HEALTHY-CHEF

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Archives for December 2015

Brownies

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Brownies
 
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I have a sweet tooth but I've never understood the need for so much sugar to make a brownie taste good. This recipe literally uses 60% less sugar than most brownie recipes and you would never know. Great as a snack or served warm with good quality vanilla ice cream or a dollop of cream and a sprinkling of fresh raspberries.
Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 15-20
Ingredients
  • 185g unsalted butter
  • 185g best dark chocolate
  • 85g plain unrefined flour
  • 40g cocoa powder
  • 3 large free range egg
  • 150g xylitol/stevia
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 300 g (10 oz) pecan nuts, chopped optional
Instructions
  1. Grease and line the base of a baking tin with baking parchment
  2. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F gas mark 4
  3. Break the chocolate into a bowl
  4. Add the chunks of butter
  5. Melt the butter and chocolate over a saucepan of barely simmering water
  6. Stir occasionally
  7. Remove the bowl from the heat
  8. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly
  9. In a separate bowl sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt
  10. In a third bowl, beat the eggs and then add the xylitol and vanilla extract
  11. Stir the ingredients together until they are just combined
  12. Fold the melted chocolate into the beaten egg mixture using a spatula
  13. Then gently fold in the flour mixture and nuts, if using
  14. You shouldn't be able to see any flour once it's all mixed together
  15. Spoon the mixture into the tin
  16. Smooth the top with a palette knife
  17. Bake for 25 minutes
  18. Allow it to cool in the tin before cutting into squares

 

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Chicken Tagine

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Chicken Tagine
 
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Recipe type: Main
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • For the tagine:
  • 4 tbsp coconut oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 tsp grated ginger
  • 1½-2 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
  • 3 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
  • 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 x 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
  • 2-3 tbsp honey
  • 1 x 2.25 kg chicken, jointed and skinned
  • For the quinoa:
  • 500 g quinoa
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juice only
  • 500 ml organic chicken stock
  • 3 tbsp chopped coriander, mint or parsley
  • To serve:
  • lemon wedges
  • Greek yogurt
Instructions
  1. For the tagine: heat the coconut oil in a large pan (wide enough to hold all the chicken pieces in a single layer)
  2. Add the garlic, onions, ginger and the spices
  3. Season with salt and pepper
  4. Cook over a low heat with the lid on for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft
  5. Add the tomato puree, tinned tomatoes and honey and cook for a further 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick
  6. Add the chicken to the pan and cover with the sauce
  7. Simmer over a low heat with the lid on
  8. Stirring from time to time, for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through
  9. For the quinoa:
  10. put the quinoa in a saucepan
  11. Pour over the stock bring to the boil
  12. Lower to the lowest heat setting and cover with a pan lid, leave for 15 minutes
  13. Add the oil and lemon juice and mix well to coat the grains
  14. Season with salt and pepper
  15. Use a fork to separate the grains and stir in the herbs

 

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
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This is a fail proof recipe for really good authentic tasting cookies, brilliant straight from the oven!
Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 25
Ingredients
  • 295 g oatmeal (porridge oats)237 g organic butter
  • 295 g organic 70% cocoa chocolate chips
  • 237 g flour
  • 237 g xylitol/stevia (unrefined sugar)
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 free range eggs
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder
  2. Cream the butter and the sugar together, with an electric or hand whisk, till light and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla, whisk
  4. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
  5. Add chocolate chips
  6. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet
  7. Bake for 10 minutes at 180C/375F degrees

 

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Tomato Soup

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Tomato Soup
 
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All my family like a particular brand of tomato soup! Though I'm not against the odd tin of good quality tinned soup, they are very useful to have in stock, homemade soup just has the edge and is not only healthier but really quick and easy to throw together. I like to puree my soup before I add the stock this way its a lot less messy and you should be able to get all the pan contents in one batch, you can of course add the stock and simmer first and then puree.
Recipe type: Soup
Serves: 6 bowls
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbs. unsalted organic butter
  • 1 large white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 2 Tbs. flour (i used rice flour but choose your preference)
  • 250-400ml organic vegetable stock (use fewer stock for a thicker soup and add more if you prefer a more liquid soup)
  • 2 400g cans whole peeled plum tomatoes, (include the juice)I use organic baby plum variety
  • 1-1/2 tsp. xyltiol/stevia/honey
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional Garnish:-
  • 3 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh basil,
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat until the butter melts.
  2. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the flour and stir to coat the onion and garlic.
  3. Add the tomatoes, sugar, thyme, and ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper.
  4. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat while stirring the mixture
  5. Discard the thyme sprig. Let cool briefly and then purée in a blender or food processor.
  6. Rinse the pot and return the soup to the pot
  7. Add the vegetable stock and simmer for around 40 minutes.
  8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  9. Serve warm but not hot, garnished with the herbs.

