A very contemporary egg and chips, this one. If you haven't been reading the blog, check out this post first to get up to speed.
I was a bit nervous about it - not sure if the result would end up really claggy and horrid. But luckily, it came out just as I wanted it - fresh, sweet and herby. I think this would make a lovely Saturday lunch with friends.
Salmon frittata with roasted parsnips
(serves 2: either 2 medium sized portions or 1 large and 1 small portion)
300 g fresh salmon, peeled and chopped into 1-2 cm cubes
450 g parsnips, peeled and chopped into largeish matchsticks
3 eggs
juice of one lime
1 large handful of parsley, chopped
3 spring onions, chopped finely
1 tbsp olive oil
20 sprays of olive oil
100 ml skimmed milk
salt and pepper
2 tbsp half-fat creme fraiche
Preheat the oven to 230 C. Roast the matchstick-sized parsnips with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt to taste in a foil-lined baking tray for 35 minutes.
Set salmon cubes to marinate in lime juice.
With 15 minutes left to roast, start the frittata: Heat 10 sprays of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the spring onions. After about 3-4 minutes, add the salmon cubes, ensuring that they are evenly distributed around the pan.
Combine the eggs, milk and chopped parsley into a jug and whisk with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.
Over medium heat, pour the egg mixture over the salmon and spring onions, ensuring that it is also evenly distributed around the pan. Allow to cook over medium/medium-low heat for about five minutes. The top of the eggs shouldn't yet have set.
With five minutes left to go, put the saute pan under the grill (it's fine if your grill/oven are combined and your parsnips are at the bottom). AFter five minutes, the eggs should have puffed up slightly and the frittata should have cooked through.
Serve the frittata (half and half for two equal servings, or 2/3 for a large serving and 1/3 for a small serving) and the roasted parsnips (1/2 each, either way) with a tablespoon of creme fraiche.
Calories: for a small serving of the frittata with half of the parsnips - 640.
I can see myself eating this recipe on a lovely late-spring afternoon on the balcony with a glass of white wine. I shall be revisiting it again - the sweet salmon, tangy lime, fresh egg, herby parsley, and perfumed parsnips make for an excellent meal.
Showing posts with label under 700 calories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label under 700 calories. Show all posts
Saturday, 7 March 2009
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Broccoli pasta with cheese sauce
Broccoli-cheese combinations feel very retro to me for some reason. I can imagine, after my shrimp/prawn cocktail starter, eating broccoli-cheese soup out of an avocado-coloured bowl (which, incidentally, would match my refrigerator). I'd then turn on my lava lamp and listen to some later Bob Dylan (the horrid stuff that's full of synthesizers). Yes, that's what I'd do...
But in the "real" world (ie. March 2009 in east London), I'd whip up a broccoli pasta with wholemeal fusilli pasta and add a slightly cheese sauce. I'd be pleased because it's oh-so-easy to do in my lovely built-in kitchen with fake-birch cupboard doors. We'd eat the pasta in our crisp-white-because-it-matches-everything bowls, while watching the latest drivel on our widescreen tv. I would do my best to subvert the carb-guilt hammered at us by Atkins and South Beach by reminding myself that this will fuel me on my Friday afternoon run. Yes, that's what I'd do.
Broccoli pasta with cheese sauce
(serves 2 - 1 normal, 1 large portion)
300 g wholemeal fusilli pasta
250 g raw broccoli, chopped
1.5 tbsp of olive oil or olive spread
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
45 g plain flour
150 ml skimmed milk
120 g cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp of dried red chilli flakes
A few sprays of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the fusilli. It will take about 8-10 minutes to boil. Put the broccoli in with the pasta with about 3 minutes left to boil.
Start the sauce by sautéing the onion over medium heat in the olive oil/spread. Once they have gone translucent, add in the flour slowly and stir until you get a lovely roux. Mix for a further minute or two, and then slowly whisk in the milk, little by little. You don’t want it to burn, but you want the sauce to begin thickening slowly. Then whisk in the cheddar slowly, ensuring the sauce doesn’t go clumpy.
Drain the pasta/broccoli and return to the pot, which should now be over a low heat. Add a spray or two of olive oil. When the sauce is ready, add it to the broccoli and pasta and remove from heat. Season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes and serve (in any colour bowl of your choice of course).
For the 'normal' serving, dish out 1/3 of the overall pasta. The remaining pasta will make for a 'hungry' portion...
