LOW GI Spiced tabbouleh with mackerel, Kale and spinach

Here is a recipe for a very healthy low GI salad recipe. I took the idea from a GI cookbook, as hubby is trying to be extra fit this month, so thought this would help in his training.

The glycaemic index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.

High GI foods

Carbohydrate foods that are broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood glucose have a high GI rating. High GI foods include:

• sugar and sugary foods
• sugary soft drinks
• white bread
• potatoes
• white rice

Low and medium GI foods

Low or medium GI foods are broken down more slowly and cause a gradual rise in blood sugar levels over time. They include:

• some fruit and vegetables (but not dried fruit)
• pulses
• wholegrain foods, such as porridge oats 

I know there seems like a lot of ingredients, but you can substitute for anything suitable that you might have lying around.

Ingredients 

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seed
• 2 roasted red peppers, sliced (I used the ones from a jar)
• 2 red red chillies deseeded and thinly sliced 
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 courgette, diced
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly chopped
• Tin chick peas drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• Handful of baby spinach
• Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lines 
• 175g bulgur wheat, rinsed, well drained, then left to soak in 200ml cold water 
• 25g toasted flaked almonds 
• Handful of chopped mint leaves
• 100g smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and flaked

Method 

• Dry-fry the seeds in a small frying pan until fragrant, then crush and set aside.
• In the same frying pan, add a little olive oil and when hot cook courgette until soft.
• In a large salad bowl combine all ingredients and mix together gently 
• Check seasoning
• Serve with lime wedges 

Slow cooker vegetable soup

This is the first time I've made soup in the slow cooker, but it was so easy and delicious.        My slow cooker fries, if yours doesn't, use a pan first.  Add a little oil to the pan, then some vegetables, whatever you have. I used sliced celery, sliced leek (washed), sliced carrot, half a bag of soup mix lentils. With these I never bother soaking over night, I rinse them and then boil them in cold water, and then add to the soup. Add stock to cover the vegetables and seasoning to taste. If for children use low salt stock and don't add salt.

Slow cook for around 3-4 hours until vegetables soft. I put this on this morning prior to baby group and was ready in time for lunch

Sea bass & Portebello Mushrooms

 Seabass is my favourite fish and I love cooking it this way. Place fillet on a piece of foil, lay slices of lemon on top. Fold foil and crunch sides together so there is a small opening in the top. Drizzle a little white wine on top of the fish and crunch top of foil so the fish is completely sealed. Place on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes.

I cooked the mushrooms in a small pan with butter and spicy italian seasoning. Serve with a green salad. I like to serve this fish in the foil to add interest.

Spicy Coconut Salmon Anniversary Dinner

It might not look exactly appetising, but I promise, it is very yummy, I will try to do again, and take better pictures, I'm still new to this blogging malarky!

I do find salmon a little boring, and then I came up with the idea (I know its going to sound strange) to sprinkle chilli flakes and desiccated coconut on the salmon and then grill! It's magic!

I served it with salad leaves sprinkled with balsamic and olive oil, boiled new potatoes and griddled baby courgette and asparagus. Oh and a large mushroom, topped with boursin cheese and chilli flakes (yes my staple seasoning), which I cooked in the oven for 30 mins.

I think its reasonably healthy and very tasty.

Hope you like it

Blueberry, natural yoghurt, honey and flaked almonds

I love this dessert, I was once served it by a Turkish friend of mine. 

This is great if you fancy something sweet and healthy. It's also full of all sorts of antioxidants and nutrients.

Method 

In a small pan dry fry flaked 

almonds 

In a bowl place some blueberries, natural yoghurt, a swirl of natural honey and top with flaked almonds 

Salmon, salad and griddled courgettes

I've been to the gym today in my pursuit of a beach body, and when I get home I want something healthy, filling and quick.

On the way back from the gym I bought 2 salmon steaks which come with watercress sauce, avocados, courgettes, and a bag of salad leaves.

First trim and cut courgettes in half, thinly slice, throw in a bowl with a little olive oil and a sprinkling of Italian seasoning or some pepper and chilli flakes would work just as well. 

Griddle until chargrilled.

You can cook the salmon a number of ways, grill oven or I cooked  in a small frying pan as I like a crispy skin.

I served with a green salad and some steamed rice

Mackerel, spinach and aubergine risotto

I've been reading a nutrition book recently and it says you should have 3 portions of oily fish per week, which is far more than what we do at home, so we're trying to eat more.

Method

• Place mackerel fillets on a baking tray and cook under the grill until brown
• Griddle aubergine slices
• Place mixed vegetable such as red/yellow peppers, red onion, aubergine, courgette, in a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, place in oven for 40 minutes 
• Cook risotto rice
• When rice is al dente, add in cooked mix veg

Healthy vegetable crisps

A friend of mine asked for more healthy recipes , so Caren here you go.....

These can be made with all manner of root vegetables.

I used parsnip, sweet potato and carrot, unfortunately couldn't find an uncooked beetroot, but that would be perfect. 

Method

Peel skin and discard

Peel vegetable in same place so you get 

larger pieces 

With the sweet potato rinse under water and lay between kitchen paper








Layer separately on the kitchen paper and then on parchment paper on a baking tray




Cook at around 200 degrees for 10 mins until crispy

I sprinkled with sea salt and chilli flakes for hubby and I, but left plain for the little people.

Yummy healthy salad

Actually I can't take credit for this masterpiece, it was hubby! It's his second attempt after yesterday's disastrous salad where he added caramel cashew nuts! 

Today's salad consists of avocado, sliced beef tomatoes, mozzarella, spinach leaves and some salad leaves and basil from the garden! 

I think we will drizzle some olive oil and balsamic before serving, balsamic makes everything taste amazing! 

Nothing nicer on a really hot day 

Diet!!! Urgh - Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Ok so I've decided I need to lose a stone before my holiday to Spain in sept! And so far this week I've lost a few lbs already.

I should have been documenting our healthy dinners every day, but I'm often very tired after chasing my 2 yr old around all day. The 8 month old is utterly no bother compared to a toddler that has now learned the phrase "go away"! And whose favourite dinner yesterday, today she won't even look at! 

So today's dinner was stuffed peppers made in the slow cooker (we don't eat much meat in this house, hubby won't eat red meat as he likes cows and lambs, and I don't like chicken - so we survive on vegetables, pulses and fish!)

Ingredients

• Chickpeas
• Currants
• Feta Cheese
• Rice
• 4 red peppers
• Mint leaves

Method

• Mix all ingredients together. 
• Cut off top off the peppers and remove seeds. 
• Place mixture in peppers. 
• Place in slow cooker 
• Add stock to half fill the slow cooker
• Cook fort least 5 hours until rice is cooked

Very yummy dinner 

I'll keep you posted on my weight loss! 

Summer evenings vegetarian dinner

It worked! Can't believe it wasn't as difficult as I thought, and actually quite yummy! 

I know it's been a little while since I posted, children are very time consuming!

But I just had to share these fab homemade vegetable samosas.

Made with peas, sweetcorn, red onion and feta cheese, with a sprinkling of tikki seasoning and wrapped in filo pastry.

Reasonably healthy as baked in the oven and so yummy ! 

Both my 2 year old and hubby love them, and they're perfect for a picnic, or a summers evening dinner. My daughter has hers with steamed veg and new potatoes and hubby and I are going to have ours with some tabbouleh, which by the way I've never made before ! 

Bulghar wheat, red onion, tomato, lemon juice and zest, olive oil and parsley and mint from the garden! 

So there we have it, a perfect summers evening dinner!

Samosas, tabbouleh, tzatiki and halloumi