 

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Tiramisu

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Tiramisu
 
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Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 200 g tub mascarpone
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 450 ml (3/4 pint) warm, strong black coffee
  • 4 medium egg yolks
  • 75 g (3oz) caster sugar
  • 284 ml carton double cream, whipped into soft peaks
  • 100 ml (3½ fl oz) grappa
  • 200 g packet sponge fingers
  • 1 level tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
  1. Put the mascarpone in a bowl
  2. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways
  3. Scrape out the seeds
  4. Add them to the mascarpone
  5. Add the vanilla pod to the coffee
  6. Pour into a shallow dish
  7. Allow the flavours to mingle
  8. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and light
  9. Then whisk in the mascarpone until smooth
  10. Then fold in the whipped cream and grappa
  11. Take half the of the sponge fingers and dip each in turn into the coffee
  12. Then arrange them in the bottom of the shallow 2.4 litre dish
  13. Spread with half the mascarpone mixture
  14. Then dip the remaining sponge fingers in the coffee
  15. Arrange on a dish with a final layer of mascarpone mixture
  16. Leave and chill the tiramisu for at least 2 hours
  17. Dust with the cocoa powder

 

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King Prawn & Butternut Squash Thai Curry

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King Prawn & Butternut Squash Thai Curry
 
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I love this Nigel Slater Recipe. A few tweaks here and there, have transformed his original recipe for noodle soup into a moorish Thai curry. If you fancy the noodle soup just add a small jug of vegetable stock to the curry and add a couple of handfuls of cooked rice noodles.
Author:
Recipe type: Mains
Cuisine: Thai
Serves: 6 people
Ingredients
  • 1 good knob fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1-2 red chillies, seeds removed (optional), roughly chopped
  • 1-2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, roughly chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 handful fresh coriander, a few sprigs reserved and chopped
  • a glug or two vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1-2 pinches ground turmeric
  • 1 x 400ml/14fl oz can coconut milk
  • 1 large handful raw, peeled tiger prawns
  • ½ butternut squash,peeled and diced
  • a few splashes Thai fish sauce, to taste
Instructions
  1. Blend the ginger, chilli, lemongrass, garlic and coriander in a food processor until quite finely chopped, adding a little vegetable oil if the paste is too dry.
  2. Add the paste to a large shallow pan and cook for a few minutes to release the aromas, stirring frequently. Roughly crush some coriander seeds with a pestle and mortar and add to the paste with a pinch or two of turmeric and the vegetable stock and simmer for a few minutes.
  3. To soften the heat of the sauce, add the coconut milk to the pan and bring back to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes.
  4. Add the butternut squash and simmer for 25minutes or until the squash is tender.
  5. Add the prawns to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until pink and tender, finishing off with splashes of Thai fish sauce, to taste, and more chopped fresh coriander, to your taste.
  6. See with a bowl of steamed rice and I like wild broccoli stems as well.

 

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Banana & Raspberry Bread

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Banana & Raspberry Bread

Recipe Type: cakes and bakes
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 50 mins
Total time: 1 hour 10 mins
Serves: 10 slices
Simple and delicious, a perfect loaf to use up overripe bananas. If you don’t have raspberries you can either omit them or replace them with blueberries, raisins or other similar fruit.
Ingredients
100g organic butter, softened
85g xylitol/stevia
85g honey
2 large free range eggs, beaten
300f overripe bananas, mashed
50g walnut
50g raspberries
225g wholemeal flour (or half wholemeal and half spelt)
1 pinch sea salt
11/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
preheat the oven to 350F/180C
put the softened butter, xylitol/stevia and honey in a mixing bowl and beat with electric whisks or a wooden spoon until light and soft
gradually add the beaten eggs, ensure we’ll combined
add the masked banana then the walnuts and raspberries, mix sparingly with a metal spoon
sift in the flour, salt and baking powder (add any bran/grain left in sieve)
fold everything together gently
spoon mixture into a lined loaf tin
bake for approximately 50 minutes, of until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean
leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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Gingerbread

