Tofu

 Tofu is boring. I don't want to think it's boring anymore so I have been on a mission to make tofu tasty! I love it from the Chinese, and wanted to have something similar at home, but much healthier! The texture of this was spot on, I think I will play around with different marinades though. Maybe next time I will marinade them in sweet chilli sauce or something.

I want tofu to be a big part of my diet, so I am also looking at cooking it in other ways that aren't just Asian inspired. If you hate tofu, you should try this!

First I cut my tofu block in half so there were two slices. I put some kitchen towels on a plate, placed the tofu on top, and put more kitchen towels on top.
Then I put a plate with three or four cans of food on top. This is to squeeze out all the moisture.

I left it for about four hours. You can leave it for less if you don't have time!

I then  took the kitchen towels away, and put the tofu in the freezer. When they are frozen, take them out of the freezer and repeat the first process of putting kitchen towels and weighing them down. I left this for another three hours. The texture if much firmer now. I then placed the tofu in a bowl, with one teaspoon of olive oil, some crushed pepper, smoked paprika, oregano and salt. I left this in the fridge over night.

I served it by frying them quite quickly with no oil (there was oil in the marinade, and it was a non stick pan) I served it with some fried vegetables.

I will be trying this method with other types of marinade soon. The texture was lovely. I am looking forward to having tofu in my life!

I know this is a long process, but you don't have to be in the kitchen for most of it, and it really is worth it.
The tofu was 4 points (half a pack of cauldron tofu), the marinade was one point and I served with one point of sweet chili sauce! So only six points for this beauty!
Enjoy!

Spinach and feta cannelloni

I don't like ricotta. It's bland and has a weird pukey texture. Hate to say it.. But I do. So today I have used feta instead!

Firstly make a basic tomato sauce. I put aubergine, onion, courgette and garlic in a pan with a teaspoon of olive oil, friend untill soft, added some stock and a tin of tomatoes.

Gently heat some frozen spinach (2 balls) and 50g of feta in a frying pan. Season. When it's all melted together, fill three cannelloni tubes with the filling. Put in a small oven dish. Pour over the tomato sauce, sprinkle hard cheese on top, bake for around 35 minutes.

It was 11 points for the whole thing. I hope I only eat half!
Serve with a green salad and capers.

Enjoy!

Gazpacho!

It's hot, I'm on a diet, salads get boring!



Having this just as a snack with my wine tonight.

You will need : two large, ripe tomatoes, 1/4 of a cucumber, 1/4 of a red onion, half a yellow peppers, some vegetarian worsteshire sauce, two teaspoons of vinegar, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Ice and parsley to serve.

This actually couldn't be easier. Put all of the ingredients in a jug or blender, and blitz t all together. Taste for seasoning, serve with ice.

0 points, refreshing and tasty.

Puy lentil Moussaka

I know I go on about puy lentils but they are the best thing ever!

You will need: An aubergine, 50g of puy lentils, half a courgette, onion, pepper, tinned tomatoes, stock cube, milk (1/4 of a pint) flour (table spoon) and 40g of half fat cheese.

I am on a diet again and this is only 10 points for the whole thing (massive) and 5 for half (what I will have..)

I had my puy lentils cooked because I made a salad over the weekend, just cook them according to pack instructions.

Start by frying courgette, peppers and onion together. Add some garlic if you have any. When they are soft, add a tin of tomatoes and a stock cube. When it has reduced a little bit add the puy lentils.

Cut the aubergine and layer them in the bottom of your dish, pour the tomato mixture over, then do another layer of aubergine, and another layer of the tomato mixture.

Now comes the naughty bit..

Make a basic white sauce with low fat cooking spray, skimmed milk, and a tiny bit of the cheese (around 10g). Start by cooking the flour and slowly adding the milk.

Pour this over the top of your moussaka, and finally grate the rest of the cheese over the top.

Bake in the over at around 200 degrees for 30 minutes.

Bad picture but you get the idea!

