Month: April 2016

Butternut Spaghetti with Bacon and Herbs

| roeliaschoeman

I am, like most people, a little obsessed with spiralised veggies at the moment.  I guess it is the fact that, by simply changing the shape of a veggie, it makes it a little more versatile and ‘fun’ to work (and play) with 🙂  And who doesn’t like pasta-shaped stuff!  😉

This is a super quick meal – honestly, it took about 10 minutes to prepare!

175g lean bacon (I used Eskort Weigh-Less Smoked bacon), cut into strips

5ml lemon infused olive oil (or plain olive oil with a dash of lemon juice if you don’t have infused olive oil)

200g Butternut Spaghetti (super excited about this new product from Woolies!  But again, if you can’t get hold of it, make your own spiralised veggies.  Spiralisers are widely available, I got a very cool one from Clicks, for R99.  You can even use coarsely grated butternut)

20g chinese style noodles (we often make trips to Cyrildene, Johannesburg’s China Town.  Very affordable produce and a very exotic and interesting range of products available.  It is a treat!  If you feel nervous to venture out on your own, join the Chef Ishvara’s group on Facebook – it is called “African Secrets – cultural walks in the inner city of Joburg” and he offers insightful and very interesting tours to the various cultural hotspots in Johannesburg. A true treat!  Look out for his Cyrildene and Fordsburg tours)  Okay, and after all that – you can use angelhair pasta as well!  LOL!

Robertsons Masterblends – Garlic and Rosemary seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh basil to serve

Fry bacon strips in pan coated with non-stick spray – add a few mls of boiling water to prevent from sticking – it will take about 4 minutes.  In the meantime, place the butternut spaghetti in the microwave (can just microwave it in the bag or with a little bit of water) for 2 minutes.  Also cook the pasta in boiling water – the pasta is very thin, so it takes only 5 minutes to cook.  Add a generous sprinkling of Garlic and Rosemary seasoning to the bacon strips.  Stir in drained pasta and butternut strips and season with salt, pepper and infused olive oil.  Fry at high heat for 1 minute (we don’t want the butternut and pasta to get soggy and overcooked)

Serve with fresh basil

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Voila!  10 minute meal!  And it is yummy!

PS:  You can make this a vegetarian option by replacing the bacon with feta.  Cook butternut and pasta as above, mix together, season and serve with basil 🙂

2 Prot, 1 Fat, 2 Veg, 1 CC

Creamy Pumpkin & Herb Pasta with Feta Crumble

| roeliaschoeman

The title of this dish is slightly deceiving because it contains NO cream!  But the pasta sauce has got a lovely ‘creamy’ texture indeed!

100g chopped onions – 1 Veg

10ml olive oil – 2 Fat

1/2 tsp garlic and herb paste

1/2 tsp mixed herbs

400g cooked pumpkin chunks (I bought a prepared pack and just popped it in the microwave for 4 minutes –  are per the instructions) – 4 Veg

10oml prepared chicken stock (or veggie stock)

Salt and pepper to taste

60g crumbed feta mixed with a sprinkling of dried sage and parsley – 2 Prot

Pasta serving according to your formula/daily allowance

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Fry onions in olive oil until soft.  Stir in garlic and herb paste and herbs and fry for a minute or so.  Add pumpkin chunks and chicken stock and cook until pumpkin is soft.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Liquidise if preferred or just mash with a fork.

Stir cooked pasta in (I used linguine) and simmer for a few minutes.

Dish up and serve with a crumbed feta mix.

Serves 2

Coconutty Curried Lentils with geelrys (yellow rice)

| roeliaschoeman

Yes, if it is Thursday night it must be “Vegetarian” night!  Yay!

Needed to put a quick meal together – so this is where meal prepping and planning comes in!  I usually cook and portion food like brown rice and lentils in advance so that it is easy to throw a healthy and wholesome weekday meal together.

So here goes – Coconut Curried Lentils (with geelrys).  Geelrys is a traditional South African dish – directly translated it means ‘yellow rice’.  Rice is cooked with turmeric to give it a lovely, warm yellow colour and is usually served with raisins.  But I left the raisins out this time around – simply because I didn’t have any!  LOL!

First – the Yellow Rice:  I had some pre-cooked brown rice in the fridge, I usually freeze it in 140g portions – 2 CCs.  I popped the frozen rice in a pot, topped it with boiling water and 1/3 tsp turmeric.  Bring to a quick boil, don’t cook it for too long otherwise the rice will become mushy.  Drain and keep aside.