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Gingerbread
 
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A festive bake that everyone in my household loves. The smell of these little trees baking is heavenly and they really aren't a guilty pleasure, just try stopping at two or three!
Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 12-15
Ingredients
  • 350g (12oz) wholemeal flour
  • 2 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 125g (41/2oz) organic butter, diced
  • 150g xylitol/stevia
  • 4 tbsp raw honey
  • 1 free range egg, beaten
  • icing and raisins for decoration
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C
  2. Line several large baking trays with baking parchment.
  3. Place the flour,ginger, bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl and stir briefly with a wooden spoon.
  4. Rub in the butter till it resembles breadcrumbs the and the xylitol/stevia
  5. Stir in the honey and beaten egg and then tip onto a floured surface and knead till you have a smooth dough
  6. Roll out to a thickness of 5-7mm and using your preferred cutters cut out the shapes transferring them to your pre-lined baking sheets.
  7. Re-roll the leftover dough and repeat until all the dough is used
  8. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden
  9. Allow to cool before decorating with the icing and raisins.

 

 

 

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Mince Pies

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Mince Pies
 
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Tis the season for lovely mince pies. nothing quite spells out the start of the festive season like the smell of the first batch of mince pies fresh from the oven. I often double this recipe as they tend to go quickly and any leftover will storer well for up to 1 week or can even be frozen.
Recipe type: Cakes and Bakes
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • For the pastry
  • 350g/12oz plain flour, sifted plus extra for dusting
  • 150g/5½oz unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
  • 50g/1¾oz icing sugar, sifted
  • 1 orange, zest only
  • 2 free-range egg yolks
  • For the filling
  • 2 x 400g/14oz jars mincemeat
  • 2 tangerines, zest grated and flesh chopped
  • 1 apple, finely diced
Instructions
  1. For the pastry,
  2. put the flour, softened butter, icing sugar and orange zest into a food processor pulse briefly just until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs.
  3. Add the egg yolks and then add 2-3 tablespoons of water just until the dough comes together.
  4. Tip out onto your work surface and squeeze the pastry together gently until you have a soft ball of pastry.
  5. Flatten to a disc, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  6. For the filling, spoon the mincemeat into a bowl, grate the zest of the tangerines into the mincemeat, then the fruit.
  7. Preheat oven to 375F
  8. Grease a bun tin or muffin tin.
  9. Unwrap the pastry and roll out on a lightly floured work surface to the thickness of a one pound coin. Cut out 12 discs of pastry with a pastry cutter slightly bigger than the size of the bun tin holes.
  10. Press a round of pastry into the bottom of each hole.
  11. Fill each pastry case with mincemeat and then cut a further 12 rounds of pastry (this time one size smaller).
  12. Brush the rims of the pastry cases with a little beaten egg and press the lids on, pressing the edges with the ends of a fork to seal shut. t
  13. Transfer the tray to the fridge for 30 minutes.
  14. Bake the mince pies for 20-25 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp.
  15. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and then turn the mince pies out and serve.

 

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Beef Hotpot

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Beef Hotpot
 
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A classic Lancashire Hotpot but the lamb is replaced with good quality tender chuck steak. A perfect winter Sunday lunch, serve as is or with a loaf of fresh bread and a jar of pickled red cabbage.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: English
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1.5kg (3lb 5oz) chuck steak, diced
  • About 150g (5½ oz) plain white flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, for coating
  • Olive oil, for frying
  • 1 organic onion, finely sliced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
  • 1ltr (1¾ pt) hot beef stock
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 3-4 medium to large Maris Piper/ desiree potatoes, about 700g (1lb 8oz) total weight
  • 50g (1¾ oz) unsalted butter, melted
  • Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 180C/gas 4
  2. Coat the meat with with the seasoned flour
  3. Put a large, deep non-stick frying pan over a high heat
  4. Pour in enough oil just to cover the bottom of the pan
  5. Heat until the oil is hot
  6. Fry the meat in three batches until well coloured on all sides
  7. Add more oil if needed
  8. Remove the last batch of meat rom the pan
  9. Fry the onion, carrots and garlic until coloured
  10. Return the meat to the pan with the vegetables
  11. Pour in the stock
  12. Stir well
  13. Bring to the boil
  14. Add salt and pepper and half the thyme
  15. Stir well
  16. Remove from the heat
  17. Divide the beef and vegetables among six individual ovenproof dishes, each about 600ml (1pt) capacity
  18. Peel the potatoes and slice into 3mm (1/8 in) thick discs
  19. Arrange on top of the beef and vegetables overlapping them slightly
  20. Brush the potatoes with the melted butter
  21. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the remaining thyme leaves
  22. Cover the dishes with lids or foil
  23. Bake for 1 hour
  24. Uncover and bake for a further 45 minutes until the meat feels tender when pierced with the tip of a small, sharp knife
  25. Serve immediately

 

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