Calories per 'normal' serving: 682. Perfect for fueling my exercise session tomorrow.
But in the "real" world (ie. March 2009 in east London), I'd whip up a broccoli pasta with wholemeal fusilli pasta and add a slightly cheese sauce. I'd be pleased because it's oh-so-easy to do in my lovely built-in kitchen with fake-birch cupboard doors. We'd eat the pasta in our crisp-white-because-it-matches-everything bowls, while watching the latest drivel on our widescreen tv. I would do my best to subvert the carb-guilt hammered at us by Atkins and South Beach by reminding myself that this will fuel me on my Friday afternoon run. Yes, that's what I'd do.
Broccoli pasta with cheese sauce
(serves 2 - 1 normal, 1 large portion)
300 g wholemeal fusilli pasta
250 g raw broccoli, chopped
1.5 tbsp of olive oil or olive spread
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
45 g plain flour
150 ml skimmed milk
120 g cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp of dried red chilli flakes
A few sprays of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the fusilli. It will take about 8-10 minutes to boil. Put the broccoli in with the pasta with about 3 minutes left to boil.
Start the sauce by sautéing the onion over medium heat in the olive oil/spread. Once they have gone translucent, add in the flour slowly and stir until you get a lovely roux. Mix for a further minute or two, and then slowly whisk in the milk, little by little. You don’t want it to burn, but you want the sauce to begin thickening slowly. Then whisk in the cheddar slowly, ensuring the sauce doesn’t go clumpy.
Drain the pasta/broccoli and return to the pot, which should now be over a low heat. Add a spray or two of olive oil. When the sauce is ready, add it to the broccoli and pasta and remove from heat. Season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes and serve (in any colour bowl of your choice of course).
For the 'normal' serving, dish out 1/3 of the overall pasta. The remaining pasta will make for a 'hungry' portion...
Calories per 'normal' serving: 682. Perfect for fueling my exercise session tomorrow.
Friday, 20 February 2009
spicy sardine pasta
I've blogged about a recipe similar to this (sans sardines) before, but I love this recipe because it's the ultimate storecupboard one. The initial idea came from Delia, though I've twisted it a bit.
It's a bit more filling than my normal pasta recipes because I've been trying to eat a bit more on the nights before my run-days (Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays). Hope you like it...
Spicy sardine pasta
(serves 2)
1 tin skinless and boneless sardines in olive oil, broken into pieces, oil reserved
1 chilli, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
30 g capers
100 g black olives in brine, halved
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
200 g pappardelle pasta
salt and pepper
Put the pasta on to boil.
Then heat the oil from the sardines in a frying pan. Add the chilli and garlic and cook for a few minutes, making sure not to burn it. Then add the capers, olives and sardines and stir until coated. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and stir. Allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes.
When the pasta's ready, drain it immediately and return to the pot. Pour the sauce over and add the tbsp of tomato puree. Stir through and serve immediately.
Calories: 700 per serving. (As I said, this is more than I normally have for dinner. But given that I'm exercising the following day, I'll need every one of those 700...)
It's a bit more filling than my normal pasta recipes because I've been trying to eat a bit more on the nights before my run-days (Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays). Hope you like it...
Spicy sardine pasta
(serves 2)
1 tin skinless and boneless sardines in olive oil, broken into pieces, oil reserved
1 chilli, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
30 g capers
100 g black olives in brine, halved
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
200 g pappardelle pasta
salt and pepper
Put the pasta on to boil.
Then heat the oil from the sardines in a frying pan. Add the chilli and garlic and cook for a few minutes, making sure not to burn it. Then add the capers, olives and sardines and stir until coated. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and stir. Allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes.
When the pasta's ready, drain it immediately and return to the pot. Pour the sauce over and add the tbsp of tomato puree. Stir through and serve immediately.
Calories: 700 per serving. (As I said, this is more than I normally have for dinner. But given that I'm exercising the following day, I'll need every one of those 700...)
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
get your freeze on
As you may have noticed, I’ve been having trouble keeping up at the moment, as evidenced by my almost month-long absence from the site. With work, husband’s work, budgetary concerns, and other matters, my creative spark seems to have eluded me.
But that might not be it. Instead, my creative spark eludes me after I get off of the bus at 6:30pm every weekday. What I had imagined cooking when I made my shopping list the week before just sounds like a chore. I’m too tired.
I imagine I’m not the only one to whom this happens. But after a month of it, I’m bored with not cooking, either. So what do I do?
