Carrot Cake

 

On a diet at Christmas 

I was told that Christmas would be one of the hardest times to be on a diet but I have actually found it okay.  It is a little annoying when there are little options for those who like to be healthy at parties and other people’s houses, so what do I do. I avoid all the stuff I don’t want and cook BETTER food for myself of course.

As a dancer I need to be on form all of the time and I will soon be taking part in a set which requires quite a revealing outfit so I need my 6 pack on point.  This Carrot Cake is Low Fat and yummy and delicious.  I made it for Christmas and jazzed it up with butter icing, pineapples and raisins for the family.  I had my piece before I added on all the extras.  Otherwise my boss would have said a thing or too 😉

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups (310g/ 10oz) Self – Raising Flour, 1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda, 2 Tsps of Ground Cinammon, 1 Ts of Mixed Spice, 1/2 cup (95g/ 3oz) Soft Brown Sugar, 1/2 Cup (60g/ 2oz) Sultanas, 2 Eggs Lightly Beaten, 2 Tbsps Vegetable Oil, 1/3 Cup (80ml/2 3/4 fl oz) Low – Fat Milk, 140g (41/2 oz) Apple Pur’ee, 300g (10 oz) Grated Carrot

Method:

1. Grease a loaf tin and line the base with baking paper.
2. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 or 180’c
3. Sift the flour, soda and spices into a large bowl.
4. Stir in the sugar and sultanas.
5. Mix  the eggs, milk and apple pur’ee in a separate bowl.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
7. Stir in the carrot.
8. Spread into the tin and bake for 1 1/4 hours.
9. Cool and decorate as you like.

This was taken from ‘The Complete Low- Fat Cookbook’

Thoughts on the recipe

My mum really enjoyed the cake and thought it was absolutely delicious, however I personally think that the cake didn’t need that much sugar and could have had more fruit.  So to make it even healthier for myself I will not include any sugar and add a a little more fruit to my taste.  Then I’ll do a 2 hour dance session after… lol.

Treats

Sometimes I feel really bad about treatin myself and though I have become a little funny about food this is one recipe I was definately glad that I had.  To be honest I could only bring myself to have a quarter of the serving without the toppings.  It tasted too good to be true. Love Carrot Cake 😉

Frittata

Cooking for mum

Having the chance to live on my own and cook for myself helped me develop my passion for cooking.  I thought it was about time that my mum got to taste some of my healthy dishes and see how much my culinary skills have improved.  My mum has always brought me up on healthy food and she is really good at inventing her own dishes.  I therefore had to make sure this low fat meal was up to her standards, she is one of my most important critics.


Ingredients:

200g (6oz) Baby Courgettes, 250g (8oz) Butternut Squash, 300g (10oz) Sweet Potato, 3 tbsps Fresh Parsley (chopped), 3 Tsps Watercress, 3 Eggs, 2 Egg Whites, 3 Tsps Oil, 1 Small Red Onion, 1 Small Red Pepper, 3 Tsps of Mixed Herbs.
Method:

I slightly altered this recipe but took it from ‘The Complete Low-Fat Cookbook’.

1. Steam the courgette, butternut squash and sweet potato until tender.
2. While this is steaming beat the egg whites and eggs together in a separate bowl.
3. Heat 2 teaspons of oil in frying pan. Then add onion and red pepper, and cook until tender or 3 mins.
4. Mix with the steamed vegetables and the parsley, and mixed herbs.
5. Add the rest of the oil and spread out the vegetables.
6. Pour beaten eggs and egg whites into the pan.
7. Cook over a medium heat until eggs are almost set, but still runny on the top.
8. Wrap the handle of the pan in foil to protect it and place under a hot grill.
9. Pierce the frittata to check whether it is cooked right through.
10. Once cooked cut into wedges and serve 🙂

Final Verdict

Mum thought it was very nice and had another serving.  However, it needs a little pinch of salt when all of the vegetables are added to the onion and pepper.

Birthday Banana Rum Pancakes

MMMMMMMMMMM

I had an urge to make this a week beforehead as part of my birthday celebrations.  As I was making them I was listening to soca and dancing around my kitchen.  My mum first made me banana pancakes, which did not include butter or eggs.  I decided I would blend her recipe and the classic standard sweet batter.


