutmeg, or - better still - a proper blend of Stifado spices, available from specialist shops, some supermarkets, or ... Greece!!).

When I took a photo of it for this blog, hubby said, "Please don't ask me for the recipe!" so I didn't!!  Basically, I believe he just cuts the meat into large chunks, dips it in well-seasoned flour (salt, black pepper and smoked paprika) and seals it in a little oil in a large, heavy-bottomed casserole dish.  I know he also adds whole (or halved) carrots and shallots (or thickly-sliced onion), the spices and wine, a bay leaf and some beef stock and lets it simmer for a long time (couple of hours or more) to tenderise, stirring occasionally.

Yesterday, we had it with some lightly cooked fresh cauliflower and a sort of "bubble-and-squeak", made from mashed root veg and sauteed leeks and cabbage, enriched with a little freshly-grated Parmesan, butter and black pepper.  It was lush!

Greek-style lamb meatball wraps

I've been receiving a monthly subscription copy of the BBC Good Food magazine for well over a year, but  have used very few recipes from them ... even though so many of them look extremely mouth-watering and tempting!  I guess I've been cooking for so long that I just buy some meat, fish and/or vegetables and "instinctively" know what to do with them.  But it's good to try different things and although we already have a varied and interesting diet, my husband and I have both been keen, of late, to experiment with even more different flavours, cuisines and (in particular!!) portion control.

So we had this, from the September issue, last night: Greek-style lamb meatball wraps.  They would have tasted more authentic if we'd had proper Greek-style flatbreads, like the ones they sell "Giros" in, but we used wholemeal tortilla wraps instead (they are so much tastier than the white variety, are very light and less prone to breaking).  The only thing I did differently was to add some tzatziki ... good job I did, because although the dish was very tasty (and filling ... couldn't finish the second one), without the tzatziki it would have been too dry for my palate.

V  Some little nut rissoles would be a good substitute here, or felafel perhaps?  Just make sure whatever you use is well flavoured, or it will get lost among the hummus and tzatziki.

Ham and mushroom pasta

Not exactly a "Carbonara", but a tasty substitute when I haven't the time (or can't be bothered!!) to follow a recipe.  I simply sauteed chopped onion and mushrooms in a little oil (covering the pan to help form some juice), made a roux with a little flour, added milk and brought to the boil.  Near the end of cooking, I added strips of tasty ham, just to heat through.  Meanwhile I boiled some pasta (wholemeal & white mixed), arranged a salad garnish on the plates and made some proper garlic bread!

When everything else was ready, I finished off the sauce with a bit of cream and served in bowls, topped with Italian seasoning and thin shavings of Parmesan cheese ... which melted flat while I was setting up the photo!!  Never mind, delicious it was indeed.

V  To make this one "veggie" is simple ... just leave out the ham!  The Parmesan gives some protein, so there's really no need to add anything else, although you may want to increase the seasonings/flavourings ... perhaps with a little smoked paprika?

"Posh" fish and chips!

Haddock loins were being sold off cheap at Tesco yesterday, so hubby bought three large ones and wrapped them tightly in pancetta.  He then cut each one in half and laid them all on non-stick baking trays. These went into a med/hot oven along with a tray of sweet potato wedges (generously seasoned with salt, black pepper and cajun spices) for about 10-15 minutes ... maybe nearer 20 for very thick wedges of pieces of fish.  (Watch out, though, as I burned our wedges ... but I quite liked the caramelised taste, actually!)

We had two each, with some wedges and peas, plus a little lemon and tarragon sauce left over from the salmon en croute of a couple of days ago.  Absolutely scrumptious!

Roast loin of pork

Although I scored and salted the fat beautifully, there was no crackling to be had on this joint, as there was no rind on it ... but the fat was quite tasty!!  Being a loin joint, it was exceptionally tender and tasty, with pretty much zero wastage.

Simply roasted (with onions surrounding) and served with stuffing, apple sauce (from our own tree ... apples, that is, we don't have an apple sauce tree!!), roasted sweet potatoes and parsnip, steamed carrots and cabbage and lush gravy.  Another delicious and satisfying meal.

