Skinny Avocado Egg Salad Wrap

This was a super tasty take on an egg salad without all the gloopy mayonnaise. I would ordinarily mix together yoghurt and mayonnaise anyway to create either egg or potato salads as this gives a much lighter texture but this does away with both making this recipe fairly low in fat and the fat that comes from the avocado is after all healthy fat that we need to keep our bodies running.

Skinny Avocado Egg Salad Wrap
(Serves 1)

1/2 small avocado, sliced

1 hard boiled egg yolk and white chopped separately

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp chives, finely chopped

lettuce

tomato

tortilla wrap

In a medium bowl, mash the avocado. Add the egg yolks and mash together.

Add the salt, pepper and red wine vinegar and mix.

Stir in the egg whites and the chives.

Lay a piece of lettuce on the wrap, top with some chopped tomato. Spoon the avocado egg salad into the wrap. Roll it up and serve.

Mushroom, Roasted Asparagus and Wild Rice Salad with Goat's Cheese

The original recipe for this was for a warm salad but it tasted just as good cold packed up for lunch. I love how versatile rice, pasta, grain and potato salads can be. They always end up as tasty and filling lunches.

Mushroom, Roasted Asparagus and Wild Rice Salad with Goat's Cheese
(adapted from Closet Cooking)
(Serves 2)

100g basmati and wild rice

1 tbsp oil

1/2 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, chopped

120g mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

salt and pepper

120g asparagus, cut into chunks

1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

handful salad greens

50g goat's cheese, crumbled

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the rice according to packet instructions. Drain and run under cold water

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, sauté until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about a minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté until just caramelised, about 10-15 minutes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, toss the asparagus in the oil along with some salt and pepper. Spread the asparagus out in a single layer on a baking dish and roast in a preheated 200C oven until tender, about 10-15 minutes.

When all is cooked, put the wild rice, mushrooms, asparagus, dill, balsamic vinegar and oil in a bowl and mix to combine.

Serve the mushrooms, asparagus and rice on a bed of salad greens and garnished with the goat's cheese.

Cornflake Crumbed Plaice

This is a really easy and quick way to get breaded crunchy fish. The cornflakes give a different texture to breadcrumbs and also an extra crunch. I served it with new potatoes from the garden, mange tout, beans and tartare sauce.

Cornflake Crumbed Plaice (from Fish is the Dish)
(Serves 1)

1 plaice fillet, skinned and boned
salt and pepper
2 tbsp oil
50g cornflakes, crushed into small crumbs

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

Take a large oven proof baking tray, and drizzle the oil over it. Put the plaice fillets on the baking tray and turn them over to coat in the oil. Season the plaice fillets with salt and pepper, turning over to season both sides.

Sprinkle the crushed cornflakes over the plaice fillets, turning them over to coat both sides.

Put the plaice in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until crumbs are crispy and the fish is opaque.

Prawn and Asparagus Salad with Preserved Lemon

As the heat increased I didn't feel much like cooking or eating elaborate dishes and so stuck to salads, but warm salads. This is a really interesting salad and I would never have thought of adding preserved lemon to a salad, but it works and is definitely worth a try.

Shrimp and Asparagus Salad with Preserved Lemon (from Thyme for Cooking)
(Serves 2)

200g raw prawns, cleaned
120g asparagus, trimmed, cut into inch chunks
120g tenderstem broccoli, cut in half
1 clove garlic, sliced
12 olives
1/2 preserved lemon, pulp removed, rind thinly sliced
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
200g salad greens
2 tbsp fresh, snipped marjoram

For the vinaigrette
1 1/2 tbsp Dijon-style mustard
1 1/2 tbsp sherry wine vinegar
3 tbsp salad olive oil

Make the vinaigrette by whisking the mustard and vinegar together in a small bowl and then gradually whisking in the olive oil until thick and creamy.

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic, asparagus  and broccoli and sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Add remaining 1 tsp olive oil, paprika, cumin and sauté briefly. Add the prawns and quickly sauté until cooked through. They will curl and turn pink when done. Remove the pan from the heat.

Return the asparagus, broccoli and garlic to the pan. Add the olives, preserved lemon and 2 tbsp of the vinaigrette. Stir well to combine.

Toss the salad greens and marjoram with the remaining vinaigrette. Divide and arrange on 2 plates. Spoon the prawns and asparagus into the centre and serve.

Lamb Steak Tacos

This is a delicious take on a steak taco, using beef instead of lamb. Its really flavourful and makes a very quick evening meal.

Lamb Steak Soft Tacos (adapted from For the Love of Cooking)
(Serves 2)

2 lamb leg steaks
salt and pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp taco seasoning
2 flour tortillas
1 can refried beans
1 avocados, diced
lettuce, chopped finely
cheddar cheese, grated
1 tomato, diced
2 spring onions, diced
salsa
sour cream

Season both sides of the steak with salt, pepper, garlic powder and taco seasoning.

