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Posted on 04.18.05 by Administrator @ 6:32 pm Edit This
Here’s another favourite recipe of mine using lentils (you know how much I love them!). This makes a great dinner, served with some salad and bread… Lentil & Mushroom Gratin - serves 4
2 tbsp oil
25 g (1 oz) margarine 75 g (3 oz) grated cheese (fat-reduced) Heat oil in pan and fry onions, carrot and celery for 10 minutes until soft. Add remaining ingredients for the lentil mixture plus salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for about an hour, until lentils are tender. Prepare mushroom filling by melting margarine in a frying pan. Add mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes while stirring. Mix in the garlic, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Place half the lentil mixture in an oiled ovenproof dish. Spread the mushrooms over the top, then the remainder of the lentil mixture on top of that. Sprinkle on the grated cheese and bake in a pre-heated oven 190°C (375°F, Gas Mark 5) for 20 to 25 minutes untilo the top is golden and bubbling. Serve with salad and crusty bread. Filed under: Vegetarian and High-fibre Comments: None |
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Posted on 04.17.05 by Administrator @ 3:33 pm Edit This
Glad to hear from your e-mails that you’re all enjoying my nutritional tips, as well as my recipes Here’s a handy tip about eating tomatoes - eat at least one a day to help prevent cancer. Tomatoes are rich in a carotenoid called lycopene. People with high levels of lycopene in their blood are less likely to develop cancer, and eating just one tomato a day is sufficient to keep those levels up. Tomato products such as puree and sauce also contain large amounts of lycopene. Tomatoes are also a good source of vitamin C. The only bad thing to be said about tomatoes is that they may aggravate rheumatoid arthritis conditions, so beware if you are a sufferer. Filed under: Nutritional tips Comments: None |
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Posted on 04.16.05 by Administrator @ 5:14 pm Edit This
Ah the wonders of yogurt! This simple food really does have a lot going for it. Choose a low-fat or no-fat plain yogurt that contains Lactobacillus acidophilus (check the label) and you have a food that contains loads of calcium, potassium, riboflavin and vitamin B12. Yogurt bolsters the immune system, helps prevent vaginal yeast infection in women, helps to ward off other types of infection by raising gamma-interferon levels in the blood. Gamma interferon is a substance that directly fights disease in the body. It is estimated that eating 250g yogurt a day gives optimum benefits - that’s just two small pots. Filed under: Nutritional tips Comments: None |
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Posted on 04.15.05 by Administrator @ 3:00 pm Edit This
Here’s a good recipe for a dinner party. Serve it with a salad and bread and it’s an easy, tasty dish to serve for your guests Chicken & Pepper Bake - serves 4 3 green peppers, cored and seeded, thinly sliced Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas Mark 4). Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and fry the green peppers for 10 minutes until soft. Remove from pan and place in a Add remaining oil to pan, heat and add chicken pieces. Cook for 5 minutes until brown. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add herbs and chicken stock, bring to the boil then remove from heat. Use an ovenproof dish, arrange a layer of pepper and onions in the bottom, spoon the chicken mix over it, then the rest of the peppers and onions on top. Beat the bechamel sauce, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg together in a bowl and pour over the dish. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake for 35 minutes. Filed under: Chicken & Poultry Comments: None |
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Posted on 04.14.05 by Administrator @ 3:26 pm Edit This
I’ve been a big fan of beans ever since I became a vegetarian when I was fifteen. I have occasionally eaten meat since, I must confess, but I still love dishes based on pulses. Here’s a great recipe based on the humble mung bean - cheap, nutricious and delicious… Mung Bean Risotto - serves 4 350 g (12 oz) mung beans, soaked in water overnight Drain the beans and rinse them. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large suacepan and fry the onions until soft. Add the drained beans and rice and stir in. Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes until water has been absorbed and rice and beans are tender. Add the herbs and salt and pepper to taste and mix gently. Fry the pumpkin seeds in the remaining oil, serve the risotto with the seeds sprinkled on top. Filed under: Vegetarian and High-fibre and Low-fat and Rice Dishes Comments: None |
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Posted on 04.13.05 by Administrator @ 6:30 pm Edit This
Here’s a recipe for a really tasty nut roast that we had on Christmas Day last Christmas. It was very successful and popular with everyone, served with roast potatoes, steamed vegetables and a mushroom and brandy sauce… Walnut & Lentil Roast - serves 6 1 tbsp oil Heat oil in a pan, fry onion until soft. Add garlic, celery, lentils and water and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove lid at the end if necessary to allow excess water to evaporate. Mix in the walnuts, breadcrumbs, parsley, soy sauce, egg and season to taste. Mix thoroughly. Line a loaf tin (500g/1lb) with foil and brush with oil. Spoon the mixture into tin, cover with foil and bake in pre-heated oven 190°C (375°F, Gas Mark 5) for about 50 minutes. Filed under: Vegetarian and High-fibre Comments: None |
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Posted on 04.12.05 by Administrator @ 10:59 pm Edit This
Did you know that a vitamin E deficiency can cause infertility? Well, that’s what they found out in some experiments on rats in the 1920s. (Just for the record, I don’t agree with animal testing of any sort…). The name “tocopherol” given to vitamin E actually means “bring forth children” in Greek! Vitamin is also a powerful antioxidant and is essential for normal functioning of many body systems. It protects cell membranes from attack by free-radicals. Good dietary sources of vitamin E include: avocado Filed under: Nutritional tips Comments: None |
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Posted on 04.11.05 by Administrator @ 6:20 pm Edit This
I adore avocado and love the opportuniy to use it in a recipe. I often just slice up a nice ripe avocado and eat it on toast with salt and pepper! But here’s a great recipe for a salad with chicken, avocado and pasta - I hope you like it… Chicken & Avocado Salad - serves 4 1 tbsp olive oil Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add a little oil and a pinch of salt, then cook the pasta for about 10 minutes until tender. Drain pasta through a colander and rinse under cold tap. Drain and tip into a large salad bowl. Mix in the remaining olive olive and allow to cool. Stone and peel the avocado, cut into cubes and mix with the salad dressing in a separate bowl. Mix the chicken strips, celery slices and olives into the cooked pasta. Pour the avocado and dressing over the pasta and toss carefully. Serve, garnished with the chives. Filed under: Chicken & Poultry and Pasta and Salads Comments: None |
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Posted on 04.10.05 by Administrator @ 9:08 pm Edit This
Well, my healthy tip for the day is to use bulgur wheat as a replacement for white rice, at least in some dishes. It is very tasty, easy and quick to cook and very nutritious. Bulgur wheat is simply wheat that has been steamed, dried and ground. It’s a great source of fibre, high in B vitamins and a good source of potassium. It’s low in fat (and therefore calories) and also contains some calcium and iron. Go on - give it a try Filed under: Nutritional tips Comments: None |
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Posted on 04.09.05 by Administrator @ 9:39 pm Edit This
I make and eat soup throughout most of the year, except the middle of the summer (I guess it comes from growing up in chilly England!) and this is a favourite soup recipe of mine.. It’s great for lunches and suppers, served with wholemeal bread.. Pea Soup - serves 4 225g (8oz) dried split peas Soak split peas in water overnight. Drain and place in a large saucepan with the stock, onions, carrot, turnip, mint and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil and simmer one and a half hours until the peas are soft. Cool, then blend in a liquidiser or push through a sieve until smooth. Add sugar to taste and reheat; serve hot. Filed under: Vegetarian and High-fibre and Low-fat and Soups Comments: None |
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