Salmon & broccoli en croute

We had lunch out yesterday, so were only going to have a "light" meal for supper ... and this delicious pastry dish was certainly not "heavy", but was substantial enough for a main meal.  We served it very simply with a little extra sauce, a large salad and dollops of coleslaw/potato salad on the side.

I lightly steamed some fresh salmon and broccoli florets, and made a thick white sauce, seasoned and flavoured with dried tarragon; when the sauce was cooked, I removed it from the heat and added the juice of a lemon.  I flaked the fish, then bound it and the broccoli with some of the sauce.

I used a pack of ready-made puff pastry, which I halved and rolled out quite thin, then laid one piece on an oiled oven tray.  I brushed the edges with beaten egg, piled the filling all along the centre, then placed the other pastry sheet on top.  I rolled up the edges, brushing generously all over with the egg wash, then made diagonal slits across the top and "knocked up" the edges with a knife.  I cooked it for about 20-25 minutes in a med/hot oven (200 on my fan oven) and it was gorgeous!

V  To make a delicious and luxurious vegetarian "en croute" dish, lightly cook some of your favourite vegetables (maybe asparagus and mushrooms, for example?), make a beautiful creamy sauce, flavoured with whatever you like (you could even use wine or brandy, as long as you boil it in the sauce to cook off the alcohol); or make a simple, everyday version with roasted Mediterranean veg and cubes of feta cheese.  Use your imagination and try something different!

Warm Duck Breast Salad

This is one of my husband's specialities, although we haven't had it for quite some time ... after last night's heavenly meal, however, I think we will be revisiting it much more often now!  These are his instructions.

Make criss-cross cuts through the skin of the duck breast, and pan-fry (skin side down first) in a non-stick pan; turn over and seal underside as well, then place in a small oven tin.  Make up a glaze, using balsamic glaze, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, a little tomato puree, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper.  Pour the glaze over the duck and cook in a medium for about 15 minutes, or until juices run clear when pricked with a skewer/fork.  Do not overcook!  Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then carve into thick slices and serve warm over salad, drizzling with the cooking juices if you like.

The salad ingredients are down to individual preference, of course, but a lovely fresh orange juice dressing is a perfect foil for the richness of the duck.  Two thirds good olive oil, mixed with one third of mostly orange juice (freshly-squeezed is best) and a little cider vinegar, mustard, horseradish cream/sauce and seasoning.  Shake well in a lidded jar and pour a little over salad.  Personally, I still like a little balsamic glaze first over my salad, but that's just me!

Oh yeah, and he also made scrumptious croutons using slices of ciabatta, olive oil, salt & black pepper and a very fine sprinkling of Italian seasoning.  He drizzled/sprinkled it all lightly over the bread slices on an oven tray and baked it for about 7 minutes each side.  These were divine, by the way!!

Turk's Turban risotto

Found this lovely recipe on The Telegraph's website, after searching what to do with turk's turban squash!  It's a little bit more complex than I like recipes to be (!!!) but actually, well worth the effort because it was completely divine!  The balance of flavours from the leek, bacon, garlic, wine and squash, coupled with the  assorted textured and creaminess of the arborio rice ... phwoarrrrh!  Heavenly!

I also found a recipe (BBC Good Food website, I think) for this "zesty" vegetable salad, using lightly steamed green beans, courgette and peas ... all of which I had just picked from our allotment.  How serendipitous!  It had a lovely fresh lemon and herb dressing, which was a perfect foil for the rich flavours and creaminess of the risotto.

We didn't have enough squash, but supplemented it with a bit of butternut ... and I only had dried herbs and dry wine, rather than the fresh herbs and sweet wine suggested.  Didn't matter, though, it still tasted wonderful.  Also, I couldn't serve it in the scooped out shells, as our allotment woodlouse population had  burrowed several tunnels into them!

V  Easy to make this meat-free ... simply leave out the bacon and use some tasty mushrooms instead.  Chestnut or large flat-cap would both be good!

Just steak and salad

After nine days of grandchildren staying with us (and consequently a few "misdemeanours" in the nutrition department!) we were actually quite glad to get back to food combining last night.  Just a simple griddled sirloin steak, with griddled onions and tomatoes, served with a lovely salad and some garlic mushrooms ... perfect!

Cupcakes by Kyle!