Heat a griddle pan that has been coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Cook the lamb steaks for 3 minutes on each side or until the steak is done how you like it. Place the steaks onto a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into chunks.

Heat the refried beans in a pan over medium heat, stirring often, until hot.

Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until warm and pliable.

Spread the hot refried beans down the centre of the warm tortillas then top with steak pieces followed by lettuce, avocado, cheddar cheese, tomato, salsa and green onions. Serve with salsa.

Smokey Barbecue Hot Dog Pasta

This is such a fun thing to make and especially good fun for kids as the pasta goes all wiggly and it looks a little like octopi! It also very tasty. I used my tamarind chipotle barbecue sauce as I had some left over but you could any home made or store bought barbecue sauce.



Smokey Barbecue Hot Dog Pasta
(Serves 1)

60g spaghetti or angel hair, broken in half
2 thin hot dogs/1 jumbo hot dog, cut into chunks
1 tbsp barbecue sauce

Thread each chunk of hot dog with several strands of the pasta.

Bring a pan or water to the boil and add in the pasta and hot dogs cooking according to packet instructions.

Drain and then mix with the barbecue sauce. Serve.

Carrot and Chickpea Soup

Now I know you're thinking that it's totally the wrong weather for soup but I made this a little while ago and though it was worth posting. It used up half a tin of chickpeas and some carrots that were very near going off and made this beautiful and vibrant orange soup. Not to mention that it;s also ridiculously tasty too!

Carrot and Chickpea Soup (adapted from Mark Bittman)
(Serves 4)

1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
450g carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
1l vegetable stock
1 400g tin chickpeas
250ml orange juice

Put the oil in a large pot over medium heat; a minute later, add the onions, carrots, and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to keep the vegetables from burning, until the onions and carrots have coloured, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the cumin and paprika and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds.

Add the stock and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down so the mixture bubbles gently but steadily. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are very soft, about 30 mins; add more liquid as necessary so the mixture remains soupy.

When the chickpeas are very tender, add the orange juice. Blend the soup with a hand blender and put into bowls to serve.

Skinny Mango Milkshake

This is a really simple milkshake to make and it can be made really easily with a hand blender. I've been trying to find different things to drink rather than just fizzy drinks or water and I came up with this milkshake. It's very adaptable, I've used bananas as well, and peach although the peach didn't work so well as there were too many stringy bits!

Skinny Mango Milkshake
(Serves 1)

300ml skimmed milk
1/2 large mango, roughly chopped
1 scoop light vanilla ice cream

Put all the ingredients into a blender or pot for a hand blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and drink.

Salmon and Avocado Grilled Sandwich

This is a deliciously different grilled sandwich. You have to be really careful grilling the bread, I kept burning it! But although the cheese is a surprising addition it totally works. You could use any cheese you fancied really. I happened to have mozzarella in but you could use cheddar or gouda, anything that melts well.

Salmon and Avocado Grilled Sandwich (adapted from Sumptuous Spoonfuls)
(Serves 1)

1 salmon fillet, cooked and flaked
1 tsp Greek yoghurt
1 tsp light mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp chives, chopped
squeeze lemon juice
1 ciabatta roll, split in half
handful grated mozzarella
1/2 avocado, sliced

Mix together the salmon, yoghurt, mustard, dill, chives and lemon juice.

Spread the salmon mixture on the bottom half of the roll and top with the mozzarella. Grill for 5-6 mins until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Toast the top of the bun at the same time although this will take a shorter amount of time.

Top the salmon and cheese with the avocado and then the top of the roll. Devour.

Marble Pear Traybake

I could not get this recipe to cook. I put it in for the time the recipe said and it was still uncooked in the middle. I ended up putting it back three times and turning it over before it was fully cooked. I think if I was to make it again I would put some of the cake mixture in the bottom, put the pear in the middle and cover with more batter then cook it to stop the bottom from being soggy. Otherwise it was a very moist and tasty cake.

Marble Pear Traybake (from Wellsway School)

100g caster sugar

100g soft margarine
2 eggs
100g self raising flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pear (fresh or tinned)
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Grease and line a baking tin.

Cream the sugar and margarine together.

In a small bowl beat the egg with a fork. Add the beaten egg a little at a time, to the margarine and sugar.

Sieve the flour and baking powder into mixture and fold in using a metal spoon.

Core and chop the pear into small pieces, Scatter pieces of pear into the lined caked tin.

Spoon half of the plain mixture into the tin. Stir in the cocoa to the remaining cake mixture.

Spoon the chocolate mixture into the baking tin and then swirl the two mixtures together to create a marble effect.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes golden brown and springy to the touch.