Perfect post-workout drink

Who needs expensive recovery shakes? I whipped this up in less than a minute and it cost around 40p a serving!

1/2 tin of peaches (get the ones in natural juice)
1/2 pint skimmed milk (or soya milk if you prefer)
 
Blend together and ta-dah! Perfect mix of carbohydrate and protein. And milk boosts post-workout muscle recovery. 

Eggs again?

Watched a great programme last night on the beeb Britain's favourite supermarket foods. Once again it highlighted that eating eggs won't raise your cholesterol significantly. Two or three a day in fact is fine! Great source of protein and vitamins A and D too.

Also showed rugby players drinking milk instead of a sports drink after exercise and their muscles recovered much quicker. Get downing the white stuff after exercise (just go for skimmed or semi-skimmed!)

Success!

So the Valentine's feast was a success. Here are the recipes if you want to try your hand at some Cuban cuisine:

Crispy plantain:
2 ripe plantain, peeled and sliced finely like a banana
1 tsp hot paprika
1 tsp rock salt
1 tbsp olive oil or sunflower oil

Boil the plantain for around 5 minutes in lightly salted water. Remove using a slatted spoon. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the plantain. Sprinkle with paprika and rock salt. Cook over a high heat until crispy and golden brown, turning regularly.

Black bean stew:
1 tin black beans
1 onion
4 garlic cloves – 2 chopped, 2 whole
1 green pepper
1tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
½ veg stock cube
½ chopped red chilli
Pinch of salt
Black pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp white wine
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp tomato puree
It looks like loads of ingredients but literally just throw them all in together and cook for about 30 minutes! You could pick and choose which ingredients to keep or miss.  Taste as you go along!

Coconutty prawns
 
450g frozen or fresh, peeled, jumbo prawns
1 medium onion, sliced

1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1 tbsp butter/olive oil
2 tsps ground coriander
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsps vinegar
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1/2 - 1 tin of coconut milk (depends how creamy you want it!)
1/2 tin of chopped tomatoes.

Fry the onion and garlic paste in a pan with the butter/oil. Mix spices, vinegar and ketchup in a bowl. Add to the pan and cook for around 3 mins. Then add the coconut milk and tomatoes. Cook for around 10 minutes then add the prawns and cook for a further 3 minutes. Serve with brown rice.

Happy Valentine's Day

What's on the menu tonight? Caribbean/Cuban fusion. Which means black bean stew, coconutty prawns, rice and (slightly fried) plantain. Oh yes, and a couple of mojitos (nutritionist's drink of choice don't you know!)

I'll take a photo and let you know how I get on with my experiment.

Pick up a pumpkin

Want an economical, versatile and healthy food? Pick pumpkin! £1.50 makes you a pumpkin pie/souffle and delish roast pumpkin which you can have as a side, in a salad, or in risotto.

Low-carb pumpkin pie

Ingredients
400g pumpkin (about half a small pumpkin or use canned if you can find it - Whole Foods is a good bet)

60g xylitol or splenda

2 eggs

3 tbsp wholemeal flour

175ml skimmed or unsweetened soya milk

80ml single cream

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp salt
 
How to do it
 
Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC. Add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and mix until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a lightly greased shallow pie tin or dish and put in the oven. Immediately

turn the oven down to 180ºC. Bake at this temperature for 40-50 minutes or until set in

the middle. Serve with a sprinkling of flaked almonds and yogurt, creme fraiche or single cream.
 

Roast pumpkin

1/2 pumpkin, peeled and chopped into small chunks
Drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dried herbs (sage, thyme, oregano)
Pinch rock salt

Put pumpkin in a large roasting dish and drizzle with the oil and balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with the herbs, salt and add a splash of water.

Roast in the oven at 180 degrees for about 30minutes until pumpkin is tender. Serve!

Thai curry in less than 20 minutes!

I hate getting home from a long day and slaving for hours preparing dinner - I end up eating more when I'm cooking than the actual meal! This thai curry honestly took me less than 20 minutes and tasted brill. It was enough for me to save for my lunch tomorrow too (and with a little taste for Mum).

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, sliced
Handful of king prawns
1 red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
Any veg you have in fridge or cupboards (I used Spinach and mushrooms)
2 tbsp thai green curry paste
A splash of milk
A splash of boiling water
Grated coconut or 1/2 can coconut milk

How do I do it?
Microwave the sweet potato for 5 minutes until tender. Shallow fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil, then add the curry paste. Add the sweet potato, prawns, veg,coconut, milk and water and cook for a few minutes. Serve! Easy as pie.

Ruthy's butterynutty squash soup

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
1 leek, sliced
1 rasher streaky bacon, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 litre reduced salt bouillon (veggie stock)
Dried herbs (rosemary or thyme)
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
Black pepper

Cut the squash into large chunks (no need to peel) and place in a deep casserole dish. Add the bacon pieces, leeks and herbs and drizzle with the oil. Add a splash of boiling water and roast in the oven at 180C for around 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove from oven and place on the hob. Add the stock, chilli powder and black pepper and cook over a medium heat for about 15 minutes, until squash is squishy!

Blend until smooth and serve with a poached egg, or a dollop of creme fraiche. Yum.