Ingredients:

2 Bananas, 150g Wholemeal flour, 2 tps of Baking Flour, 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon, 250 ml Skimmed Milk, Salt (pinch), 2 tsps of Caster Sugar(I put in a whole lot more), 1 Egg, 25g Melted Butter

Method:

1. Sift dry ingredients into bowl and make a well in the center.
2. Add the beaten egg to the well.
3. Add 1/2 liquid ingrdients Milk to the well.
4. Gradually mix batter to make smooth thick batter.
5. Add other 1/2 of liquid and melted butter. Stir
6. Add Rum Flavouring and pureed or mashed bananas.
7. Mix
8. Blend to make smooth as possible.
9. Grease pan lightly and heat.
10. Pour in batter to cover pan, try and make them thin.
11. When edges crispy flip.
12. Serve when golden brown and should also have lacy golden brown pattern.

Use Music
Try playing music when your cooking as well it’s so much fun.  Just don’t lose concentration 🙂

Savoury Rice Cake

 Healthy Leftovers

I can go along time without eating meat and I because my birthday and Christmas is coming up which means lots of cake and popcorn etc I wanted to be extra healthy and enjoy as much fresh food as possible.  I found this awsome savoury rice cake recipe where I was able to use up all of my leftover ingredients. 🙂   It was a new experience eating rice and yogurt it’s always good to be adventurous.

Ingredients:

I altered the ingredients according to my taste.  For example you are meant to use 4 eggs and an english onion.

1 Red Onion, 1 tablespoon Garlic, little Olive Oil, Yellow and Red Pepper, 3 Eggs, Salt and Pepper, Brown Basmati Rice, 7 table spoons Natural Yogurt, 60g Mild Cheddar Cheese.

Method:

This dish was taken from a Vegetarian Cooking Cook Book 🙂

The leftover rice I had was also flavoured with left over pasta sauce roughly 5 minutes before the rice was cooked.

1.Fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until soft.
2. Add peppers and fry gently for 4 -5 minutes.
3. Beat the eggs with salt and pepper.
4. Add the cooked rice to the peppers and onion followed by the eggs.
5. Cook over a moderate heat stirring from time to time until  the eggs are cookedunder a mixture.
6. I then transferred this from the wok to an oven dish because I didn’t want to put my wok in the oven to grill it.
7. Spoon the yogurt on top of the part set egg then sprinkle the cheese over the top.
8. Put under a moderate grill and cook until the dish is puffed and golden.
7. Served immediately. Also as it is already in the dish you can chill it in the fridge to save your leftovers.

Chicken Chow Mein Parcels

 Something New

This dish interested me because I have never tried a Chinese inspired dish. The chow mein sauce did not taste quite right but it was still nice.  It was so filling and sweet.  I loved the idea of using vegetable stock to coat the dish whilst it bakes in the oven.  This was the first time I had cooked with red onion as well, I was nervous about putting everything raw in the oven without cooking it first but with a little faith I followed the recipe step by step and the result was delightful.  It’s nice to try different things.

I found this dish in a Sainsbury’s idea’s leaflet.  This is what it says but my method was completely different for example I added more herbs and spices and pured extra chow mein sauce over chicken and save some for another recipe.

Ingredients:

Cooked Egg Noodles, Chicken Breasts, Carrot, Red Onion, Chow Mein Stif Fry Sauce, 6tbsp Chicken or Veg stock,

Method:

1. 2 large squares of foil and place 150g in noodles in the centre of each.
3. Place the chicken breasts on and score diagonally.
4. Scatter chopped onion and carrots over chicken.
5.Pull up the sides of foil to make parcel and add stir fry satchet and 3 tablespoons of stock to each of the parcels.
6. Place on a baking tray with a little gap in parcel and leave for 20mins Gas mark 6.

My Changes

1) I cooked my chicken for 30 – 40mins.

2) I added vegetable stock after 10mins of cooking not before.

3) I added some more stir fry sauce before sealing up the parcels.

4) Rather the sealing up my chicken entirely I left a little gap.

Fig and Banana Bakes

Improvisation

I am not quite sure what these were meant to be but they ended up as Muffins/Barbadian Bakes.  I wanted to use up my left over figs and I thought why not make a banana type thing.  The inside is meant to be moist and they are meant to be heated and can be eaten at breakfast with jam or marmalade.  It was fun, it was improve and it tasted good.  Nuff Said!

Healthy Chicken Tortilla Wrap

Feeling healthy

I had just finished my gym session and I didn’t know what to eat.  So as I was browsing through the products in the supermarket then spotted some tortilla wraps and thought oh man it would be so good to have a Mexican inspired evening.  The whole day I was so excited about dinner because I am such a fan of Mexican food.  The guacamole and sour cream was not homemade and neither was the sauce but next time I will make everything for myself.  The sides actually had some heat, and I didn’t know you can have mild sour cream.  It tasted great and the tortilla wraps were wholemeal of course, however, the guacamole could have tasted nicer but at least I can say I have tried Old El Paso.  I even put the chicken in an Old El Paso taco, my first taco! It tasted delicious.  Great for watching movies and after long lectures.