I served this with some capers and a green salad. Next time I will probably put some capers in the tomato sauce. 

Filo creme fraiche tarts! Woohoo!!

I had some filo and creme fraiche spare while cooking up some delights for my niece's second birthday, and I came up with these.

I made this in a yorkshire pudding tray.

You will need: Ready made filo pasty, a tub of creme fraiche, some apricot jam, frozen summer fruits, vanilla extract/seeds, caster sugar, and lemon rind.

Firstly you need to make the filo nests. In order to do this you need to brush butter over the yorkshire pudding tray. Cut the filo in to small squares, and layer the pastry on to the mould. Every layer of pastry needs to be brushed with butter. Layer them so they evenly cover the mould. I scrunched up the over hang to create a little nest shape.

Bake these in the oven for around five minutes at 180 degrees until they are crisp and golden.

For the filling, put some apricot jam and a little bit of water in a saucepan, and warm it until it is liquid. Pour a little bit of it in to every pastry nest.

Next mix half a small tub of creme fraiche with some lemon rind, a little bit of vanilla essence, and add icing sugar to taste. I didn't make mine very sweet.

Spoon the creme fraiche mixture on to the nests, and finally decorate with frozen summer fruits, or whatever fruit you have handy really.

The magic with the frozen fruit is as they defrost they release their juices which soaks in to the creme fraiche.

They take about half an hour, they are easy, and taste amazing.

I can't bake, but I made these!

Amazing cauliflower!

The cauliflower tapas was incredible! I didn't follow the recipe, as usual but it was lovely.
I boiled the cauliflower until it was tender. Then I friend it in some Tikka curry paste (Jamie Oliver says it's fine, so it's fine!)
Then I added some of the smoked paprika and chili tomato sauce for the wedges bravas, and fried briefly.
It was delicious!

I am home in North Wales and loving it! Hope everyone is enjoying the Sun x

Leftovers?

Easter holidays, that magical time of year when you can go home and shamelessly live as if you are 17 again, mums cooking, no cleaning,  drinking every night and none of the family gatherings like at Christmas (I love them, don't get me wrong, but I just wanna chill out now!)... or is that just me?
I'm leaving my flat in Cardiff for two weeks and have loads of odds and ends in the house that need to be used.

The perfect and tasty way to use them all is tapas!

Tonight we're having

Wedges bravas http://gwenllian-glyn036.blogspot.com/2011/02/wedges-bravas.html
Potato salad
Broad bean, leek and feta salad
Roasted pepper with olives
Smoked paprika cauliflower

Loads of random stuff = my favourite way to eat.
Not tried the cauliflower yet, will blog when I have.
If you have a weird ingredient that doesn't quite fit, google a tapas recipe for it!
Easy!

Broad bean salad - Fry the leeks until soft, add the broad beans and when they are cooked sprinkle over feta, mind and olive oil, season.
Roasted pepper - Simply roast in the oven until it is black, peel the skin, chop and serve with olives and olive oil, season with pepper and sea salt.

Potato salad- the Mr's favourite. Just boil potatoes and mix with mayonnaise, mint, chives, parsley, and some wholegrain mustard, season with salt and pepper.

Hope everyone has a lovely Easter.

No foodie pictures today, here is a picture of me when I was 17! I can't wait to go home!!

Broad bean and feta risotto

Well my essays have been handed in, and now I am free! Well.. Until my exams.

To celebrate I am having one of my favourite meals, risotto!

I'm willing the sun to come back with this summery number.

You will need: Arborio rice, vegetable stock, leek, frozen peas, broad beans, vegetarian hard cheese and feta cheese.

Start by softening the leeks in a saucepan, when they are cooked (not brown), add the Arborio rice. Slowly add a bit of the vegetable stock in water, around half a mug at the time.

Proceed to add water slowly until the risotto begins to get a creamy consistency, taste the rice to check the texture, if it is mostly cooked but has a bit of a bite you can add the broad beans, peas and vegetarian hard cheese at this point.

