Low Fat Christmas Pudding Recipe
November 17, 2008
Another favourite Christmas Food, the good old Christmas pud. Well you are able to enjoy this recipe without worrying how much fat it contains.
Serves: 12
Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
219.6 calories
1.6g fat
3.7g protein
42.7g carb
1.8g fibre
3.3g alcohol
Ingredients
75g Currants
75g Sultanas
115g Seedless Raisins
50ml Brandy
75g Glace Cherries
75g White Self Raising Flour
½ Tsp Cinnamon Powder
50g Breadcrumbs
50g Light Muscovado
1tsp/2g Lemon Peel
1tsp/2g Orange Peel
115g Sliced Apples
115g Grated Carrots
1tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Medium Eggs
60ml Skimmed Milk
2tbsp Molasses
60ml Brandy
Method
1. First soak all the dried fruit in 50ml of brandy OVERNIGHT.
2. Shake the cherries in the flour, add mixed spice, cinnamon, breadcrumbs and sugar and muscovado.
3. Mix in the grated zest, apple and carrot along with the lemon juice. Add the soaked fruit.
4. Beat the eggs with the milk and molasses. Then slowly add to the mixture,making sure you stir well. Mix gently but thoroughly.
5. Place in a 1.2litre ovenproof dish. If you are microwaving the pudding, place an upturned plate over the dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then microwave for a further 5 minutes. If you are steaming your pudding, cover with foil or pudding cloth, and then steam gently for 3 hours.
6. Once cooked allow to cool. Once cool wrap in foil and leave in a cool dry place until required.
7. Before reheating, prick the pudding several times and pour some more brandy over the top. Steam for 1-2 hrs or microwave on high for 10mins.
Low Calorie Christmas Cake Recipe
November 17, 2008
I love eating Christmas Cake, but do worry about piling on the pounds over Christmas. Worry no more here is a Christmas Cake recipe that is lower in calories. Meaning you will enjoy every mouthful.
Serves 18
Cooking Time 2 - 2½hrs
Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
188.6 calories
6.9g fat
2.6g protein
29.4g carb
0.8g fibre
0.2g alcohol
Ingredients
5ml Sunflower Oil
120g Black Treacle
120g Margarine
3 Free Range Medium Eggs
150g Plain Flour
5g Five Spice Powder
Pinch Of Salt
120g Sultanas
120g Seedless Raisins
120g Currants
120g Glace Cherries
2tbsp/30ml Medium Sherry
1 Zest and Juice of 1 Orange
Method
1.Preheat your oen to Gas Mark 2/ 150′C
2. Grease an 18cm/7″ cake tin with the sunflower oil. The line the tin with baking parchment.
3. In a bowl add the treacle and margarine and beat together. Gradually add the eggs,pinch of salt,mixed spice.
4. Sift the flour and add to the bowl also.
5 Fold into the mixture the dried fruits, cherries, sherry and zest and juice of one orange.
6. Place the mixture into your tin and level off the surface. Make a slight dip in the centre.
7. Bake in the oven for approximately 2/2.5 hours. If the top becomes too brown, place a piece of greaseproof paper over the top if it.
8. When cooked allow to cool. When cool wrap in foil or greaseproof paper and store in an airtight container.
If you are fed up of worrying about putting on weight. Then read My Proactol Diary and see my own account of how I lost weight.
A Halloween Classic Recipe: Pumpkin Soup
October 27, 2008
This classic Halloween recipe is not only ideal for this time of year but also for those long cold winter months ahead.
Our top tip for this recipe is to make it a day in advance as it will improve the flavour of this dish.
Serves: 4 - 6 People
Ingredients:
900g/2lb Pumpkin
45ml/3tbsp Olive Oil
2 Chopped Onions
2 Chopped Celery Sticks
450g/1lb Chopped Tomatoes
1.5 litres/ 2 1/2 pints / 6 1/4 Cups of Vegetable Stock
30ml/2tbsp Tomato Puree
1 Bouquet Garni
2 - 3 Rashers of Crisply and Crumbled Fried Streaky Bacon
30ml/2tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
Salt and Ground Black Pepper
Method:
1. Using a shape knife cut the pumpkin into thin slices, discarding the skin and seeds.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions and celery for about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin and tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Add the vegetable stock, tomato puree and bouquet garni to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Allow the soup to cool slightly, remove the bouquet garni, then puree in a food processor or blender.
5. Press the soup through the sieve, then return it to the pan. Reheat gently and season again. Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls. Sprinkle with the crispy bacon and parsley and serve.