Figgy Prune Cake

My Christmas Cake 

I was feeling very festive when I decided to make this cake. I had many figs and prunes and I wanted to make something rich, indulgent and full of antioxidants. So voila! My Figgy Prune Cake thanks to Sainsbury’s veggie cookbook.  The reviews I got from this cake were great and I must admit I did find myself sneaking in pieces every now and  again.  When I was mixing it the flavours reminded me of my Gran Gran’s cooking.  I did however make the mistake of adding my double whipped cream to the cake while it was hot, but actually when it melted inside the cake it tasted so damn good.

Ingredients:

125g (4 oz) pitted prunes chopped, 125g dried figs chopped, 150ml (1/4 Pint) Apple Juice, 75g (3oz) Clear Honey, 125 ml Corn Oil, 2 Eggs beaten, 150g wholemeal flour, 1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda, 1 teaspoon Ground Mixed Spice, 1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg, 125g Natural Yoghurt, 25g (1 oz) chopped Walnuts.

Method:

This recipe is from ‘The Best of Sainsbury’s Vegetarian Cooking’

1. Place the prunes and figs in a pan with the apple juice, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
2. Leave the prunes and figs to cool.
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly, except the walnuts.
4. Pour into a lined and greased cake tin and prinkle walnuts over the top.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 – 55 minutes gas mark 4
6. Cook until it is firm to touch.
7. Leave in the tin for 2 minutes then cool.

Relaxing

I personally feel that this cake tastes much better when it is warm and eaten with some fruits and dessert sauce and ice cream.  When I made it I just wanted to relax and have a quiet relaxing evening in.  It worked the cake was divine and gave me sweet dreams.  For a little extra touch I made 2 cakes and added double whiped cream inside of them.  I put the cream in the cakes just before they became cool, so when the cream just melted slightly it oozed out of the cake dripping to the base. Cut quickly into slices and wrapped up so the cream wouldn’t drip everywhere, I served it straight away.

Winter Baked Bananas

Christmas in a bowl

Everytime I look back at this picture I smile, it was heavenly.  This was such a good simple, satisfying dessert.  I used walnuts and dates to give it texture and little added sweetness. I also used honey and lemon juice.  It was sooooo yummy.  It was like my kinda Chirstmas in a bowl. Next time I might add some rum and vanilla ice cream, or vanilla cream.

Ingredients:

Bananas, Lemon Juice, Dates, Honey, Water, Walnuts.

Method:

1. Place bananas in an ovenproof dish.
2. Add lemon juice and toss well.
3. Sprinkle dates over the top.
4. Belnd honey and water over bananas.
5. Top and mix with walnuts.
6. Bake for 20mins gas mark 4.
7. Serve hot with cream or ice cream drink some rum 🙂

Just writing this is making me crave it again.  Just missing Barbados more 😦

New Chicken Parmesan

Cheesy Chicken

Succulent chicken breasts, mozzarella and tomato.  This was a good filling meal, I had never tried anything like it before but it turned out okay.  It was tricky getting presentation to look good but the taste made up for it.  The best thing about this dish is the garlic oil which I made and used to marinate the chicken and the tomatoes into.  I was told the chicken would taste good wrapped in bacon, and that this is actually called ‘Chicken Parma Ham’ in some restaurants.  So I rubbed in some passata as well as marinate the chicken in the garlic oil and after cutting it into bitesize pieces I wrapped it up into bacon like parcels.  Next time I might cover the whole chicken in bacon just to see if it’s a hit.  I only eat white meat, and have tasted red meat on a few occasions.  I don’t think I will convert any time soon,, but I would still like to learn how to cook it.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil, Garlic, Salt, Tomatoes, Chicken Breast, Parmesan, Mozzarella.

Method:

1. Mix oil, garlic and salt into a large bowl.
2.Chop tomatoes and put into a medium bowl.
3. Mix a roughly two table spoonsof garlic oil into tomatoes and add coriander.
4. Coat Chicken in garlic oil in large bowl.
5. Place tomatoes in oven dish.
6. Put the chicken on top
7. Sprinkle parmesan over chicken.
8. Bake until Chicken is cooked.
9. Arrange mozarella on the chicken and roast this for 2 mins or until the cheese melts.
10. Once plated sprinkle extra parmesan over the chicken and tomatoes.

Tip

I would slice the chicken breasts in half because unless you are going to marinate the chicken for a long time, the flavour may not run the whole way through the chicken.  Basically the dish could get boring so do what you can to make sure it is full of flavour.