Healthy recipe thread

Juan Mourep

Vital 1st Team Regular
Exactly what it says on the biodegradable packaging.

A thread for all recipes, from meals to snacks to sauces.

I'll kick off with one for mar mate


BBQ sauce

1 large onion, very finely diced

500ml tomato juice

4 tbsp tomato puree

2 gloves of garlic, crushed

1 tbsp paprika

4 tbsp honey or pure maple syrup

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

A pinch of sea salt and black pepper

1 tsp red chilli flakes (optional if you want a little spice)

Add a little oil to a pan and add the onion and cook on low for 5 minutes until softened.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and simmer for 3 minutes

You can either use it like it is if you like a chunkier BBQ sauce, or you can blend it for a smoother sauce.

:35:


 
This is awesome. Been making this every week for he past few weeks. So tasty!

Spinach, aubergine and chickpea curry - (serves 4)

Ingredients

1kg/2¼lb fresh spinach
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium red onions, chopped
200g/7oz tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 fresh hot green chillies, halved and thinly sliced, seeds included
1 tbsp coriander seeds, ground
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 large aubergine, approx. 400g/14oz,cut into 2cm (3/4in) dice
400g/14oz tinned chopped tomatoes
salt


Method -

1.
Cook the spinach in boiling water for two minutes, then cool it under cold running water and squeeze gently to remove most of the liquid. Place in a food processor and chop the spinach to a coarse purée.

2.
Heat half the olive oil in a large pan and cook the onion, chickpeas, garlic, chilli and spices for five minutes over a medium heat.

3.
Add the remaining olive oil and the aubergine. Cook for ten minutes, stirring often, until the aubergine is coloured.

4.
Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, then cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the aubergine is soft. Stir in the spinach purée and serve.


 
Lamb Curry;

Half leg of Lamb
Rapeseed Oil
1 x Spanish Onion
2 x cloves Garlic
4/5 x large Fresh tomatoes
handful button mushrooms
1 x Green Pepper
4 x Green Chilli's
thumb of Fresh ginger(grated)
tablespoon Cumin powder
tablespoon Turmeric powder
Fine chopped bunch of fresh coriander
Sea salt & pepper to taste

1.Remove the lamb from the bone and dice(chop up). Then add a little rapeseed oil to a hot wok and seal the lamb(and the bone) until slightly brown in colour.
2.Turn down the heat slightly, then add the chopped onions, garlic, peppers & chilli's, then continue to cook until they are soft.
3.Then add the cumin, turmeric & grated ginger with the fresh tomatoes(chopped), then a cup of water(or chx/lamb/beef stock).
4. Throw in the chopped mushrooms and then transfer into a slow cooker.
5. Leave the curry in the slow cooker with the lid on.
6. After about 3 hours lift of the lid and add freshly chopped coriander, stir, remove the bone and then serve.

This is a great dish to prepare in the morning and leave on low in the slow cooker whilst you do your daily duties. Its a great healthy option with no gluten(flour),thickening agents, sugars or carbs. The tomatoes will naturally dissolve with the onions and co' to thicken the curry. If you do need to thicken slightly then a little tomato puree could be added.


 
Tip;

When frying, use rapeseed, or sunflower oil(never use olive oil), they can reach higher temps before turning into bad fat. Olive oil will turn into a bad fat when it reaches a high temp - so only use olive oil in salads.
 
Quorn Chile

Serves 3-4

3 garlic cloves crushed
300 grams sliced champignon mushrooms.
1/2 green pepper diced
1/2 red pepper diced
1 large onion diced
1 heaped tsp ground cumin
300 gram bag Quorn mince
2 tsp brown sugar
3 red chilies seeded and finely chopped
1 tin chopped tomatos
1 tin kidney beans
1 tin sweet corn
2 tbsp tomato pure
2 tbsp corn oil

Boiled rice (brown is best) and low fat sour cream (or guacamole) (and tortillachips if you want to make it unhealthy) to serve


Fry the garlic, cumin and chilies for 30 seconds in the corn oil on a medium heat.
Add the onion and red and green pepper and soften until the onion starts to turn transparent (5-10 mins).
Add mushrooms and continue to fry for 10 mins.
Add the quorn, chopped tomotos, sugar and tomato pure, half cover and simmer on a low heat for 30 mins, stiring occasilnally.
Add the beans and sweet corn and simmer for a further 5 mins.

Stir and serve with the rice and low fat sour cream or guacamole

For those that prefer meat to quorn, fry off 500 grams minced beef in its own fat in advance to replace the quorn.

 
Green Tea - 12/4/2015 17:18

Tip;

When frying, use rapeseed, or sunflower oil(never use olive oil), they can reach higher temps before turning into bad fat. Olive oil will turn into a bad fat when it reaches a high temp - so only use olive oil in salads.

Olive oil does not turn into "bad fat" but it does burn at a lower temperature which destroys the medicinal/health giving properties it is recommended for.

The answer then depends on the cooking needs, sauteing on a low heat in olive oil is fine but as you, quite rightly, point out, frying at higher temperatures should be done in either rapeseed oil, sunflower oil or corn oil.

All this said, the advice about olive oil only applies to extra virgin and virgin olive oil, the oils that come from the first and second pressings of the olives. From the 3rd pressing onward a "low quality" oil, with little to none of the traditional peppery oilive oil flavour and fragrance, is produced for which is claimed none/little of the health giving benefits and which also has a higher boil/burn point and as such can happily be used for frying.