If you are looking for more recipes click here
How To Add Flavour To Your Salad And Meat And Not Calories Or Fat
September 16, 2008
If you are on a diet and you feel yourself turning into a rabbit because of all the salad you are eating. Then don’t worry you can enjoy eating salads and not by having to add mayonnaise either, here’s how. By adding a delicious vinaigrette or salad dressing.
You may also be sick to the back teeth of eating your meat plain and want some flavour to get those tastes buds going. A tasty marinade is easy to make and adds that extra bit of flavour you are looking for.
Here are a few marinade and salad dressing recipes that will make the food you are eating on your diet even more enjoyable. Helping you to keep to your diet as you are enjoying your food.
Click Here For Healthy Salad Dressings Recipes
Click Here For Marinating Recipes
Click here for more information on Dressings,Vinaigrettes and Marinade Recipe Books
Child Friendly Recipe: Mini ‘Cat’ Fish Pie
August 11, 2008
This mini fish pie with a cats face on the top is a great and healthy way of intoducing fish to your children, these pies are suitable for babies from 10 months. Making this pie fun to look at and interesting to eat. You could of course get your child to create their own animal on top making this recipe even more fun for them to do.
Serves: 3
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
375g Peeled and Diced Potatoes,
55g Butter
25g Finely chopped onion,
1 tbsp Flour
125g Skinned and cubed cod fillet,
125g Skinned and cubed salmon fillet,
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
1.5 tbsp Milk
75ml Milk
50ml vegetable stock
25g frozen peas
50g grated Cheddar cheese
1 lightly beaten egg,
METHOD
1. Preheat your oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
2. Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the potatoes, reduce the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash with the milk and half butter until smooth. (Season for babies over one.)
3. Melt the leftover butter in a saucepan, adding the onion, sauté until softened. Add the flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Gradually stir in the milk and then the stock. Bring to the boil and cook for one minute.
4. Add the fish with the parsley and bay leaf. Simmer for about 3 minutes and then stir in the peas and cook for one minute. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the cheese until melted. Season with a little salt and pepper.
5. Divide the fish between 3 ramekin dishes and top with the mashed potato. Brush with the lightly beaten egg. Heat through in the oven for about 15 minutes and finish off for a few minutes under a preheated grill until golden.
6. Use vegetables to make a face on the pies before serving.
If you would like to do more recipes that are designed with your childs health in mind. Here are a selection of Child Friendly Recipes Books for you.
Marinated Barbequed Vegetables: Suitable For Lowering Cholesterol
July 15, 2008
You are able to cook these vegetables either by putting them on skewers or simply just throwing them on the bbq. Serve either hot or cold.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 eggplant (small) which needs to be cut into 3/4 inch thick slices
2 seeded and cut into strips small red bell peppers
3 sliced zucchinis
6 fresh mushrooms (remove the stems)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 peeled and minced cloves garlic
METHOD
1. Into a medium bowl place eggplant,peppers,zucchinis and mushrooms.
2. Into another bowl whisk together olive oil,lemon juice,basil and garlic. Pour this mixture over the vegetables. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, longer if possible.
3. Get your bbq to the desired heat.
4. Place your marinated vegetables onto the bbq (with or without skewers). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on both sides. While cooking keep brushing with marinade.
5. Serve with crusty bread
Low cholesterol Cookbook for Dummies has loads more recipes for you to help lower your cholesterol.
Are you concerned about your cholesterol level? Vasacor can help you reduce your cholesterol levels by 20 points or more.
Apple And Blueberry Crumble: Celiac,Colitis,Crohns or IBS Friendly
July 3, 2008
Finding recipes for your favourite food when you suffer from conditions such as Celiac,Colitis,Crohns or IBS can be difficult. Here is an all time classic recipe for apple and blueberry crumble which will leaving you groaning with happiness because you are full not because you are in pain
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For The Filling
2lb 11oz (1.350kg) Peeled, Cored, Diced Green Apples
1 cup (200g) Blueberries (frozen)
1 tbs orange juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind
3 tbs honey
For The Crumble
1 cup (100g) almond meal
1/4 cup (60g) butter(chilled)
1 tsp honey
Method
Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2
Butter a 20cm/8inch square baking tin
Place all of the filling ingredients, apart from 2 tbs of honey into a medium sized saucepan and cover and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer on a high temperature for a further 5 minutes. Using a sieve drain the fruit of its juices. Pour the juice back into the saucepan, then adding the remaining tablespoon of honey, simmer until reduced down by half. Keep this syrup for later and cool the fruit in the fridge.
To make the crumble combine almond flour, butter and honey in a food processor, mixing until chunky crumbs are formed. Then place the crumble into the fridge for 10 minutes.
Once the fruit is cool, place into the greased baking tin and top with your crumble.
Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until crumble is golden brown.
