LOVELY AND LIGHT LUNCH

As you know I am one of the millions who start every new year with the intention of ending it weighing alot less - some years it happens, more years not!  This year is no exception, and I felt it was a sign that this might be "the year" when the people at Low Low challenged me to give a Come Dine With Me meal to some friends and ask them to score the experience. (Although there is a flaw in their plan - who's friends wouldn't score them 10!!).

I invited some of my reducing friends (they'll be delighted with that title!) to lunch and set out to plan my menu. I wanted to try out the Low Low products, as I have been a fan of their packets of grated cheddar cheese for ages and have been known to devour a tub of the Cracked Black Pepper Cheddar Spread with a packet of crisps (but those days are gone - I promise!!!).  They had sent me some recipe ideas and I opted to try out their Carrot, Courgette, Pecan and Cheese muffins to go with a starter of  Carrot, Cardamon and Cumin Soup (I made these carrots (using less butter) and then added stock and blitzed).  The muffins were great with the soup, although next time I make them I'll omit the nuts and add some grilled (or fried depending on the will power) bacon or ham.

For the main course I served monkfish baked with some home made sunblushed tomatoes and preserved lemons and served that with Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice, I got this recipe from a Slimming World leaflet, toyed with it a bit and it is excellent - the highlight of the meal in my opinion.  The fact that you soak the rice in the tomato juices for such a long time gives you a lovely soft textured result. This will be a regular visitor to our dinner table from now on - maybe with some olive oil drizzled over (when I'm skinny and can do such things!!).

The other vegetable I served was a Low Low recipe for Cheesy Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms - now if this had been the real deal and I were serving them to strangers who would rate my meal, I might have left these out, they weren't a huge success, they tasted fine but laked severely in the looks department.

For dessert I served these cupcakes which were popular, and I think it was O.K. that after such a virtuous meal we indulged in some Baileys in our coffee.

Stuffed Tomatoes With Rice

adapted from a Slimming World Recipe

4            large firm tomatoes (I used beef tomatoes)

2            garlic cloves - grated

50g/2oz  risotto rice (uncooked)

6 tbsp     finely chopped basil (keep some to decorate)

3 tbsp     grated cheddar cheese (I used Low Low)

salt and black pepper

Cut the top off the tomatoes and set aside to use as lids.

Scoop out the pulp from the tomatoes and chop finely, put in a bowl.

Stir the rice, garlic, basil into the tomato pulp and leave aside at room temperature for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Add the basil and cheese to the rice mixture and stuff the tomatoes.

Transfer to a baking dish and top with the lids.

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and the rice is cooked through.

P.S.  They scored me 10 (surprise, surprise) but refused a chance of international stardom citing bad hair days when I wanted to take their picture for the blog! 

SIMPLE SAMBO

This is a sandwich combination that my late sister (oh, how I hate the past tense) introduced me to - and I have been addicted ever since.  I haven't had much of an appetite over the past weeks, but recently I remembered how much she loved these panini and have been indulging in one most days - they can only be described as tasty, but really intensely deliciously tasty!

Goats cheese is lower fat than most other cheeses, if you roast your own tomatoes (I just bung some in the oven when it is heating up for, and cooling down from, other dishes - a day or two of this popping in and out of the oven leaves perfect sun (!) dried tomatoes), they need just a splash of oil - making this a healthy and delicious lunch.

Best Ever Panini

Ciabatta Bread
Goats Cheese (I like the cheese from a log)
Sunblushed Tomatoes
Black Olives


Make your sandwich and toast!
I sometimes use this combination on an open toasted sandwich using brown bread instead of the ciabatta - even healthier!

PEAS AND RICE

This warm weather really does call for a different style of eating - barbecues are perfect, as are salads.  This soup/risotto also hits the spot, it doesn't call for standing over the stove stirring (no hardship in the winter, but just too hot at the moment) but feels more of a meal than a bowl of soup.

Risi e bisi (from Nigella Summer) is the basis for this dish, I had intended on using the bunch of peas that came in this week's vegetable box - but (confession time) they didn't last until dinner, actually they didn't last an hour, I ate them all while planning what to cook with them!!!!!!  But I have to say they were delicious, I don't regret a single pod ;-)

I turned to the ever ready frozen peas (the friend of every cook) and even the veg phobic one enjoyed this.  I did blitz the peas before adding the rice, so the texture suited him - the taste would have to please anyone, it was sweet, savoury and really, really fresh.

This is my version:

Pea and Rice Soup

3/4 litre      hot chicken stock
200g          frozen peas
1 tbsp        butter
2 tbsp        grated parmesan cheese + the cheese rind (if you have one handy)*
1 tbsp        olive oil
1               shallot
1 tbsp       chopped mint
110g         risotto rice (best quality you can get)


Gently fry the shallot in the butter and oil until soft and translucent.
Add the peas and mint and stir in the buttery oil for a few minutes.
Add some of the stock and blitz this mixture until smooth.
Add the rice and coat in the pea mixture.
Add the stock and the cheese rind (if available).
Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Pour into bowls and sprinkle over the grated parmesan cheese.
Serve and enjoy.

*I always save my parmesan rinds, and keep them in the freezer to use in soups and risottos.

EASY HANDY AND YUMMY

Eggs, goats cheese and mint - not a combination I would have thought of, but a very popular one in Corsica.  This omelette was a "cookalong" recipe on Nigella.com a few months ago, and has been a regular here ever since.  The tanginess of the cheese contrasts wonderfully with the smooth eggs, and then the mint brings along an unexpected fresh edge.

Somehow I always seem to have goats cheese in the fridge, even I have managed not to kill my mint plant (well not this current one anyway!) and there are usually eggs in the house (unless of course I have gone mad baking again!) making this a handy - but out of the ordinary - store cupboard standby.

In the background you can see the photo from Forever Summer and I have to say that Nigella (or her stylist) has done a far better job of shredding her mint!! 

Seemingly the Corsicans sometimes like to sprinkle their omelette with sugar which doesn't appeal to me at all - but reminds me of my first efforts in the culinary field,  Santy brought me "Look I Can Cook" (amongst other things!!) one Christmas, and I loved it!!  My favorite recipe was for an orange omelette - I made it all the time, my poor parents were given it at least once a week (parental love is a great thing!!) That is until a new rule was introduced - all mess had to be cleaned up by the cook - worked a treat!!!!!

Corsican Omelette

3       eggs    (I use 2) - beaten
15g   butter  (I use 1 tsp)
100g goats cheese (from a log)
fistful of mint leaves - shredded
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a small frying pan, it needs to be hot and sizzling.
Add most of the mint and fry for a few moments.
Add the beaten egg and tip around the pan - add salt and pepper after about 30 seconds. (A tip I saw on T.V. stops the eggs going grey)
Crumble the cheese over the omelette and cook - lift the sides and swill the pan around to cook any runny egg.
When the top of the omelette looks nearly cooked - but still gooey.  Fold over as you like.
Sprinkle with the remaining mint and serve.

Enjoy.