Author: roeliaschoeman

Butternut Gratin

| roeliaschoeman

Updated January 2019

A light, quick and tasty vegetarian meal or side dish!  I LOVE butternut, I can honestly have it every day of the week!

The last time I made this, I had it as a side at one of our ‘solo’ braais 🙂  Usually, on a Sunday, myself and Hubby just like to spend time at home, just the two of us.  More often than not, we will braai – a solo braai for just the two of us.  He’s actually not a huge fan of veggies, so this is my ideal opportunity to play around with some veggie-dishes-for-one!

Butternut Gratin

Serves 1

100g roasted butternut (pop some butternut slices, with a drizzle of olive oil, in the oven on 200C for about 45 minutes)  I usually roast a batch, then I can use it to make butternut soup, or add it to salads, etc.

30g lite/low-fat Feta, crumbed

150ml fat free milk

½ teaspoon dried Rosemary

Salt and Black Pepper

1 slice Ultima low Kj Bread (blitzed to crumbs) or 30g store-brought breadcrumbs.

Place butternut in ovenproof dish. Pour milk over, season with salt, black pepper and rosemary. Crumb feta and breadcrumbs over it.

Bake for 25 minutes in preheated oven (180C) and voila!

 

Adapted from Greatist Recipe

Overnight Oats Part 2: Choco-delite and Apple Pie!

| roeliaschoeman

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Yes, as you know – I love my overnight oats!  Quick, convenient, no fuss and VERY tasty!

I tried some new combinations:

Choco-delite: 20g raw oats, 175ml plain fat free yogurt, 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, stevia sweetener to taste. Tip – great yogurt mix-in for those days when you are craving something decadent and sweet!

Apple Pie: 20g raw oats, 175ml plain fat free yogurt, 3 Tbsp Apple Pie Sauce (recipe here https://lifeistooshorttoeatlettuce.co.za/2015/01/19/sugar-free-apple-pie-sauce/)

Try it!  You must!  🙂

Sugar-free Apple Pie Sauce

| roeliaschoeman

Updated January 2019

Although it is the middle of summer here, I have been missing the smells of Christmas – spices, honey and cinnamon!   One of my favourite breakfasts just have to be ‘Overnight Oats’ (see previous post https://lifeistooshorttoeatlettuce.co.za/2015/01/19/overnight-oats-part-2-choco-delite-and-apple-pie/), and I was wondering how I would be able to add those warm flavours with the oats and yogurt.  I often add grated apple and cinnamon, but I wanted something ‘heavier’ – if that makes sense!  LOL!

So, here’s a very basic “Sugar-free Apple Pie Sauce” recipe.

Apple Pie Sauce: Simmer 400g chopped apples with 3 cinnamon sticks, 1/2 teaspoon of Mixed Spice and 2 teaspoons honey.

Top up with a bit of water if needed. Cook on slow heat until soft, cool off and blitz (remove cinnamon sticks first) to smooth sauce. Makes 4 portions – depending the consistency, about 2 – 3 heaped tablespoons per serving.

This is great with the Overnight Oats (mixed with raw oats, plain yogurt and left overnight for all the ingredients to ‘blend’), as well as a quick and healthy dessert for kids – served with custard.  Also try it stirred into cooked oats, add it to a smoothie (blended with milk/yogurt and banana) or mixed with muesli!

Baked Chickpea Patties with Mint Dressing

| roeliaschoeman

Especially for “Meatfree Monday”!

This makes 6 small patties – I didn’t want to make it too big, wanted to make sure the patties keep its shape!

  • 1 tin Chickpeas (drained)
  • 1 medium onion, grated
  • 100g grated carrot
  • ¼ teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 heaped tablespoon raw oats

Season to taste

Blitz all the ingredients (except oats) together. Stir in 1 tablespoon of oats. Shape 6 patties (it easier to use your hands, firmly pressing the ingredients together) and bake at 180C for about 30 minutes on a baking sheet. Carefully lift off the baking sheet once cooled off a bit.

Prepare mint dressing (175ml plain fat free yogurt, 1 teaspoon dried mint – you can use fresh mint as well, I just ran out of it!) Put in fridge, the longer you leave it, the more the flavor develops.

Serve patties on a whole-wheat hamburger bun, with rocket and lettuce.

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Tuna Tzatziki Wrap

| roeliaschoeman

Another lunch!  Another wrap!  🙂

This time, after a tip from my friend Lucy-Ray – I decided to add tuna to one of my favourite sides – tzatziki! I love the fresh combination of cucumber, mint and yogurt.  And tzatziki is very versatile!  Great as a side to braaied (it is a South African thing!) chicken, pork or beef.  Haven’t combined it with fish before, so this was one of those experimental meals!  LOL!  And I think it was pretty successful!  🙂

Okay, first tzatziki:

1/2 grated cucumber, sprinkled with salt and left for about 30 – 60 minutes to get rid of the extra moisture.  I always leave it in a coriander to strain.  Squeeze out any excess water, make sure to get it all out  – with your hands is actually the easiest, or press it between 2 side plates.

Next stir in about 100ml plain fat free yogurt, 1 tablespoon of grated onion, 1 finely crushed garlic clove, a small handful of finely chopped mint (dried mint works well), black pepper and my secret ingredient – a sprinkling of Aromat 🙂

Tuna Tsatziki Wrap Life Is Too Short To Eat Lettuce

Drain 1 tin of tuna (in brine).  It is very important to make sure all water is drained, otherwise the mixture gets very soggy.  Mix the tuna and tzatziki together – I added a few springs of finely chopped dill, and some salad onions.

And voila!  Leave in the fridge for a few hours for the flavours to develop.  I had on a wrap, with some colourful cherry tomatoes and lettuce.

