Main Meal

Thai Chickpea Curry

| roeliaschoeman

If it is Thursday night it must be ‘vegetarian’ night!  🙂  Super healthy, quick and easy – curry for 1 coming up!

 

50g finely chopped onion

5ml peanut oil

1/2 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste

100g chopped red pepper

5ml Thai 7 Spice (Cape Herb & Spice)

a generous sprinkling of Robertsons Exotic Thai Season

75g chickpeas (tinned/cooked)

200ml fat free milk + a few drops coconut essence (saving calories, instead of using coconut milk)

Salt to taste

 

Fry onions in peanut oil until soft, add ginger and garlic paste.  Fry for another minute or two.  Add red pepper, spices and chickpeas.  Add some water if needed – simmer for a few minutes until red pepper is soft.  Add ‘coconut’ milk, season to taste and simmer for about 5 minutes.

And done!

Serve with some basmati or brown rice.  And fresh coriander (that I forgot this time around!)

(Not the best pic, I know!)

Thai Chickpea Curry

1 Prot, 1.5 Veg, 1 Fat

Corn and Mussel Chowder

| roeliaschoeman

I hang my head in shame – no post in 3 months… crazy!  But I think most people feel like me – this year is simply going too fast.  May, June and July simply seems like a blur!  Phew…  Anyway, time to get back on track!  Here we go 🙂

This soup is super tasty and super easy to prepare!

Corn and Mussel Chowder

150g chopped onion

10ml olive oil (lemon infused – or add a good squirt of lemon juice)

1 chopped chilli (can be omitted)

500ml chicken stock

400g frozen corn (pour boiling water over and leave to stand for a few minutes)

400g potato (cubed)

400g mussel meat

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh coriander or parsley to serve

 

Fry chopped onions in olive oil until soft.  Add potato cubes and chicken stock and simmer until soft.  Add 1/2 of corn and liquidise soup with handblender.  Add rest of corn and mussel meat, season.  Simmer on medium heat for about 5 minutes (mussel meat cooks quickly)

Serve with fresh coriander or parsley.

 

Serves 4.

1 Serving = 1 Prot, 2 CC, 1/2 Fat, 1/2 Veg

 

 

 

 

 

Roasted Tomato Soup with Risoni

| roeliaschoeman

A lovely filling and tasty soup!  🙂  I added the risoni (pasta rice or orzo) to add a little more ‘body’ to the soup – you can have some chunky bread or toast with it, but it actually isn’t necessary, it is filling enough as is 🙂

10 ml olive oil

800g cherry/baby tomatoes

1 onion, quartered

Fresh thyme

400ml chicken stock (if vegetarian – use veggie stock)

200g cooked risoni (tip: cook in only for about 8 minutes, it tends to get soggy quite quickly!)

1/2 tsp Garlic and Herb Spice (I use Robertson’s Masterblends)

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

To serve:  low fat feta (about 30g per person if serving 2, 15g if serving 4 ‘starter’ portions)  and fresh parsley

Place tomatoes, onions and thyme sprigs on a baking sheet (with foil and non-stick cooking spray) and a drizzle of olive oil.  Roast in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 30 minutes (until tomatoes start to blister)

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Transfer to a pot (medium sized, stove top), and remove some of the thyme sprigs (it can get a little ‘tough’.  Add stock, spice mix, salt and pepper and simmer for about 15 minutes.  You can add more stock if you find it too thick.  Liquidise (I used a stickblender – liquidise the soup in the pot).  Stir in cooked pasta rice.  Simmer for another couple of minutes to make sure the pasta rice is the same temperature than the soup.  Dish up and serve with feta and fresh parsley (I actually wanted to use fresh basil, but we were all out!  The parsley was yummy as well.   And how ‘Italian’ does it look?  :):)

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Tip:  Hubby added blue cheese instead of low fat feta and said it worked well!  Also, if you prefer a more ‘meaty’ meal – serve with some fried bacon bits.

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Makes 2 large portions (that’s how we had it!) – or 4 ‘starter’ portions.

If serving 4:  1 CC, 1/2 Protein, 2 Veg, 1/2 fat

Cauliflower and Cheese Soup

| roeliaschoeman

Sounds and tastes extremely decadent, but it is so  easy and quick to make and a very healthy and filling meal!  🙂

200g Potato, cubed

300g Cauliflower (I used frozen cauliflower and it worked well)

200ml Chicken stock (or Veggie Stock, if preferred)

250ml Fat free milk

60g finely grated low fat cheese

White Pepper and salt

Smoked Paprika

Boil potato cubes in chicken stock for 10 minutes on medium heat.  Add milk and cauliflower and cook until soft.  Season with salt an d pepper to taste.  Liquidise with handblender.  Stir in grated cheese and dish up in soup bowls.  Sprinkle with a bit of Smoked Paprika and stir through – it gives a lovely colour and taste!

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Serves 2:  1 Serving =  1 CC, 1.5 Veg, 1/2 Milk, 1 Prot

PS:  Make this “Best Choice” by using Low Fat Feta!

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

 

 

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)

Old-fashioned Bean Soup

| roeliaschoeman

I made a LARGE batch, portioned and frozen and ready for autumn.  Or sooner!  🙂

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300g chopped onions

30ml olive oil

10ml garlic paste

600g par-cooked sugar beans (cooked for about 1 1/2 hours)

1 litre beef stock (or veggie stock for vegetarians)

200g carrots, peeled and chopped or grated

400g potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 heaped tablespoons tomato paste

50ml Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons dried parsley or fresh Italian parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Using a large soup pot – fry onions in olive oil until soft.  Stir in garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and fry for another minute.  Add the rest of the ingredients and lower heat to a slow simmer.  Top up with more stock if needed.  Simmer for about an hour, or until all the ingredients are soft.  I liquidised it a bit because I don’t like chunky soup.  Stir in dried parsley (or top with fresh parsley) and serve.

I topped each bowl with oven-baked pork sausages or lean bacon (1 additional protein serve).
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Serves 6

1 Serving = 1 Protein, 1 Veg, 1 CC

 

 

Carrot and Chickpea Falafel

| roeliaschoeman

A lovely vegetarian option!  🙂

 

200g carrots, cooked and mashed (or you can add it raw, finely grated)

75g chickpeas, tinned/cooked

20g fresh Italian Parsley

1/3 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 chopped red onion

10ml olive oil (I used jalapeno infused olive oil)

1/3 tsp Woolies Moroccan Rub (or you can just add a bit of cumin, cayenne pepper and coriander)

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Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend together.

Form little balls (I just used my hands!)

Put on baking sheet covered with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray

Bake in pre-heated oven at 180C for about 15 minutes

Be careful when handling it, because there’s no binding agent (like eggs) it can break quite quickly.

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Serve with mint and yogurt dip!  (100ml plain fat free yogurt and a handful of chopped mint leaves)  I had it with a serve of toasted rye bread – very yummy if you mush everything together with the yogurt dip!