 Once the broad beans and peas are cooked, and the cheese has melted it is ready to serve.

Sprinkle feta over the top to serve and a few green olives if you fancy.

You can make loads of different kinds of risotto easily and quickly.

Enjoy!

Stress

Sorry I haven't been writing! work work work
Acting like a crazy person. Hope it passes once I start revision and finish essays.

Boo.

Sun is shining.. weather is sweet..

Lentil Cottage pie (Vitamin dream for veggies!)

Just made this, have nothing in the house. It is lovely!

You will need: Potatoes, puy lentils, vegetable stock, marmite, ketchup, frozen spinach and peas, leek, onion, mustard, garlic, veggie Worcestershire sauce,cheese milk and butter.


Fry the onions, leek and garlic until soft. Put the potatoes on the boil. Add the puy lentils, some water, stock, a spoon full of marmite, and a splosh of Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (I found mine in the 'free from' section at tescos), and add a table spoon full of ketchup. Simmer for 15 minutes, then add the spinach and peas.

Mash the potatoes with butter, mustard and milk.

Layer the puy lentils in a baking dish, with the potatoes on top. Grate cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

You;re getting protein, B12, and iron here.

Tasty good.

New camera

I have a new camera. I love it. It was really cheap and it's brilliant, especially at macro :) Will be posting some pics sometimes.

Bad girl being a bit healthy

I'm fat and I love it. I have decided I might be a semi vegan for a bit... but I'll see.

My hometown:

Just came back from the North, I made a seriously sexy aubergine dish while there, try it!

You will need: Onions, garlic, aubergine, chickpeas, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, a fresh chili, smoked paprika, couscous , dates and sun dried tomatoes.

Firstly salt the aubergine, it doesn't matter if you're in a rush really but  I reckon it makes a hell of a difference to the texture, and I only let it stand for about 20 minutes.

Cut the aubergine in to chunks 8whatever size you want), put them in a colander over a pan and cover with salt. The liquid from the aubergine will drip down. When you're ready to use them, rinse the salt off.

start by frying onion, garlic, fresh chili and aubergine in a pan. When they have softened add the tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, tomato puree and chop some sun dried tomatoes in. Add smoked paprika, careful to taste and add it slowly, it can be crazy strong.

Simmer for as long as you can give it, at least 20 minutes though. Make couscous as usual but add some chopped dates.

Serve and love.

Enjoy.

Perfect Penne

Penne with a spicy tomato and pepper sauce, with a herby breadcrumb topping.

I had a similar dish to this in the Jamie Oliver place in Cardiff (Beware vegetarians, tell them that you are because the cheese had animal rennet). I had a go at it myself, and am very happy with the results. Perfect with a glass of red.

You will need: Penne pasta.

For the sauce: A onion, garlic clove, tinned tomatoes, a whole pepper, capers, olives, vegetable stock, salt, pepper, dried chili flakes, paprika.

For the breadcrumbs: A slice of bread, dried oregano, salt and pepper.

Begin by putting the pepper  in to the oven (whole), it will need around half an hour. Take it out when the skin is black and can be pulled off easily. Once you have pulled off the skin, take the seeds out leave to one side. Fry the onion and garlic in a small saucepan, and when the onions are soft add the tin of tomatoes and stock cube. Allow to reduce for around ten minutes. Add a pinch of paprika, dried chili flakes, chopped olives and a few capers. You can now dice the baked pepper in to strips, and add that.

Put the penne on to boil, follow the pack instructions, I prefer it al dente.

Toast a slice of bread, then blitz with a blender. Add the oregano, rock salt and some pepper to it and mix.

Once the pasta is ready, put it in to the sauce and cook for around another minute. Serve in a big bowl, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and grate some hard cheese over the top if you like.

The extra texture of breadcrumbs is really tasty!

Enjoy

Puy lentil stew with Colcannon

This was so tasty and so comforting! I bought some tinned puy lentils as a special treat (they are expensive), it was so worth it.