Grandchild summer visit No 2 resulted in a batch of scones and these fabulous cupcakes from Kyle.  The BBC Good Food recipe suggests using bought fondant icing, but we made lovely buttercream (soft butter, loads of icing sugar, a little milk for piping consistency) and flavoured it with four varieties of natural flavouring.

We used lemon juice and natural orange extract for the St Clements cupcakes, blended fresh strawberries for the Strawberry cupcakes, cocoa powder for the Chocolate cupcakes and a little strong coffee for the Coffee Cupcakes.  Kyle then decorated them in his own style and I think they look amazing ... they also tasted fab!

Lasagne by Charlotte!

My son and step-daughters have always asserted that no-one (absolutely no-one) can make lasagne as good as mine!  Well, I don't know about that ... but I do know I make a pretty decent one!  And today, my granddaughter Charlotte took the cooking "reins" and made a stonking lasagne all by herself ... to Grandma's recipe, of course!

While she's staying here, Charlotte is creating her own recipe "book" (with photos) to take home and, as it's her Mum's all-time favourite food, I think she will be asked to make this dish many, many times in the future ... before long it will be as much second nature to her as it is to me!

The meat sauce was simply fried onion, steak mince and seasonings (black pepper, Italian seasoning, Lea & Perrin's, beef stock), cooked until brown, then a box of passata added (or a tin of chopped tomatoes).  This was then simmered gently while we made the cheese sauce.

The cheese sauce was made using a simple roux method (melt a large knob of butter in a saucepan, add a tablespoon or so of flour and cook gently until absorbed, stirring out any lumps), then gradually adding up to a pint of milk (depending on how thick you want the finished sauce to be), stirring constantly then bringing to the boil (still stirring!).  Season with black pepper and add plenty of grated cheese, then leave to simmer for a few minutes to thicken.

To put it all together, we layered it all into a greased ovenproof dish, as follows: meat sauce, lasagne sheets, cheese sauce, repeated - finishing with the second layer of cheese sauce.  We topped it with a little extra grated cheese and cooked it in a med/hot oven (180) for 20-25 minutes.  (Actually, on this occasion, we added an extra layer of lasagne sheets between the first layer of cheese sauce and the second layer of meat sauce, as the cheese sauce was thin enough to warrant it.)

My top tip for serving lasagne is to let it stand for at least 15 minutes before serving.  This will allow it to "solidify" a little and be easier to serve, whereas attempting to serve it immediately will result in a sloppy mess all over the plates!  Alternatively, make it in advance and re-heat thoroughly to serve, as this has the same effect ... it also freezes exceptionally well.  Serve how you like, but we opted for a lovely salad and a couple of garlic bread slices.  Absolutely scrumptious!!

V Yes, yes, yes ... make up a gorgeous mix of roasted Mediterranean vegetables (chopped quite small), add the tinned tomatoes or passata and use this instead of the meat layer.  I've made it loads of times and it's absolutely delicious, enjoyed by vegetarians and carnivores alike!

Summer vegetable curry*

V  This was adapted from a recipe in the BBC Good Food Magazine and is also available on their website here: *Summer Vegetable Curry  (I'm sure their photo shows a couple of small new potatoes in the curry, but there's no sign of them in the recipe!!)

I chose to adapt it simply because I had a few things to use up, but it was still delicious and (my version) made more than enough for four people.  I didn't have any spinach, but did have a cauliflower and a couple of courgettes from the allotment, plus I added a few sliced carrots because we like them in curry.

My husband especially enjoyed this, particularly the lentils, which added a nice "thickness" to the texture that is sometimes missing in a vegetable curry.  We served it with wholegrain basmati rice (Tilda boil-in-the-bag, 2 portions per bag, very nice indeed!) and some cucumber raita (natural yogurt, mint sauce and chopped cucumber), so it was a pretty healthy meal, too!

Stuffed Marrow

Although the photo doesn't look very appetising, this was actually a tasty and filling meal.  I cooked some lean Scottish minced beef in a frying pan, with onions, garlic, tomato puree, a little Lea & Perrin's, black pepper and beef stock; then I peeled and de-seeded a small marrow (halving it lengthwise), which I placed in a small roasting tin and filled with the mince mixture.  I put a little water in the bottom of the tin, topped the mince with grated cheese and sliced tomato, then covered it all with foil.  I cooked it in a fairly hot oven for about 3/4 hour, removing the foil halfway through to let the top brown nicely.

