Chunky crouton salad.

As a vegetarian people often find it amusing that I'm not a big fan of salads. There's something daunting about a plate of leaves. I worry they won't fill me up or they'll taste like grass. But recently salads have been my thing! And this one is good. I do have to admit I like to add a good dollop of mayo to mine but a fancy dressing would work equally as well. I like big croutons but Mr told me they were too big (no such thing!). It's purely a personal thing but I like a chunky crouton!

Maybe I've fallen in love with salads due to my new food processor. Appliances Direct kindly asked me if I'd like a product from there website and a food processor has been top of my list for ages. This one is perfect. Appliances Direct postage was so speedy I couldn't believe when it arrived in under 24 hours. Now that's what I call speedy.

Ingredients

Cibatta, cut into large chunks

Iceburg lettuce, chopped

Carrot, grated

Grapes, sliced

New potatoes, sliced

Olive oil,

Seasoning

Place the chunks of cibatta onto a baking tray and thinly coat each one in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place into the oven at 200ºC/Gas Mark 6 until golden and crispy. Allow to cool.

Place the potatoes into a pan and cover with water. Par-boil the potatoes until just soft, be careful not to allow the potatoes to get to soft as they will turn soggy. Once soft, drain and allow to dry. Heat 1tsp of olive oil in a pan and fry the potatoes until golden and crispy (I like golden and crispy!). Drain onto kitchen roll.

Arrange the lettuce, carrot and grapes onto a plate or serving platter. Add the crispy potatoes and croutons and serve with lashings of mayo.

Skinny fries, skinny onion rings and skinny coleslaw!

So this weekend was glorious and nothing says summer like chips! However if your slimming down or if you just enjoy eating healthy food (or just enjoy eating) I'm the latter. I have an alternative for you. Skinny.

Now I'm not saying you can beat deep fried food (you can't) but it's a tasty healthy alternative. 

So tuck in and pray that we have more sunny days like we had this weekend!

Skinny Fries

(Serves 2, 151 calories per serving, 4g fat)

500g carrots

1 tbsp cornflour

1tbsp vegetable oil

salt & pepper

Cut the carrots into chips. Mix with the cornflour and salt and pepper. Toss them in oil a spread on a lined baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes, turning them halfway through. 

Skinny Onion Rings

(Serves 4, 158 calories per serving, 1g fat)

1 large onion, chopped into 1cm rings

2 egg whites

2tsp Cajun seasoning

100g breadcrumbs

50g plain flour

olive oil

Put the flour in a large lunch bag/plastic bag. Season and put in the onions. Shake up until the onions are well coated. 

Beat the egg whites in a bowl until foamy add the onions and stir to coat. 

In another bowl add the Cajun seasoning and breadcrumbs. Add the onions to this bowl and stir until the onions are covered in the breadcrumbs. 

Lightly oil a baking sheet and arrange the onion rings in a single layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through. 

Skinny Coleslaw

(Serves 6, 151 calories per serving, 4g fat)

6 tbsp plain yoghurt

½ tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1⁄2 white cabbage

2 carrots

1⁄2 onion

Mix the yoghurt, mayonnaise and mustard. Grate the carrot  cabbage and onion and combine with the yoghurt mix. The coleslaw will keep for 3 days.

Enjoy your skinny feast!

♥

Healthy fried brunch recipe!

I think I may have discovered the greatest brunch idea ever! Now there's nothing stopping you having this for breakfast other than the fact someone will have to get up early (or you could cook them the night before) to cook the potatoes. So it's really the perfect thing for a lazy Sunday.

Here's the recipe, now I'm a vegetarian so no meat for me but you could always add some bacon if you wanted!

Ingredients to serve 2:

250g potatoes, cubed

125g button mushrooms, chopped in half

10 cherry tomatoes, chopped in half

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 eggs

salt and pepper

Cibatta, to serve

1. Parboil the potatoes until they are soft. Drain and let the steam out.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 220ºC/Gas Mark 7.

3. Place the potatoes, tomatoes and mushrooms in a roasting tray. Drizzle with the olive oil and season to taste with the salt and pepper.

4. Put in the oven for 25 minutes. Make sure the potatoes are cooked through, then bring out of the oven.

5. Make two hollows in the tin by pushing the vegetables to the side. Break an egg in each hollow and bake for a further 5 minutes. Once the eggs are set , bring out of the oven and serve on pretty plates.

6. Toast or grill your cibatta and serve.

7. Make yourself a glass of orange juice, grab a paper and sit back and relax.

♥

Smoothies!

If you feeling a little stuffy from all the macaron's you've been eating then I have a remedy. Smoothies.

I find getting fruit into my diet so much easier if I have smoothies, it's also a great way to use up fruit that's going a bit soft. I picked up a book from poundland and been making a few of the recipes. I have altered a few to my personal tastes.

Here a few of my favourites: 

Kiwifruit and Orange

1 large orange

1 kiwifruit

125ml of apple juice

Pear, Apple and Cranberry

1 large pear

1 large apple

125ml of cranberry juice

Banana and Strawberry

1 ripe banana

50g strawberries (I used a can of strawberries)

125ml of orange juice

To make these cut up your fruit, add your juice and blend until smooth in a blender. Serve in a glass with a straw, if your cool.

♥