Serve warm, with a topping of scd french cream or scd yoghurt and the retained syrup
If you are looking for more recipes: Healing Foods Cooking Recipe Book is an excellent collection of recipes for people who suffer from Celiac,Colitis, Crohns or IBS.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Friendly Recipe: Peaches & Banana Smoothie
May 27, 2008
Smoothies are really easy to make and very nutricious. Remember this is an IBS friendly recipe, so it can also be drank by IBS sufferers without any worry that it will irritate your condition.
Serves 2
Nutritional Information (per smoothie)
Calories: 250
Protein: 8 grams
Carbohydrates: 47 grams
Fat: 3.5 grams (1.8g saturated fat)
Ingredients
2/3 Cup orange juice
1 1/3 cups of frozen unsweetened, ripe, or canned in juice and drained peach slices
1 medium sliced banana
2/3 cup low-fat or light peach yogurt or vanilla yoghurt
2/3 cup non-fat frozen yogurt or light ice cream
Method
All you have to do with your ingredients is add them all into your blender or food processor and blend until smooth. This will take approximately 10 seconds.
Scrape the sides of your blender and then turn it back on for 5 seconds longer.
Pour into your 2 glasses and enjoy!
If you are an IBS sufferer and always on the look out for suitable recipes then Recipes for IBS: Delicious Dishes Your Stomach Will Love is well worth a look.
A Healthy Chicken Caesar Salad
February 4, 2008
Caesar salads are a favourite of mine. The only complaint I have is that the dressings can sometimes be too rich. I am delighted to say I have found a caesar salad that is not only delicious and full of flavour it is also a low-fat version and therefore is much lighter. Here is a great recipe from the Cook Yourself Thin t.v. series which has now produced a recipe book , Cook Yourself Thin: The Delicious Way to Drop a Dress Size (Paperback)
Ingredients for the Salad
· 2 boneless free-range chicken breasts, or King Prawns
· Olive oil spray
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· 2 slices of soya and linseed bread
· 3 little gem lettuces
Ingredients for the dressing
· 1 small clove of garlic, peeled and grated
· 2 anchovy fillets in olive oil from a jar
· Salt and ground white pepper
· 3 tablespoons 0% fat Greek yoghurt
· A squeeze of lemon juice
· 20g freshly grated parmesan
Serves 2: 372 calories per serving - Ready in 30 minutes
How to prepare and cook your healthy chicken/prawn caesar salad
· Preheat a conventional oven to 200ºC, fan-assisted 180ºC.
· Heat a griddle until smoking. Spritz the chicken breasts or King Prawns with a little oil, season with salt and pepper.
· Place onto the griddle and reduce the heat. Cook for five minutes, turn over and repeat for five more minutes.
· Remove from the heat and leave to rest for five minutes, then cut into 7mm slices widthways (not applicable if you are using prawns).
· To make the melba toasts, toast the soy and linseed bread until golden. Cut off the crusts and slice through the bread horizontally so that you are left with two sides of bread, each with one toasted side and one soft side.
· Place on a baking tray, soft-side-up, and bake for five minutes or until the bread has curled up and dried.
· Place the garlic, some salt and pepper in a pestle and mortar and pound until broken into a smooth paste.
· Tablespoon by tablespoon, add the yoghurt and lemon juice until combined. Stir in the parmesan and season again to taste.
· Place the lettuce leaves into a bowl and mix with the dressing. Place on a plate and top with the chicken breast/king prawns. Lay the melba toasts by the side.
Cook Yourself Thin: The Delicious Way to Drop a Dress Size (Paperback)
Home-Made Carrot and Coriander Soup
February 3, 2008
Ingredients
Serves 4
50g/2oz/4tbsp butter
2 sliced leeks
450g/1lb sliced carrots
15ml/1 tbsp ground coriander
1.2 litres/2 pints/5 cups chicken stock (vegetarian option use vegetable stock)
150ml/1/4 pint/ 2/3 cup of low fat Greek-style yoghurt
salt and ground black pepper
To garnish
30-45ml/2-3 tbsp of chopped fresh coriander
Method
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the sliced leeks and carrots and stir well, coating the vegetables with the butter. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to soften but not colour.
Stir in the ground coriander and cook for about 1 minute. Pour in the stock and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the leeks and carrots are tender.
Leave to cool slightly, then puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and add about 30ml/2 tbsp of the yoghurt, then taste the soup an adjust the seasoning again to taste. Reheat gently but do not boil.
Ladle the soup into bowls and put a spoonful of the remaining yoghurt in the centre of each. Scatter over the coriander to finish.
This dish comes in at approximately 140 calories per serving, 1g fat. To make this dish even lighter substitute olive oil for the butter.