I served this with some re-heated roast vegetables left over from the night before (which I seriously overcooked!!), some steamed carrots and cauliflower cheese.  A traditional meal that is, I think, served all too rarely these days.  Marrows are also extremely easy to grow, so would be even cheaper than buying ... which is already pretty cheap!

V  I think a rich, savoury mince is essential when filling such a bland vegetable, so try using Quorn mince and follow the recipe above ... but be very careful not to overcook it!  Alternatively, make up your favourite nutroast recipe, spice it up a bit, and use that instead.

Pork au poivre and lovely veg

Although slightly disappointed in the quality of the meat (a bit chewy), this was still a scrumptious meal!  I seasoned the pork steaks liberally with black pepper and paprika, then griddled them; meanwhile, I roasted some parsnips and steamed some carrots, peas and cauliflower (finished the latter off in the oven with a little grated cheese).

When the pork was almost done, I transferred it to an oven dish, with some creamy gravy (just Bisto granules, made up thick, with double cream stirred in).  I crushed a few black peppercorns and threw them in with the gravy, then let the dish simmer in a hot oven for about 5-10 minutes.  Absolutely gorgeous!

Pesto pasta and garlic mushroommmmms!

V  Couldn't resist adding the "mmmm" on the end of "garlic mushrooms", because they were so divine!  As was the pesto, which I made myself ... my first time, believe it or not, although Warren's made it several times before.  Simply served with a salad and some grated cheddar, it was a bloody fantastic dinner, actually!

Fish pie ... "food combining" style!

(Tuesday night's meal - 12th July)

Hubby and I love a good fish pie, but mixing protein (ie fish) and carbs (ie potato) is against the basic premise of food combining, which is how we are choosing to eat at the moment ... so, I improvised!  I used the same mixed fish (packs available at the fish counter of most major supermarkets, or get some from your monger) and baked it in a little milk and tarragon.  Meanwhile I made a root mash, using swede, carrot and parsnip, seasoned with black pepper and mashed with butter.

When the fish was just cooked, I added some sweetcorn kernels and some natural yogurt to the dish, piled the root mash on top and finished off with some grated cheddar.  I put it back into the oven to heat through and brown, then served it with some steamed sugar snaps.  Hubby thought it was delicious, but I wasn't convinced ... for me, the strong flavours of the swede and parsnip were fighting with the delicate fish and I only really enjoyed each of the bits separately.  It just didn't work as a whole dish, for me; having said that, it was near enough for me to try altering the proportions and give it another go.

Cheesy rice-stuffed peppers with ratatouille

Another scrumptious meal that was relatively cheap, wholesome and quick to prepare.  We used a tub of Ken Hom's Egg Fried Rice that we had in the freezer, but it's easy enough to make a risotto instead.)  First, I fried some chopped chorizo in a non-stick pan, then added the tub of (defrosted) rice and 2/3 tub of Philadelphia Cream Cheese over a gentle heat until the cheese was well mixed with the rice and starting to melt.  I added a little black pepper and paprika, then piled it all into red pepper shell halves (we especially like the long, sweet red variety), which were in a small roasting dish with a little water in the bottom; I covered this with foil and put it in a med/hot oven for about 20 minutes.  At this point, I removed the foil and sprinkled grated cheddar on top and replaced in the oven - minus the foil - for another 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, I had been putting together a beautiful ratatouille (chopped carrot, sliced onion, aubergine and courgette, all fried in a little oil, then seasoned with black pepper and Italian seasoning [or herbes du Provence/mixed herbs] and finished with some passata) and butter-steamed, chopped curly kale.  It was a wonderfully balanced and satisfying meal, with a variety of textures and gorgeous flavours.

V  To make this vegetarian, simply omit the chorizo ... and maybe add a little chopped chilli if you would still like that touch of heat.

Spicy bean-burgers in pitta

V  Wow, this was a taste sensation!!  Neither of us felt like cooking, very much, so last night we had a "convenience" meal: grilled Tesco "Nacho" vege-burgers (vegetable and bean with a crushed nacho coating) served in a warmed, split pitta with salad and a (homemade) blue cheese dressing sprinkled with a little dried mint.  Absolutely delicious ... but one should have been enough, really.  (Got to get to grips with this portion control thing!!)