You will need:

 For the stew : half a tin of puy lentils, a onion, half a pepper, a quarter of an aubergine, tinned tomatoes, a clove of garlic, veggie stock cube, and oregano.

For the Colcannon: Potatoes, cabbage, spring onions, butter, salt and pepper.



In a casserole dish fry the onion, aubergine, pepper and garlic until soft. Add the tomatoes, lentils. stock cube and oregano. Add half a tin of water. Put the lid on it and put it in the oven.

Check the casserole after an hour, if it has reduced enough, start to boil the potatoes, chop the cabbage and spring onions and fry in butter until really soft. When the potatoes are boiled, season and mash them. Add some butter to the mash, and then mix in the cabbage and spring onions with the potatoes. Serve on a massive plate and a cold evening :)

Home!

Exercise: No more than general getting around when you don't drive in North Wales! Alcohol Units: 36 (a improvement...), Cigarettes: 12 (Better!), Lectures missed: 3 (worth it, I went home!)

It started so well at home, I tracked and was good with the drinking, then I went out for food Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday! It was a loss of two pounds in the end (walking up hills), but I don't feel too healthy.

I'm going to joining a weight watchers meeting this Thursday, I need a better initiative and understanding.

I've registered for a local organic veg box to be delivered too, so will let you know how that goes! (http://www.greencuisineorganics.net/box.cfm) Will blog again soon!

I love fags and booze

Exercise - 0 (not proper anyway, I am awful), Alcohol units - 40 (beyond insane), Cigarettes - 17 (could have been much worse), Lectures missed - 2 (But spoke to tutor, feel better now).


I was naughty this week, I stuck to the diet well, but no exercised. I lost 3 pounds, but noticed that the scales keep going off zero, so may need to join a actual weight watchers meeting so the weight is always right.

I was bad this week, drank a little every day, but there was stuff on. I got quite drunk Saturday and really didn't like it. I am growing up!

I hope this week will be better, but will be spending it in North Wales with the family, so highly doubt it will actually be better. Hopefully less booze though! Going to see My Chemical Romance tonight, should burn off a few points..

Recipe of the week (boring but sexy)

Skinny coleslaw

Finely chop  a quarter of a White cabbage, grate a carrot, and finely chop a red onion. Mix it all together, and add 100g of lighter than light Helman's mayo. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add some chives or any fresh herb you have. This makes a massive bowl!

Its two points for the whole massive bowl)! Brilliant. It tastes dirty and healthy same time. I love it.


Enjoy!

Wedges bravas!

I love tapas so much. For dinner tonight I am having roast peppers and butternut squash, bean and vine leaf salad, haloumi cheese (naughty but ok), fried courgette and patatas bravas. You simply roast the butternut squash and pepper (whole) with the potatoes, for the salad you simply mix a tin of salad beans with chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, basil with finley chopped preserved vine leaves. You then fry the courgette in low fat cooking spray, and after around two minutes add the haloumi to the frying pan. Sprincle with paprika and serve when browned. My favourite bit is the patatas bravas though.  I've made patatas bravas loads of times, but I prefer wedges to the small roast potatoes traditionally served with it. Here's the recipe:

You'll need potatoes, low fat cooking spray, garlic salt for the wedges. Half a onion (fineley chopped), chopped tomatoes, half a chili (depending on heat and what you like), half a stock cube, and some smoked paprika.

Chop the potatoes in to wedges, and spray with low fat cooking spray. Sprinkle with garlic salt and out on a baking tray. They will need around 35 minutes, depending on your oven. Once the potatoes are in the oven, fineley chop onions, garlic and chili, and fry them all in a saucepan. Once they have softened add the tinned tomatoes, the stock cube and a tiny bit of smoked paprkia (depends on the brand, some are very poweful!). Simmer down until it is a really thick consistencey. Serve the sauce on the wedges in a big bowl with other lovely tapas dishes. YUM.