After getting some good advice and having a spare Saturday afternoon, I finally come to a good solution: make it ahead, and freeze it.
Now of course this isn’t always a good option. Freezing pasta would just be silly. (Or at least I think it would be.) But sauces, soups and curries – now that’s a whole other story. So a couple of Saturdays ago, I concocted a lovely aubergine and red lentil curry, but didn’t have it until just this past Saturday, after a long day out. Whilst we paraded around London, our little curry sat at home, defrosting, waiting for us to come home and love it.
Love it we did, too. It was gorgeous! I think that week in the freezer did wonders for it.
So for the time being, I’m on the lookout for great meals I can make and freeze ahead of time. Any ideas? Try this one while you ponder.
Aubergine and red lentil curry
(serves 2 medium-sized portion or 1 large, 1 small portion)
1 aubergine, sliced lengthways
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of water
100 g carrots, julienned
1 large onion, quartered
2 tbsp groundnut oil
75g red lentils, dried
50 g creamed coconut
3 tbsp lime juice
3 spring onions
1 chilli, seeds removed
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp fennel seeds, ground
1 tsp cayenne
150 g wholegrain rice
3 tbsp fat-free natural yogurt (optional)
2 tbsp lime pickle (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Spray a foil-lined roasting tin with a couple sprays of olive oil. Salt the halves of aubergine and place face-down on the tin. Roast for 45 minutes.
In a food processor, chop up the spring onions, lime juice, chilli, and garlic.
To prepare the curry, heat the spices in a large pot over med-high heat. Add the onion and stir to coat the onion with the spices. Add the oil and saute for about 3 minutes. Then add in half of the food-processed mixture.
Add the chopped tomatoes in slowly, so that the tomatoes bubble over the high heat. Add the water too. Once it’s all in, mix and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the red lentils as per the packet instructions (Generally, this just involves bringing to a boil and reducing to a simmer for about 25 minutes.)
When the lentils are ready, drain them. Add the coconut to the food processed mixture, and chop/combine again. Then add this mixture to the red lentils. Set this to the side.
When the aubergines are ready, remove from the oven and use a fork to scrap out the flesh. Chop up if necessary, and then add to the curry. Then add in the coconut lentil mixture and stir through. Check the seasoning, and add any as required.
If you’re freezing for later, stop here, allow the curry to cool, and then transfer to a freezable container.
When eating, just bring back to a simmer and allow to heat through. Serve with rice, with bits of yogurt and lime pickle on the side. (To ensure that everyone’s properly full, consider serving naan bread as an extra.)
Calories: 1 small serving (1/3 of the curry, 50g rice (dry weight), 1 tbsp yogurt and 1 tbsp lime pickle): 680
Let me tell you, this made my Saturday night. I ate happily, knowing I’d created a fabulous, wholesome meal, but barely had to lift a finger.
But that might not be it. Instead, my creative spark eludes me after I get off of the bus at 6:30pm every weekday. What I had imagined cooking when I made my shopping list the week before just sounds like a chore. I’m too tired.
I imagine I’m not the only one to whom this happens. But after a month of it, I’m bored with not cooking, either. So what do I do?
After getting some good advice and having a spare Saturday afternoon, I finally come to a good solution: make it ahead, and freeze it.
Now of course this isn’t always a good option. Freezing pasta would just be silly. (Or at least I think it would be.) But sauces, soups and curries – now that’s a whole other story. So a couple of Saturdays ago, I concocted a lovely aubergine and red lentil curry, but didn’t have it until just this past Saturday, after a long day out. Whilst we paraded around London, our little curry sat at home, defrosting, waiting for us to come home and love it.
Love it we did, too. It was gorgeous! I think that week in the freezer did wonders for it.
So for the time being, I’m on the lookout for great meals I can make and freeze ahead of time. Any ideas? Try this one while you ponder.
Aubergine and red lentil curry
(serves 2 medium-sized portion or 1 large, 1 small portion)
1 aubergine, sliced lengthways
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of water
100 g carrots, julienned
1 large onion, quartered
2 tbsp groundnut oil
75g red lentils, dried
50 g creamed coconut
3 tbsp lime juice
3 spring onions
1 chilli, seeds removed
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp fennel seeds, ground
1 tsp cayenne
150 g wholegrain rice
3 tbsp fat-free natural yogurt (optional)
2 tbsp lime pickle (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Spray a foil-lined roasting tin with a couple sprays of olive oil. Salt the halves of aubergine and place face-down on the tin. Roast for 45 minutes.