Garlic prawns with avocado and salad

Friday 8th July:

King prawns on the menu again!  This time they were simply cooked in butter and garlic, with a few drops of Tabasco sauce.  We piled these (still hot) into a couple of avocados and drizzled them with soured cream and a dusting of smoked paprika.  We then served them on a huge salad, accompanied by some coleslaw and celery, nut & apple salad and topped it with a few seeds.  A substantial meal without being overly filling ... and absolutely gorgeous!

Thai-style prawn stir-fry

"Thai-style" in as much as it was flavoured with chilli, ginger and lime ... but it wasn't a hot dish really, just gave it a nice "bite".  I also used black pepper and a tiny bit each of soy sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce.

First I stir-fried most of the vegetables together in oil (carrot batons, green pepper, courgette, mushrooms, onion, pak choi stalks, green beans and calabrese stalks), alternating between stirring them over a high heat and "steaming" them over a low heat with the lid on.  They took about 10 minutes (max).

Then I added some mange tout and sugar snap peas, which I stir-fried quickly, before pushing the veg to one side and adding a bag of raw prawns.  These took a couple of minutes to turn pink (while being turned) and then I stirred it all together and put in a bag of beansprouts.  (At this point I added the flavourings.)  It was very yummy ... and I managed to eat almost all of mine with chopsticks!!

Kleftiko for Sunday roast!

We bought a lovely boneless joint of lamb (shoulder) which Warren browned in some oil, added sliced onions, then continued to cook on the hob in a lidded casserole (Le Crueset) with lamb stock, red wine, garlic and black pepper.  (He usually adds a little rosemary as well, but he forgot this time!)  After a couple of hours, the meat didn't need carving as it just fell away in big lumps and the onions had melted into the unctuous gravy ... just like a Kleftiko should be!

We served it with roasted parsnips, leeks and fennel, some braised red cabbage, and steamed carrots, green beans and calabrese.  Such a delicious meal!  One of those meals that was so pleasurable with every mouthful, that I didn't want it to end!!

Cajun chicken breast with ratatouille and Greek salad

Our fab new griddle (on the new oven) came into play again, last night, as Warren coated a couple of Willow Farm chicken breasts with cajun spices (perhaps a little over-generously!!) and griddled them before finishing off in the oven.  Unfortunately, the dry and spicy smoke that came off it caused us both to cough a lot and we had to open all doors and windows and put the griddle pan in a bowl of cold water to calm it down!!!

Anyway ... it tasted delicious (if a little hot!) and made a wonderful meal sliced on top of a simple ratatouille (pan-fried onions, carrots, celery, courgettes, aubergine, peppers, mushrooms and tomato puree) and accompanied by a little Greek salad on the side.  We also topped the chicken with a dollop or two of soured cream, just to take the edge off the spicy heat a little ... PHEW! 

Cheese-topped nutroast and veg

V  (This was actually Thursday night's meal.)  We decided to try a packet of Granose Nut Roast (not realising that peanuts were the second ingredient and not recommended on the Hat Diet that we are semi-following!); it was very nice flavour and texture and incredibly quick and easy to make ... but, for me, the consistency was too soft.  I like a nutroast to be firm and "sliceable", more like a meatloaf consistency; this one just didn't "set" so we couldn't have sliced it, even though the photo on the front of the packet showed the thing sliced!!

However ... it made for a very tasty meal, topped with melted cheese and served with gravy and vegetables: roast mixed veg and steamed green beans.  I'd certainly use it again for convenience (if there wasn't time to make my own), but I might mix it with a little vegetarian stuffing next time, just to give it a firmer consistency.

Chicken Chasseur and lovely veg!

I haven't made a Chicken Chasseur for a very long time ... but it seems I haven't forgotten how, as this was truly scrumptious (cue the Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang song!!).  Although I would normally have included mushrooms, we didn't have any so I just sauteed half a large onion in a heavy-bottomed casserole dish, sealed the (boneless) chicken thighs, added white wine and tarragon, then tipped in a tin of chopped tomatoes.  I stirred it all together, added a splash of soy sauce and a "jellified" beef stock cube (it needs the depth of flavour; chicken stock wouldn't do it as well), then popped it in the oven for about half an hour.  (After 15 mins I added a few shakes of Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce and more tarragon, to give it a little extra "punch".)

