Quick Healthy Recipes For You

Hunger forcing you to come out to investigate the pantry ?

You will be eating this pizza faster than you can drive for takeaways and quicker than the pizza delivery could arrive as well as know exactly what is in it.

Ingredients are usually stored in your larder, freezer but once you have the idea you can easily improvise

For each person take out one frozen Lebanese or Pita pocket each ( the large size if you are ravenous0 either microwave it to thaw or remember to take out before you get to the ravenous stage !  Choose wholemeal for a healthy choice or garlic if you prefer and Paninis  work just as well.

Drizzle Olive oil over your pita bread and scatter some herbs of either dried for speed or chop up something like spring onions, chives, garlic chives,but basil or oregano is tastiest if available .

Spreading over tomato paste is optional or just slice tomatoes and sprinkle cheese over, more herbs scattered on top and pop into a hot over until deliciously browned and crispy

Serve with a green salad.

Optional Extras depending on what is on hand:

• Sliced or chopped mushrooms
• Crushed pineapple
• Any leftovers like potato is good
• Onions of any kind

Enjoy

A fast and refreshing quick and easy watermelon and goats cheese salad

Vegan Ebook Recipes, Kale Chips, Cookie Recipes and More !

• Cubed watermelon chunks (de-seeded)
• Soak chopped red onion in lime juice
• Goats cheese  cut into chunks
• Cubed cucumber (optional addition)
• Small amount of olive oil – enough to moisten
• Add the onion and lime juice
• Stir through
• Add chopped mint as a tasty extra
• Enjoy
• Vegan Ebook Recipes, Kale Chips, Cookie Recipes and More !

I was given this recipe recently by an Italian friend  - yes, the same one who showed us how to make pasta from scratch ! AND he demanded we make it exactly how he told us but we like to experiment ….

Quantities are not exact and can be varied according to how many people and what you have in the pantry and feel free to make your own additions.

Delicious Italian Primo Lentil Dish

Very simple, quick and easy to make and yet it  tastes delicious

• Take chopped onion, celery, garlic and fry until translucent, (or “blonde” as our friend calls it ) something like Wolfgang Pucks skillet would be ideal to cook it in.
• Add sausages, or spare ribs if you prefer.   Brown and cook
• Add half a glass of wine and let cook for a few minutes
• Add one tin of tomatoes ( or half a large tin)
• When all the water has evaporated and 10 minutes before you wish to serve it add  one tin of lentils including the liquid, stir through and let simmer
• Serve garnished with your favorite herbs
• We have cooked this four times since getting the recipe, once with pork and fennel sausages. Our Italian friend said it didn’t go and we thought it was extra scrummy  !
• Enjoy

Today has been roasting hot again and we have come up with a fast and easy frozen treat that tastes divine and is healthy. Kids love this frozen popsicle even more when if comes in a rocket mold or in the long popsicle shape just like the bought ones but you know what is in your own home made frozen treats.

Plum Ambrosia Popsicles – ambrosia as it tastes so scrummy and delicious !

We were given some plums that looked mouthwatering but tasted “mouthwateringly” sour and made our eyes water. We left them on the bench in disgust until we hit on the brainwave of iced plums , then even better, iced Popsicles and the tartness just adds to the flavor. How can something so good for you taste so good ?

How to:

• Stew your plums
• Add either sugar – honey for a healthier version
• Take out the stones ( this is the most time consuming but stick with it as its so worth it when you taste it – besides they play havoc with your blender !
• Blend the plum puree ( blend for a long time if you want smoother or we like it more chunky to give it more body. Pour into your chosen molds and leave to set. These have gone down a treat today and we spent part of the afternoon reclining in the shade slurping and drooling.

We were so taken with the idea that we have expanded it to tart, stewed cooking apples but any fruit and apricot or berry fruit would be sublime and is only limited by your imagination. What about adding Lemon Grass or Ginger to the mix ?

Adult version of Plum Ambrosia

Serve plum puree over crushed ice in a tall glass with a long spoon, add a sprig of mint and a dash of Cointreau or your preferred liqueur.   Serve with pistachio nuts and if feeling decadent shaved dark chocolate.

Try Peach Schnapps with peach puree and crushed ice.

Enjoy.

Roasting hot ? Need cool snacks ? Need quick and healthy snacks ?

Need yummy healthy snacks ?

100 Healthy Raw Snacks and Treats

Try this refreshing selection for healthy recipes for snacks :

Iced lollies or healthy frozen snacks

You will need some ice block molds – the plastic kind with sticks attached that fit into the holder. I wish now I had bought two more so they can be setting while we munch……

Fill ice block holders with lemonade (wait until is stops fizzing before you insert the sticks or you will have very aerated ice blocks like we did the first time – really we like home made or ginger beer is good.

100 Easy and Healthy Snacks and Treats

Any type of fruit juice will be tasty – apple, peach, pear, but pineapple is very refreshing and passionfruit is scrummy added to almost any juice – or juice your own fruit and pour into the moulds to set. If you are in a huge rush to cool down use fruit juice from the supermarket but fresh always tastes best. We have found a delicious and natural juice that is thick and packed with real fruit in a Tropical Nectar that is almost as good as fresh squeezed.

Ice blocks for healthy easy snacks

Very weak jelly can make an interesting iced lolly

Lime juice and home made lemonade

Yoghurt smoothies make great frozen iced lollies

Iced coffee and iced drinking chocolate (added bonus = you know what is in them)

Freeze grapes and taste like mini Sherberts

Skin bananas and mash slightly and place on greaseproof paper or plastic wrap and freeze. These are a quick and delicious snack that is good for you and cooling too.

