Country Style Caramalised Carrots

04:27 Happiness Is Contagious People 0 Comments

 Country Style Caramalised Carrots

Preparation & Cooking time : 30 minutes
Serves : 4 - 6

Difficulty : 2/10

You will need:
18 Carrots ( the ones pictured aboove are the colourful Heritage Carrots)

For the Caramelising :
White/Caramel Sugar
Olive Oil

Method: (see below for pictorial)
Wash Carrots and leave to dry.
Once carrots are dry place on a baking tray , sprinkle a good amount of oilve oil to coat carrots. Now take your sugar and coat the carrots with enough sugar to just coat the carrots.


Place in the oven and grill until a lovely caramel brown , approximately 15-20 minutes.

Serve as a side dish with any main meal.

** cooks note - 
Do not over sugar as this will causing burning , carrots are already naturally sweet and contain sugars.

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Creamy Coconut & Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Lollies

01:10 Happiness Is Contagious People 0 Comments

Preparing & Cooking time - 15mins min 1 hour for freezing
Serves 4

Ingredients
100ml Double Cream Yoghurt
50ml Cream
2 Tablespoons honey
50gr Coconut Flour
200ml Full Cream Milk
4 Tsp chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Method:
In a glass bowl mix together the yoghurt , cream , honey, coconut flour and milk. Set this mixture aside.

Inside the ice lollie mould spoon a teaspoon of Chocolate Hazelnut Spread into each and spread it around a little.
Now you can stir up the yoghurt mixture and pour into the moulds adding to them the ice lollie sticks and freeze for a minimum of 1 hour.

Serve just as they are.

Cooks notes -
You can easily exchange the Chocolate Hazelnut Spread with berry coulis/ Sweetened Granadilla Pulp for a fruity and milky treat that is super yummy.

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The Breakfast Stack ...

21:05 Happiness Is Contagious People 0 Comments

Preparing & Cooking time - 45mins
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 soft boiled eggs

For the stack -
4 Courgettes
1 egg
1 Tbsp Psyllum Husk ( or alternatively Cake Flour)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of mixed herbs
Coconut Oil to fry
2 Sweet Potatoes
1 Pinch Wild a Garlic Flake Salt
50ml Olive Oil

For the sauce -
2 small tomatoes (chopped)
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tsp Garlic and Ginger Paste

Method:
For the stack -
Par boil the sweet potatoes until firm but cooked , cut in halves and butterfly. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and wild garlic flake salt. Grill until golden brown.
Remove from oven and set aside.

Grate the Courgettes and place in a glass bowl , add the egg , Psyllium husk , salt and mixed herbs. Stir together and set aside for 15 mins to allow for binding.
Spoon some of the courgette mix into a hot pan with coconut oil and fry into four fritters.
Set these aside.

For the sauce -
In a hot pan add the olive oil and chopped tomatoes , fry until soft and glossy , add the garlic and ginger paste. Add the tomato paste and cream , simmer until the correct consistency is achieved.

Assembly of the breakfast stack:
Place a butterflied sweet potato slice on the bottom , top with a courgette fritter , cover with the tomato sauce/ reduction and break one the soft boiled egg on top and sprinkle with mixed herbs.

Cooks notes -
If you boil the eggs and grill the sweet potatoes whilst making the courgette fritter , this is a quick and easy wheat free, carbohydrate free breakfast.

** you can make the fritters in advance and freeze them

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Apricot , Walnut & Feta Salad ...

22:19 Happiness Is Contagious People 0 Comments

I love summer ... well after 5pm anyway as I'm not one for the heat. What I do really love about summer are the fabulous salads and side dishes that are just bursting with fresh fruit and sweet summer flavours.

Today I am sharing what is the first of many summer salads to come...


THE APRICOT, WALNUT & FETA SALAD


Preparation  & Cooking time :  15 - 20 minutes
Serves : 4

Difficulty : 2/10

You will need:

 For the salad :
4 Baby Gem Lettuces
8 apricots
Handful of fresh walnuts - approximately 4/person - chop these in chunks
1 Round of Feta (100gr) - crumble with your hands
Pinch of herbs to taste
1 Courgette for decoration

For the dressing :
1tsp honey
100ml Olive Oil
pinch of mixed herbs
splash of balsamic vinegar

Method:
For the salad :
I like to cut the bottoms of the Baby Gem Lettuces and then lay them out like a rosette in individual bowls (see my image).
Next sprinkle half the feta over the leaves , then cut the apricots and sprinkle on top over feta.
Now add the 2nd half of the feta , ensuring you do not drown the pretty apricots.
Sprinkle over the walnuts.

For the dressing :
Mix together all the ingredients in a glass bowl and drizzle over the already prepared salads and serve.

** cooks note - 
for crispy lettuce , stand your baby gems in a bowl of water in the fridge over night.

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Yoghurt Dressing and marinade for chicken

00:29 Happiness Is Contagious People 0 Comments

I am one of those strange people who don't really enjoy chicken pieces , however a lovely kebab always goes a long way in my kitchen.