Curried Lentils

100g chopped Onions

5ml Olive Oil

1/2 tsp ginger and garlic paste

1 heaped tsp curry powder (your choice – mild, spicy, hot!  I decided to go with Woolies Cape Malay curry powder – a slightly sweet, mild curry powder)

1/4 tsp turmeric

200g cooked lentils (again, had it pre-cooked and frozen, just put the plastic bag I froze it in, in some hot water for a few minutes to thaw)

100ml chopped tinned tomatoes

80ml coconut milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Fresh coriander to serve

 

Fry onions and spices in olive oil until onions are soft – you can add a few drops of water if the mixture cooks dry.  Stir in rest of ingredients and simmer until most of the liquid has cooked away.  Add yellow rice, stir through and simmer for a minute or two.  Serve with fresh coriander.

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Serves 1 (LARGE portion – you can divide it in two) 2 CC, 2 Prot, 2 Fat, 1 Veg

 

 

Veggie Breakfast Scramble

| roeliaschoeman

Yes, a ‘non-traditional’ option for breakfast, but I must admit, I am a little ‘cerealed’ out.  I know that I can have eggs, lean bacon, etc for breakfast as well, but I prefer to keep my protein portions for a little later during the day.  And, I woke up with a CRAVING for veggies 🙂 So why not incorporate it into the most important meal of the day?  😀  Used mostly ‘free’ veggies as well.

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I discovered some sweet potato ‘noodles’ at Food Lovers Market, but you can just use grated sweet potato or use a spiraliser, if you’ve got one?  I got my spiraliser at Clicks, very affordable and adds a lot of fun on your plate!  🙂  Okay, here goes:

80g sweet potato noodles (‘normal’ grated potato will work great as well!) – I pre-cooked it in the microwave for about 4 minutes.

80g zucchini (baby marrow) noodles (saw it is available at Woolies and Foodlovers’, maybe  a few other places as well – these I just made using my spiraliser)

50g leeks, thinly sliced

50g yellow pepper, chopped

100g chopped tomato

100ml veggie stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sweet Chili Sauce

Add all the veggies except the sweet potato in a saucepan, together with the veggie stock and bring to boil.  Cook for a couple of minutes until tomato is soft.  Stir in sweet potato noodles, season and cook for another minute or so.  Serve with a drollop of sweet chili sauce.

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1 Serve = 1 CC and 1 Veg

 

Lentil Spaghetti Bolognaise

| roeliaschoeman

I probably mentioned it before, but think I am an undercover vegetarian.  Simply because I am just naturally attached to the ‘V’ options on the menu.  And that is it!  So when I get the opportunity to have a vegetarian dinner at home, I grab it with both hands 🙂  Thursday nights are my ‘chill nights’ at home.  Just me, our puggies and a duvet!  I try to watch a favourite movie/series and sip on big cups of tea.  But my attention span doesn’t always allow me to finish watching anything!  LOL!  But that, is another story altogether.

Anyway, the aim of this post – LENTIL SPAGHETTI BOLOGNAISE!  It is your classic, basic bolognaise recipe using lentils instead of minced beef 🙂

100g onion, chopped

10ml olive oil

5ml garlic and herb paste (you can use less if you HAVE to :))

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

300g cooked lentils

5ml Italian Herb mix (dried) – you can use fresh herbs as well, but I was all out!

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 sachet Canderel Sweetener

Fry onions in olive oil until soft, stir in garlic and herb paste.  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Serve with spaghetti according to your formula, and sprinkle with marjoram (dried or fresh!)  Tip:  I often ‘bulk’ up my pasta with zucchini or carrot strips, or even mashed butternut 🙂

Easy. Peasy.

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Serves 3:  1 Serving = 1 Protein, 1.5 Veg, 1 Fat (rounded up)

Grilled Nectarines with Vanilla Yogurt

| roeliaschoeman

New month, new goals, new challenges!  My goal for this month – be less lazy and keep this blog updated!  😉

This is a yummy snack or even dessert idea!  Works great on a braai as well – or grilled in the oven if you don’t have a griddle pan.  To be honest, I prefer the ‘oven grilled’ option, not a fan of washing griddle pans!  LOL!!

Anyway!  Here we go!

 

240g sliced, firm nectarines (pineapple works great as well!)

5ml honey, mixed with 15ml boiling water

 

175ml plain, fat free yogurt

2 sachets Vanilla Canderel (or normal sweetener with a few drops of vanilla essence)

 

Heat griddle pan to medium heat, spray with non-stick spray when hot

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Place nectarine slices in the pan to ‘grill’, basting with honey mixture, turn after 2 minutes or when you see it starts to form the griddle lines and is nicely caramelised – not burnt!  Turn and turn off heat – leave on the oven to cool a bit.

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Serve with a big drollop of yogurt and Vanilla Canderel mixed together.

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Serves 2:  1 Fruit, 1/2 Misc, 1/2 Milk