I served this with sweet, mixed roast veg (onion, parsnips and fennel), some steamed French beans, plus the leftover root mash and spring greens from the night before ... just gorgeous!

Curly-wurly Cumberland sausage!

I was using "curly-wurly" as a description, here ... not as an ingredient!  (For non-UK readers,  a "Curly-Wurly" is a chocolate and chewy toffee bar, shaped into a long curly plait!)

We bought this Cumberland sausage ring from Morrison's - it came in a foil dish with sliced red onions and a sachet of ready-made gravy, so was exceptionally easy to cook.  It also tasted great!  We served it with fairly simple veg - mashed swede/carrot/parsnip, steamed broccoli/sugar snap peas,  and butter-steamed spring greens.  The fairly plain veg was a perfect foil for the slightly peppery sausage and tangy sauce ... a gorgeous meal that we will definitely be repeating!

Roasted lamb shoulder fillet

No photo today, as the meal was not exactly "picture perfect"!!  It was, however, very tasty ... so I'm just jotting this down as a reminder to myself that roasting a piece of lamb shoulder fillet is a good idea!

I had been looking for some neck fillet - which is melt-in-the-mouth tender - but there wasn't any; instead, I purchased a small piece of shoulder fillet and sealed it on the hob first, then "roasted" it in the oven with shallots, wine gravy and rosemary.  It was almost as tender as shoulder (actually, it had more texture, so was better in that way) and equally as flavoursome.  Definitely something to do again!

Steak and salad ... and then some!

Not just your basic steak and salad, but something a little bit special.  A huge and delicious salad (topped with a few chunks of Feta cheese and a spoonful of coleslaw), with an exquisitely tender and tasty griddled rump steak (simply seasoned with salt and black pepper), fried chunky onion rings (fresh, not battered) and tiny "button" garlic and herb mushrooms, topped with a dollop of soured cream ... heavenly!

Sticky pork ribs and stir-fried veg

THURSDAY NIGHT'S MEAL (23rd June)

We've done this before, with pork steaks, but Morrison's had long racks of pork ribs at around £2.50 each, so we bought one of them to try making Chinese-style "barbecued" ribs ... it worked brilliantly!  I marinated the ribs for an hour or two in a mixture of tomato ketchup/puree, HP sauce (reduced sugar & salt), balsamic vinegar and a touch of Levi Roots Reggae Reggae sauce; we then simply baked the whole thing in a roasting tin with plenty of water in the bottom (you may need to top this up once or twice during cooking).  About 40 minutes later, we had beautifully tender and tasty ribs - two generous portions at around half the cost of ONE portion from a takeaway.

We served this with a lovely big stir-fry of onions, carrots, pak choi, courgettes, mushrooms, peppers, sugar snap peas and beansprouts ... all flavoured with soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce and Lea & Perrin's.  It was lush!  Having a big plate of vegetables like this, I can honestly say that I don't miss the addition of carbs to the meal - and I feel satisfied at the end of it, without any bloating or discomfort.


Top Tip:  The one down side to this scrumptious dish is the roasting pan ... if you're not really careful, the sticky sauce can burn on to the pan and set like black concrete!!!  Make sure you use a (seriously) non-stick tin, or a good, solid enamel/stainless steel one that will take a lot of vigorous scrubbing with a scourer!

Vegetable risotto and Greek salad

V   We decided to have a "starch meal" (carbohydrate) last night, so plumped for a nice vegetable risotto.  The "Hay Diet" that we are sort-of following recommends only using whole grains, but I don't know if it's possible to get brown risotto rice; we used standard Arborio rice, on this occasion, but I will check that out.

First, I fried some small lengths of asparagus and thickly-sliced chestnut mushrooms in oil, with some black pepper and the lid on.  When they were beginning to soften, I added the rice (far too much, actually!!) and stirred that into the oil and vegetable juices, before replacing the lid.  After a few minutes, I stirred it all again and added about 3/4 pint of vegetable stock.  I left this cooking for around 15 minutes, adding more stock/water as necessary and some frozen peas and tinned sweetcorn when it was nearly finished.  The only other flavouring I added was a couple of shakes of Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce.