In a food processor, chop up the spring onions, lime juice, chilli, and garlic.
To prepare the curry, heat the spices in a large pot over med-high heat. Add the onion and stir to coat the onion with the spices. Add the oil and saute for about 3 minutes. Then add in half of the food-processed mixture.
Add the chopped tomatoes in slowly, so that the tomatoes bubble over the high heat. Add the water too. Once it’s all in, mix and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the red lentils as per the packet instructions (Generally, this just involves bringing to a boil and reducing to a simmer for about 25 minutes.)
When the lentils are ready, drain them. Add the coconut to the food processed mixture, and chop/combine again. Then add this mixture to the red lentils. Set this to the side.
When the aubergines are ready, remove from the oven and use a fork to scrap out the flesh. Chop up if necessary, and then add to the curry. Then add in the coconut lentil mixture and stir through. Check the seasoning, and add any as required.
If you’re freezing for later, stop here, allow the curry to cool, and then transfer to a freezable container.
When eating, just bring back to a simmer and allow to heat through. Serve with rice, with bits of yogurt and lime pickle on the side. (To ensure that everyone’s properly full, consider serving naan bread as an extra.)
Calories: 1 small serving (1/3 of the curry, 50g rice (dry weight), 1 tbsp yogurt and 1 tbsp lime pickle): 680
Let me tell you, this made my Saturday night. I ate happily, knowing I’d created a fabulous, wholesome meal, but barely had to lift a finger.
Saturday, 26 January 2008
friday night: grilled gammon with chicory salad & pear mayonnaise (and chips)
Ham and chips is not a new phenomenon - and my husband loves it. But I wanted to dress it up a bit. Gary Rhodes' Keep it Simple has a great recipe for grilled gammon with pear mayonnaise and a chicory salad. But with the two different oils and butter he calls for, the fat content is off the charts. We need to cut that down a bit.
To make the pear mayo (my way):
Peel and chop a pear and saute in a small pan with a few sprays of olive oil and a bit of lime juice. Once it's soft and mushy, puree it and let it cool. Mix with 2 tbsp mayonnaise.
To make the chicory salad (my way):
Take two heads of chicory and pull apart. Mix with a teaspoon of walnut oil, some sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar), a bit of fresh thyme and let sit for a few minutes.
To make the chips:
I'll admit here, I'm using rustic oven chips. If this were a Sunday lunch, I might make them myself. But on a Friday night, I'm more interested in relaxing.
Calories: a large gammon steak, chicory salad, 1/2 of the pear mayonnaise, and 200 g chips: 670. A great calorie count for a Friday night treat - add a glass or two of Pinot Noir (about 250 cals) and it's perfect. Enjoy your weekend!
To make the pear mayo (my way):
Peel and chop a pear and saute in a small pan with a few sprays of olive oil and a bit of lime juice. Once it's soft and mushy, puree it and let it cool. Mix with 2 tbsp mayonnaise.
To make the chicory salad (my way):
Take two heads of chicory and pull apart. Mix with a teaspoon of walnut oil, some sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar), a bit of fresh thyme and let sit for a few minutes.
To make the chips:
I'll admit here, I'm using rustic oven chips. If this were a Sunday lunch, I might make them myself. But on a Friday night, I'm more interested in relaxing.
Calories: a large gammon steak, chicory salad, 1/2 of the pear mayonnaise, and 200 g chips: 670. A great calorie count for a Friday night treat - add a glass or two of Pinot Noir (about 250 cals) and it's perfect. Enjoy your weekend!
Monday, 4 June 2007
burger night
I love making burgers from scratch - beef burgers, salmon burgers, pork burgers, all with any spice I'm in the mood for. That's the brilliance of these burgers - they're personal, they're special, one of a kind. Most importantly for a calorie counter, the fat content is easily controlled.
They also feel like a treat. I serve mine without the bun, but with all the garnishes you can imagine. Add roasted sweet potatoes ("They're better than chips," raves my husband) and green beans, and an excellent weekend night in meal is born.
This time I felt like garlic and parsley beef burgers. It could be spinach and garlic salmon burgers. Or pork and chilli. The concept's still the same. Use a seasonal green vegetable where possible... since it's (nearly) summer, I've used green beans. If you're counting calories, only have one burger patty, though others may want two or more.