Again, any filling that works well as a wrap filling can be served in pitas, on whole wheat bread or just add a handful of lettuce leaves, and you have a lovely, fresh and filling salad.

Fresh and yummy!

Brown Rice and Lentil Pilaf

| roeliaschoeman

Updated January 2019

It is great when we reach a stage where we are actually craving healthy food!  I got home last night, and my menu for the day went out the door, because I really wanted LENTILS.  I often get cravings like that, especially for lentils.

The first time I had lentils was years ago, like really – YEARS ago, while I was still in school.  And without giving my age away, I am referring to the… uhm… 80’s.  We lived in Namibia (then called South West Africa), and there weren’t the luxuries of after school care, so as kids we went to the nearby German hostel to have an afternoon meal, a short nap and time to get some homework done.  There I was introduced to a few dishes and ingredients that wasn’t normally served at home.  Like the most divine, thick lentil soup with rings of bratwurst cut into it. Delicious!  And that is, in short, where I developed my love for lentils.  Like sushi, I crave it at least once every two weeks!

I guess this isn’t a pure pilaf, seeing that your traditional pilaf is a rice based dish, so it normally contains quite a bit more rice. But, for the purpose of the eating plan I am following, the ratio rice to lentils is a bit closer together.  Anyway, here we go!

40g raw brown rice (I used Tastic’s brown rice and sundried tomato)
80g raw lentils

Note:  If you want to save some time, and don’t mind cheating a bit – you can precook the lentils and brown rice.

Then, fry in 10ml lemon infused olive oil in and oven proof pan.

Add:

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 200g brown mushrooms, chopped
  • Mix it all together with a teaspoon of Nomu’s Moroccan Rub plus salt and pepper to taste.  Woolies also makes a delicious Moroccan Rub – or you can make your own mix with cumin, smoked paprika and ground coriander.
  • Add 125 – 250ml chicken stock and put in pre-heated oven at 180C

Pilaf

Check every 20 minutes and add more stock if needed.  Total cooking time is about 45 minutes, or until the lentils and rice are soft.

Serve with fresh coriander!  🙂

Pilaf (3)

Serve 1 – a large portion!

This should work well as a salad if cooked down!

Tip: When I cook brown rice and lentils I always cook extra to be portioned and frozen for later!  A great time saver! 🙂

Curry and Apple Chicken Wrap

| roeliaschoeman

Revamped January 2019, added a few new photos! The previous ones were pretty bad!  

This is one of my favourite recipes. I love a good wrap!  Especially for lunch 🙂

When packing my lunch for work, I very seldom just throw everything together – I am not a fan of mushy, soggy food. Okay, few people are!  😛

Today, for example – I packed the wraps separately, and the chicken mix, and the salad stuff (lettuce, cucumber strips, and chopped peppadews) also in a separate divided container.

Yes, maybe a bit of a mission – but worth it, believe me! 🙂

This was the chicken curry (fake Coronation??) mix:

90 g cooked chicken, chopped
1 small Granny Smith apple, chopped
2 small salad onions, chopped
30 ml low fat mayo
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (mild)
Salt and pepper to taste

Life is too short to eat lettuce Curry Chicken and Apple Wrap

Prepare this the night before – for the flavours to develop 🙂

Life is too short to eat lettuce Curry Chicken and Apple Wrap

Quick and easy!

Pile on a wrap with lettuce and top off with cucumber strips!  Yummy!  😀

Life is too short to eat lettuce Curry Chicken and Apple Wrap

Also works as a salad, in pitas and on whole wheat bread 🙂

Serves 1

Overnight Oats with Banana and Peanut Butter

| roeliaschoeman

Another firm favourite – overnight oats 🙂 Haven’t tried it before? It is easy, convenient and delicious.

The basics are pretty straight-forward – raw oats with yogurt or milk, left overnight in the fridge – ready for breakfast!  No cooking required! 🙂

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You can add fruit, nuts, berries, honey and spices as well – very versatile indeed!  🙂  I will post more ideas at a later stage!

I usually layer the ingredients in a container (looks lovely in glass bottles) – raw oats first, then milk/yogurt, then fruit/nuts, etc.

With this one I usually mix it all together, but must admit, it doesn’t look very appetizing!  So I tried it this way:

Serves 2

40g raw oats
350ml plain fat free yogurt
140g banana
10ml peanut butter (no sugar variety)
5g (1 tsp) cocoa powder
2 sachets artificial sweetener (if needed – the cocoa powder can be quite bitter).  You can use honey as well, if  you prefer a more natural sweetener.

Layer in 2 glass containers:

  • 20g raw oats in each container
  • Mash bananas and divide between the two containers
  • Whipped peanut butter, cocoa powder and sweetener together and layer on top

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Leave in fridge overnight and have for breakfast the next morning!  Easy peasy 🙂

Overnight Oats

 

 

 

 

Herb and Garlic Ostrich Steak

| roeliaschoeman

I am a big fan of ostrich meat – lean, tasty and versatile!

I often use it make meatballs, burger patties, bolognaise, etc – but my favourite dish is this one!

And it is super easy to prepare!

Serves 4 (200g per person)

800g ostrich steak
Fresh garlic cloves (to taste, I love garlic way too much to be able to give a “sensible” guideline!)
Fresh herbs – rosemary, thyme, sage
20ml olive oil
About 150ml balsamic vinegar – enough to cover the steaks when marinating.

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The best way to marinate meat is actually to just mix everything together in a Ziplock bag!  But you can use any container – as long as the meat is covered in the balsamic/herb/garlic mix! Leave to marinate for a bit – 30 min or so should actually be enough.

Fry steaks on an open flame (braai in other words!) or prepare in griddle pan on the stovetop.  Be careful not to over cook – because of the low fat content it can dry out quickly!

Enjoy! 🙂