We had this with a big Greek salad (sans olives, as we didn't have any!) and some buttered olive bread ... which made up for the missing olives from the salad!

Roast chicken and salad

The most important things about "food combining" (which is the eating style I am currently following ... broadly!) is to not mix concentrated proteins and concentrated carbohydrates in the same meal, and to make salads and vegetables the main components to any meal.  This huge chicken salad almost met that criteria, then ... except hubby forgot that sweetcorn came under "carbs" and opened a tin to add to our salad.  We're both still in the learning process with "food combining", but we're getting there.  Anyway, it was a gorgeous meal, accompanied by some leftover roasted butternut squash from the day before!

Griddled pork fillet

This meal was in place of a "traditional" Sunday roast ... and it was more than up to the job, thank you very much!!  A long pork fillet (or tenderloin, as it's also known) was sliced into "medallions" and griddled, served with roasted butternut squash (heavenly!), cauliflower cheese (some frozen stuff we're using up), plus the leftover kale and casserole vegetables from the night before.  Quick, wholesome, cheap and utterly scrumptious!

Saucy sausage casserole!

It wasn't quite fiery enough to be called "spicy" ... I could have called it "piquant", I suppose ... but I like alliteration (and the hint of naughtiness), so I plumped for "saucy"!  Whatever you call it, though, it was extremely tasty and satisfying.

I placed some good quality pork sausages in a stainless steel tin and baked them in the oven (this is my preferred method of cooking sausages - they don't split like they do when grilled, but they still give off a lot of their fat while keeping a good flavour).  While they were cooking, I put a little oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole and began cooking the vegetables in the following order: sliced leek, courgettes, red pepper, mushrooms (sprinkled with plenty of black pepper).  Each time, I stirred the veg to coat it with the oil, then placed the lid on the pot and let it partially steam.

When the veg was just cooked (worked out about the same time as the sausages - about 20-30 minutes after I put them in the oven) I added a tin of chopped tomatoes, a "jellified" beef stock "cube", some Herbes du Provence (mixed herbs would do), a generous shake of paprika, a good slug of Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce ... and a squeeze of HP brown sauce (reduced salt and sugar variety).  This was all allowed to heat up and blend together, then I transferred the cooked sausages and let the whole thing simmer for a few minutes while I steamed some curly kale.  Oh ... I almost forgot, I also roasted a couple of parsnips, which was a lovely accompaniment to the dish.

V  Simply replace the sausages with your own favourite meat-free ones, or get your protein from throwing in a tin or two of delicious beans.

Breaking the rules ... just a little!

Although this meal breaks a few "rules" of the Hay Diet, it fits in with it in principle!  Here's why ...

1  As a protein-based meal (with the griddled pork chop) it has no large amounts of concentrated carbohydrate (such as potatoes or rice), but we did use a sprinkle of gravy granules to thicken the mushroom/cream sauce - this contains flour, which is a carbohydrate.

2  Eating as much raw food as possible (as in the Greek salad) is advised, but mixing two types of protein in one meal (ie. pork chop and feta cheese on the salad) is not.

3  Making vegetables and/or salad the main part of every meal is encouraged (they now always take up 2/3 of our plates), but so is serving smaller portions ... which is something we still haven't quite embraced!!

However ...

We are both thoroughly enjoying the food, feeling very healthy ... and I am beginning to lose a few pounds.  Without "dieting".  Because "diets" don't work ... healthy eating does!

Creamy vegetables with jacket potato

V  I thought it was time we had a carbohydrate-based main meal last night, as we've had protein-based evening meals for several days in a row ... so this is what I came up with!  Basically, I put a little oil in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed casserole dish (Le Creuset, actually - brilliant stuff!) and just threw in the chopped vegetables in order of cooking time.