We have this at least once a month.
garlic and parsley beef burgers, roasted sweet potatoes and green beans
(serves 2)
approximately 500 g lean beef mince (like Sainsbury's Be Good to Yourself 50% less fat)
1/2 of an onion, chopped small
25 g chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg
10 sprays fry light
salt and pepper
120 g reduced fat mature cheese, sliced into 30 g portions for each burger
for the garnish:
the other 1/2 of the onion, sliced in rings
1 beef tomato, sliced
romaine lettuce
for the sweet potatoes:
400 g sweet potatoes
20 sprays fry light
salt
400 g green beans
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Peel and chop the sweet potato and put in a lined roasting tin. Spray with the Fry Light and add salt to taste. Roast in the oven for approx. 45 minutes, tossing occasionally and adding Fry Light if they become dry. They will become brown in spots - this is good.
Meanwhile, make the burgers. Combine the mince, egg, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and work through with your hands. Make four patties by forming a ball with a quarter of the mixture, then slightly flattening. Poke a bit of a hole into the top so that the burgers will remain flat when they cook. Place on a plate. Do the same for the other three, then cover with cling film and put the burgers in the freezer. This will help them stay together when you put them under the grill later.
Prepare the garnishes on a plate - slice the onion rings, the tomato slices and wash and cut appropriate sizes of lettuce.
About 35 minutes into the cooking of the sweet potato, switch the setting to grill and move the potatoes to the bottom of the oven. Line the grill pan and let it heat under the grill. Take the burgers out of the fridge, spray the grill pan with Fry Light and load the burgers onto the grill. For a medium burger, they should cook for approximately 8 minutes on each side, turned once halfway through. Once you have turned the burgers, boil the green beans. A few minutes before the burgers are done, top them with the cheese and place back under the grill.
When they are done, place on a plate with the garnishes, the sweet potatoes and the green beans. Serve with a tablespoon each of French's mustard, ketchup and light mayonnaise.
calories (for one burger, approx 150 g of sweet potato, 200 g green beans, and the garnishes):
615
They also feel like a treat. I serve mine without the bun, but with all the garnishes you can imagine. Add roasted sweet potatoes ("They're better than chips," raves my husband) and green beans, and an excellent weekend night in meal is born.
This time I felt like garlic and parsley beef burgers. It could be spinach and garlic salmon burgers. Or pork and chilli. The concept's still the same. Use a seasonal green vegetable where possible... since it's (nearly) summer, I've used green beans. If you're counting calories, only have one burger patty, though others may want two or more.
We have this at least once a month.
garlic and parsley beef burgers, roasted sweet potatoes and green beans
(serves 2)
approximately 500 g lean beef mince (like Sainsbury's Be Good to Yourself 50% less fat)
1/2 of an onion, chopped small
25 g chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg
10 sprays fry light
salt and pepper
120 g reduced fat mature cheese, sliced into 30 g portions for each burger
for the garnish:
the other 1/2 of the onion, sliced in rings
1 beef tomato, sliced
romaine lettuce
for the sweet potatoes:
400 g sweet potatoes
20 sprays fry light
salt
400 g green beans
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Peel and chop the sweet potato and put in a lined roasting tin. Spray with the Fry Light and add salt to taste. Roast in the oven for approx. 45 minutes, tossing occasionally and adding Fry Light if they become dry. They will become brown in spots - this is good.
Meanwhile, make the burgers. Combine the mince, egg, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and work through with your hands. Make four patties by forming a ball with a quarter of the mixture, then slightly flattening. Poke a bit of a hole into the top so that the burgers will remain flat when they cook. Place on a plate. Do the same for the other three, then cover with cling film and put the burgers in the freezer. This will help them stay together when you put them under the grill later.
Prepare the garnishes on a plate - slice the onion rings, the tomato slices and wash and cut appropriate sizes of lettuce.
About 35 minutes into the cooking of the sweet potato, switch the setting to grill and move the potatoes to the bottom of the oven. Line the grill pan and let it heat under the grill. Take the burgers out of the fridge, spray the grill pan with Fry Light and load the burgers onto the grill. For a medium burger, they should cook for approximately 8 minutes on each side, turned once halfway through. Once you have turned the burgers, boil the green beans. A few minutes before the burgers are done, top them with the cheese and place back under the grill.
When they are done, place on a plate with the garnishes, the sweet potatoes and the green beans. Serve with a tablespoon each of French's mustard, ketchup and light mayonnaise.
calories (for one burger, approx 150 g of sweet potato, 200 g green beans, and the garnishes):
615
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