This recipe can be used for both...

Preparation  & Cooking time : 15minutes to prepare , 35-45mins to bake
Serves : 4

Difficulty : 2/10

You will need:
200ml Double Cream Yoghurt
10ml Lemon juice
2 Cloves Garlic
5ml Fresh Ground pepper
5ml Tumeric
5ml Paprika
** Optional Extra - add 5ml chilli powder , for added zing

Method:
In a glass bowl , mix together all the ingredients.
You can either spoon over the chicken , cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes
or 
alternatively you can use as a marinade to completely cover the chicken/kebabs cover and leave to rest for 30m minutes.

To Cook:
simply pop in the oven at 180'c for 35-45min , or until turning lightly golden.

** cooks note - 
Never re-use left over marinade that has touched raw chicken , you take the risk of Salmonella poising.... Fresh is best!

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Three Cheese Meatballs ...

00:23 Happiness Is Contagious People 0 Comments

Preparation  & Cooking time :  45minutes
Serves :6

Difficulty : 4/10

You will need:
 For the Meatballs  :
1x block Mature Cheddar Cheese
1 x Sachet Grated Parmesan / you can use fresh parmesan if you prefer
1 x 500gr minced meat
1 x Extra Large Egg
5ml Mixed Herbs
5ml Salt
Pinch of crushed black pepper

For the Sauce :
1 x 375ml Double Cream Yoghurt plain
1 x Sachet Grated Parmesan / you can use fresh parmesan if you prefer
1 x wedge Blue Cheese
Pinch of Salt


Method: (see below for pictorial)
For th Meatballs :
In a glass bowl mix together the minced meat , herbs , black pepper  , salt and the egg until they all bind together.
Seperate the mince into 8 balls and set aside.
Cut 8 small blocks of mature cheddar , small enough to fit into the centre of your meatballs.
Insert a block of cheese into each meatball and place into an ovenproof baking dish or muffin pan (which I prefer).

For the Sauce :
In a glass bowl mix together the double cream yoghurt , the parmesan cheese and the salt.
Spoon the sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle each one with a generous amount of crumbled blue cheese.

Bake in the oven at 180'c for 35 minutes and serve immediately.

** cooks note - 
This recipe is great to freeze the individual portions and quickly heat up in the microwave.
#banting #lchf friendly recipe

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Courgette , Avo and Peppadew Salsa .....

00:20 Happiness Is Contagious People 0 Comments

This is one of my favourite side dishes when cooking a steak or having a barbeque (braai in SA).

Preparation  & Cooking time : 15 minutes
Serves : 4

Difficulty : 2/10

You will need:
 For the Salsa  :
1 Ripe Avocado
5 x Peppadews ( a pickled , piquant pepper found in South Africa)
8 x Courgettes
5ml lemon juice
Pinch of Salt & Pepper


Method:(see below for pictorial)
For the Salsa :
Grate the courgettes on the largest side of your grater and set aside
Chop the peppedews into fine ribbons and set aside
Cut the avocado into cubes

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt & pepper.

Et Voila!

** cooks note - 
This dish is best prepared shortly before serving.

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Shepards Pie ...

00:18 Happiness Is Contagious People 0 Comments

This my twist on a famous family meal to make it low carb but also extend the meat using mushrooms and thereby making it budget friendly too.



Preparation  & Cooking time :  minutes
Serves : 4

Difficulty : 2/10

You will need:

 For the Mince :
500gr mincemeat
1 punnet mushrooms - finely chopped
2 leeks - finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic paste
1tsp ginger paste
23 fresh tomatoes - finely chopped
1 pack Tomato paste
Salt & Pepper to taste
100ml olive oil

For the topping :
500gr Cauliflower (1 large head)
1 knob of butter
50ml milk/cream

Method : (see below for pictorial)

For the Mince :
Put a saucepan on the stove on full heat and add the olive oil , and finely chopped leeks , add the garlic , ginger and brown in the oil. Add the finely chopped mushrooms and once again brown slightly and scoop out into a bowl.

In the same pan add the remainder of your olive oil , your finely chopped tomatoes , your tomato paste and season. Allow this to simmer and soften.
Add your mince meet and keep turning , adding a little extra oil if ncessary ... simmer until cooked.
Add your mushroom mixture into this mixture, add a dash of water and simmer for 5-10minutes.
Remove from the heat and set aside.

For the topping :
Clean the cauliflower and either microwave with no water for 5 minutes on full or boil your cauliflower until super soft.
place Cauliflower in a glass dish , add the knob of butter and milk/cream and whisk until smooth and creamy (like mashed potatoes)

In 4 small baking dishes for individual pies (as above) or in 1 large dish spoon in your mincemeat mixture, now spoon the Cauliflower mash on top of this. Sprinkle with cheese and/or seasoning and bake on 180'c for 25minutes.

Remove and eat.

This meal is #lchf and #bantingfriendly

** cooks note - 
Do not wash mushrooms in water , simply wipe with a damp cloth to avoid getting additional moisture in your food. Mushrooms absorb water when being washed or soaked. 

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