I started with carrots, parsnips and celery (do use parsnips, if you can, as they give a lovely sweet flavour to the finished dish) and covered it tightly with the lid, so the veg would "steam" and make its own juices; next I put in some whole shallots and courgette chunks and gave everything a good stir; finally, I added in some mixed peppers and a couple of huge mushrooms.  The only flavourings I added were some black pepper and (just before the end) some smoked paprika.  I sprinkled in a little plain flour, stirred it in, then finished off with a tablespoon or two of cream.  It was all brought to the boil to thicken, then served on a lovely buttery jacket potato!  Deeee-lish!

Rainbow trout fillet & stir-fry

Another delectable fish dish ... baked rainbow trout, served with plenty of stir-fried vegetables and a little watercress & creme fraiche sauce (from The Saucy Fish Co., came with the salmon fillets we had last week).  Lovely subtle, sweet flavour to the trout and a delicious combination of vegetables, enhanced by vegetable stock, soy sauce and oyster sauce.

Roast beef and ... just veg!

This was our first Sunday roast since starting the Hay diet last Monday.  What is missing from our usual roast beef dinner is both potatoes and Yorkshire pudding; we did, however, have roasted parsnips and these took the place of potatoes very nicely indeed!  With a plateful of beautifully cooked beef and gorgeous veg (red cabbage, curly kale, mashed swede & carrot), none of us noticed the "lack" of potatoes at all.

V  A nutroast would be lush here, as a "protein meal" ... or make it a "carb meal" and fill your plate with roast spuds!

Barbecue-style pork with Chinese stir-fry

OMG! ... This was so, so delicious!  Another "protein meal" on the Hay diet, there was no starch involved (bread, potatoes, noodles, etc), but with plenty of fresh veg in the stir-fry it was filling enough without.  (Actually, we also had a sausage or two each, but didn't want them spoiling the photo, LOL!)

We marinated the pork (and sausages!) in a mix of tomato ketchup, brown sauce, Levi Roots' Reggae-Reggae sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce and a little Lea & Perrin's Worcester sauce.  This was then baked in a hot/med oven for about half an hour.  The veg was stir-fried in stages (beansprouts last!) and flavoured with grated ginger, black pepper, crushed garlic, soy sauce and oyster sauce.

Vegetable pasta bake

V  This was not really what I usually call a "pasta bake", as there was no binding sauce to speak of and no cheesy breadcrumb topping!  It was, however, very tasty and filling, quick and easy to prepare, relatively cheap and extremely wholesome.  It also fitted into the criteria for a "carbohydrate meal" on the Hay diet.

I started off by doing my regular roast vegetable thing - chopped up veg in a roasting tin with oil, herbs & black pepper, covered it with foil and into a hot oven for half an hour, stirred in a few shakes of Lea & Perrin's, then left off the foil for another half hour.  On this occasion, I used aubergine, courgettes, mushrooms, mixed peppers, carrots and onion.

Meanwhile, I cooked some pasta shapes and added them when the veg had finished cooking, along with some tinned sweetcorn and a few small chunks of Feta cheese. (I sprinkled the Feta with some dried mint for an authentic Greek flavour.)  This all went back in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the Feta was browned and beginning to melt a bit.

I didn't serve anything else with this; we simply enjoyed eating it from a bowl with a fork - it was gorgeous!

We also indulged in a little dessert last night ... I'm still not completely sure of what the Hay diet says about desserts, but I am sure that, although I'm choosing to eat this way the majority of the time, I will still have the occasional sweet treat!  Anyway, this was a light concoction of chopped fresh peach in sugar-free jelly (hubby is diabetic), topped with a little ready-made custard and whipped cream ... with a sprinkle of Kenco's new Millicano coffee.  Very nice, refreshing pud!

Salmon/chicken "protein meal"

Another successful meal within the Hay diet guidelines; I realised as I was preparing this, last night, that I'm finding this new way of eating quite exciting.  All it takes is a little more thought about what we are going to have - and what can go with it! - but trying to come up with new combinations, plus an element of raw food, is a really enjoyable challenge!

So, yesterday's dinner was oven-baked salmon (for Warren and me) or pan-fried chicken (our son Pete's not a huge fish fan), accompanied by asparagus, creamed spinach and a red cabbage slaw dressed with orange juice, crushed mustard seeds and toasted pine nuts.  It was a really tasty meal and, because of the raw salad, very filling ... so again, no-one missed the carb element of our old-style meals.