Super yummy is nice and tart rhubarb juice if you can strike the right balance and it is not too sweet.

Curried eggs are a moist and delicious spread for sandwiches:

4 hardboiled eggs (shelled and mashed)

1 & 1/2 Teaspoonsful of curry powder ( 2 if you prefer it hotter)

Salt and pepper to taste

Add mayonnaise or butter until smooth and chopped parsley is an optional extra.

Gluten Free Recipes

This same recipe can be used for a shared lunch.

Hard boil 4 – 6 eggs , cool in cold water ( makes them easier to shell) until cool. Shell and cut in half lengthwise.

Take out the yolks and mash with the above ingredients and place the yolks back in the whites.

Serve on lettuce leaves

Link for Devilled Eggs Recipe

Ria Patels Simple Egg Curry Recipe

Gluten Free Recipes

Quick, simple and easy ideas for serving your home made pasta from our Italian friends. You will notice there are no amounts as our friends just add more things as and when people turn up for a meal and don’t get hung up on the actual amounts – it makes cooking a lot more casual and enjoyable.

Serve with your own delicious home made spaghetti, pasta or fettucini to make a quick healthy and delicious meal.

1. Saute breadcrumbs with olive oil, garlic, chilli ( small amount of chilli – always easy to add a bit more later !) saute until crisp then add parsley when cooled as well as fresh tomato, add seasonings, salt and pepper and serve with pasta. Some great fresh herbs to use are oregan0, basil and sage – not all at once of course !
2. Bacon, mushroom, tomato and onion sauteed in olive oil with garlic and chilli
3. Saute onion, chilli, garlic in olive oil, add one tin of tomatoes or fresh if you prefer and a tin of tuna ( in oil)

I have had a lot of comments and many of you are curious how I got interested in pasta making again so I thought I’d share with you a funny tale of how I came to haul out the long forgotten pasta machine from my pantry!

Our Italian friends came to visit today.

We live in the country and they are from the city and we talked about missing fresh pasta here in the country.

“How many eggs do they lay ?” he asked as he watched our free range hens scratching in the garden. Suddenly he sat up straight.

” You gotta pasta machine ?”

I disappeared into the pantry and emerged dusting off a long forgotten box with an Italian made Imperia pasta maker.

“It’s an excellent machine” he stared at me in amazement.

“Its almost new, you’ve barely used it” he said in disbelief, “pasta making is so easy !” …..and ……

“You have a goldmine here” . Barely able to contain his excitement, he talked non-stop of how to make home made fresh pasta and how simple it was to make and how we could have a never ending supply of freshly made, economical pasta. Then followed an animated discussion of the different ways to serve pasta and what you could do with it.

I was almost sorry I’d hauled out the box but my mouth was watering at the descriptions

But what is the recipe I asked. “Recipe, recipe ? You don’t need a recipe” he scoffed, ” just make one small pile of flour with a “dent” in the middle and put in two eggs and then, slowly, slowly, bring the flour into the egg” and leaning back thinking he added “you might need some water”

When I pressed him for the amount, he said it depended…… then seeing the look on my face added “about two fingers worth !!! Bearing in mind that my friend has been a chef, restauranteur and previously a baker, I think maybe he made pasta on autopilot !

“Anyone can make it – you have eggs, you have flour and you have the machine. You have a goldmine” he said again, looking puzzled as to why we hadn’t thought of it before and shrugged.

We all sat down to eat lunch and discuss food (of course, what else) followed by him making a beeline for the armchair “to take a short rest” and promptly went to sleep ! His job was done it seems.

Merry Christmas from The Cat who constantly awaits the delivery of non Vegetarian Food and might even beg for some goodies from the Healthy Urban Cookbook

Greek Yoghurt Sauce
Chop Spring Onions, Coriander, mint and 2 cloves of garlic

Deseed one chilli and add to mix,

Fold this all together with yoghurt – try one cup to start and add until you like the taste

Add extra chilli sauce – sweet chilli sauce is good.

Use with couscous, over patties, on meat loaf, eggplant dishes or whatever takes your fancy.

Mushroom and Sage Tart
Grill 4 big mushrooms on a bed of sage
Place mushrooms on sheet of pastry and cut round each mushroom.

This is so the pastry will rise up around the mushrooms when cooked.

Brush with egg and lay sage leaves around the mushrooms

Brush top again with egg – if you prefer not to use egg skip this step and sprinkle with parmesan cheese Bake 10 – 12 mins in a hot oven.

Delicious and quick tart. Serve with a salad or grilled veges.

I have also tried Nigella Lawson’s Melon Salad and this is very easy to do and tastes delicious too so give it a try:

Chopped Watermelon cut into chunks, soak chopped red onion in lime juice.

Add chopped feta cheese and small amount of olive oil. Add onion and lime. stir and enjoy

Chopped mint is a good addition

Chocolate Friendly Recipes

Ice Cream “Enhancements”
Make strong coffee and either pour over or mix into ice cream, sprinkle with grated coffee flavoured chocolate.

Add scrunched up gingernuts and spoonful of powdered instant coffee to ice cream and re-freeze.

Add several large spoonsful of fruit mince to ice cream and a spoonful of your favorite liqueur(don’t add too much or it will act like antifreeze!) – add a handful of nuts as well if you like.

This range of options is only limited by your imagination !!

Chocolate Friendly Recipes

Enjoy