This was 17 points, but I should have halved the haloumi, making it 12 points.

Good luck!

Week two - Oops

Exercise: 4 (Not good), Alcohol Units: 33 (Bad, but expected), Cigarettes: 14 (Going the right way), Lectures missed: 2 (alcohol).

It started so well.. It ended with a massive hangover and a pound gained :(

To the fair on the four days that I did work out I earned about 10 points, so I worked out more than last week. A friend came to visit on Thursday which meant I drank Thursday and Friday. I also had lunch out on Saturday and I'm afraid that (combined with hangover takeaways) was my downfall. I'm so annoyed with myself, I really want to be healthier.

Anyway, another week, another try.

Thanks for reading!

Soup!

I love soup, especially when the weather is like this. Zero points and super comforting. Here is what I will be having tonight:

Butternut and Carrot soup

You will need: leek, low fat cooking spray, onion, carrots, butternut squash, chili, stock cube, garlic and garam masala powder.

Firstly fry the onion, leek and garlic until they are soft (not brown) with the low fat cooking spray, add the chili and garam masala powder. Cut the carrot and butternut squash, and add to the saucepan. stir everything together, and add a pint of water and the stock cube. Taste, and season if necessary.


Boil for around 20 minutes, and when everything is tender blintz with a hand blender.

Serve with a crusty roll (you're allowed, it's zero points!) and enjoy.

Week one

Exercise : 5 (good), Alcohol units: 30 (Very very bad, considering I thought I'd cut down big time), Cigarettes: 17 (Bad bad bad, I am a 'non'smoker'), Lectures missed: 0 (Good, but only first week).

Every week I will count how many units of alcohol I drink, how many times I go to the gym etc. i think it will be a good way to stick to my resolutions! End of week one, and my first weigh in! I lost 5 pounds this week (Probably first week fluke though).

This week I did my 30 day shred with Jillian Michael's video 4 times (I hate and love it in equal measure), and walked three miles one day. My aim is to exercise five times a week. The DVD contains three 20 minute workouts, level one, two and three. All getting progressively harder. I am on level one. Ouch. The 20 minutes consists of a warm up, then 3 6 minute sections which consist of 3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio, and one minute abs. The time flies by, and although you feel like you're dying, I'm not put off doing it again and again.

I also stuck to my weightwatchers propoints, I used up all of my weekly points but had around 30 activity points saved up.


Recipe of the week is:

Lazy lasagna

You will need :

quorn mince (optional), courgette, onion, garlic, aubergine, peppers, a tin of tomatoes, tomato puree,  stock cube, dried herbs, low fat soft cheese, vegetarian Parmesan style cheese, and three lasagna sheets. (serves two).

Fry the onions, aubergine,  peppers, courgette, and garlic until they are tender, add the tin of tomatoes, tomato puree, stock cube and the herbs and simmer for around ten minutes (make sure it isn't too dry or the pasta won't cook).

Layer the sauce with a lasagna sheet, spread with low fat soft cheese and with a little bit of grated Parmesan on the top. Continue with the layers, and finish the top with grated Parmesan.

Bake for around 30 minutes. Serve with salad, or if you can afford it, oven chips :) This is 7 points.

Am going to warm up the second half for my lunch now. Enjoy!

New year

I haven't posted here in ages. It's been a bit of a crazy January to be honest, I had two exams during January, so stayed in revising and eating Doritos for three weeks, and 4 hours after my last exam (while I was on a train back North) My sister gave birth to her second daughter, Kelda-Mel. So in a word it was busy!

I haven't been cooking that much interesting stuff thanks to exams, but for me February is a new start. My new years resolutions start here! They basically involve being more healthy.

I am off to Glastonbury in June, and have decided to aim to be healthier by then, so I can really enjoy what will be the end of uni, and the beginning of a totally new life. I've joined weightwatchers, and am doing a work out DVD every day. We'll see what happens!

Meaning (hopefully) the recipes I put up on here from now on will be super healthy :)

Will blog soon!