There is evidence to suggest that the oil that has the best nutrutional values and is able to retain them at high temperatures is rapeseed oil (also known, mainly in the USA, as canola oil)

 
Really into thai soups at the moment.

Light stock, crunchy veg, thai herbs/seasoning, then add prawns, pork or chicken and some noodles

Really quick and healthy, no wonder the Thais eat this for breakfast.

If your really clever you can make you own 'pot noodles' to take to work...just add hot water!
 
Healthy chicken nuggets are good for kids aswell

Cut up chicken, soak in milk for a bit, dip in flour, then egg, followed by bread crumbs (seasoned if u like)...then onto a hot baking tray in the oven for 15 -20 mins, turn once, done.
 
Fantastic idea's here, defo trying these, great thread Juan dude, looking forward to trying these, my mouth is watering lol
 
When making lasagna for a lower fat version use sheets from leeks instead of lasagna sheets. Cuts about 300 off the calories.

You need 4-5 leeks depending on the size. Careful split the leek and unwrap the leek layers. Place in a large bowl/pan and cover with boiled water and drain.

Use as you would lasagna sheets, only with a bit more care
 
I tried lassagne using leeks indtead of pasta......it was bloody awful!

 
Villan Of The North - 12/4/2015 20:57

I tried lassagne using leeks indtead of pasta......it was bloody awful!

LOL I didn't mind it. I certainly prefer the real pasta
 
If you do Atkins long enough you will be, quite literally, all ears.......no fat there to lose :14:

 
I love Leeks must be the bit of Welsh in me, Leeks and Bacon is sent from heaven
 
simont123 - 13/4/2015 01:04

Healthy chicken nuggets are good for kids aswell

Cut up chicken, soak in milk for a bit, dip in flour, then egg, followed by bread crumbs (seasoned if u like)...then onto a hot baking tray in the oven for 15 -20 mins, turn once, done.


Mrs Pride has done he own Chicken nuggets tonight. She bought a sachet of seasoned flour cubed a chicken breast rolled the cubes in some of the seasoned flour and cooked in a hot oil for 3 minutes.

The sauce was a chilli sweet sauce, plus a chopped chilli, one of those small red tomatoes and a small chopped onion.

Simple....



:14:
 
Homemade Burgers

*NB - This same recipe can be used to make meatballs.

1 x Packet lean mince beef(I mince my own from the Rump)
1 x Large Spanish Onion(diced very fine)
2 x Cloves Garlic(crushed)
1 x Bunch finely cut Chives(Clive you can use one leek)
1 x Egg

1. Finely dice the onion, then cook in a large pan until soft(do not colour), use rapeseed or sunflower oil.
2. Once the onion is soft, then add the crushed garlic and chives, cook for a further minute and then take off the heat, leave to cool.
3. When the mixture is cool, add the mince beef, beat in one egg & add a little sea salt & black pepper.
4. Wash your hands, then bind the mixture thoroughly making the shape of burgers.
5. Place the burgers in the fridge for about an hour before grilling.

Tip; Use good quality beef, Rump or rib make a great choice. Also you can add fresh grated ginger, chopped green chilli's, fennel seeds & smoked paprika to the mixture to make a nice spicy burger/or meat balls. These burgers/meatballs are lean, gluten free & low in carbs.

For a spicy tomato sauce if making meatballs;

1 x small onion
1 x clove of garlic
2 x tablespoons of chilli powder
2 x tablespoons of paprika
2 x tins of chopped toms
1 x tablespoon of tom puree
sea salt to taste

1. Sweat off the onion, garlic in a little rapeseed oil, do not colour.(sunflower oil is fine if your on a budget)
2. When soft add all the other ingredients then bring to boil and wizz up in a blender.
3. Add the cooked meatballs(and the cooking juices)
 
Steamed Sea Bass

1 x Whole sea bass, head on but de-scaled and gutted.
1 x sprig of dill
1 x sprig thyme
1/8 x fresh lemon
6 x capers

1. Wash the sea bass under cold running water.
2. Rub with sunflower oil and season with sea salt and black pepper.
3. In the hole where the guts were, place the lemon and herbs.
4. Wrap in tin foil(like a bag), leaving no holes.
5. Bake in a med/hot oven for about 15/20 mins, depending on the size of the sea bass.
6. Unwrap and serve with capers.

Simple and delicious. Try it with pan fried courgettes & wild mushrooms in garlic. With a side salad of baby gem lettuce, raw spinach leaves(sliced thinly), Beetroot, spring onions and toms. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

:14:
 
Yuk Sung

1 x Packet of turkey/pork mince
1 x Tablespoon sesame oil
3 X Cloves Garlic crushed
1 x Carrot diced small
1 x bunch spring onions sliced thinly, including the green part(Clive can use leeks)
1 x Thumb of garlic grated
2 x Tablespoons of dark soya sauce
1 x Iceberg lettuce

Optional(if you want to bulk it out a little) - 1/4 white cabbage diced small, leaves of fresh spinach sliced thinly.

1. Add the oil to the wok and heat until just barely smoking, then add mince turkey or pork(do not colour).
2. When the mince is sealed, add all the other ingredients bar the lettuce & soya sauce.
3. Toss it about, flick it about and keep it moving until all the ingredients are piping hot.
4. Add the soya sauce.
5. Spoon into fresh, crisp, whole iceberg leaves, wrap and serve.