Roasted and Spiced Almonds *

I wanted to make a low fat, no cholesterol, sugar-free snack/appetizer with the bag of almonds I bought this week and found some healthy recipes on line which I adjusted since we are on a low sodium diet so here I am sharing my 'adjusted' recipe with you...

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 °
  
• In a medium baking dish place 200 grms almonds spread evenly and bake for 8-10 minutes until almonds are toasted, stirring twice.
  
• Let cool.
• In a skillet over a medium to high heat, pour 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, coriander and cinnamon powders, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and a dash of salt (I put very little salt),
• Stir over high heat until well blended, then add the roasted almonds tossing to coat well. Stir for a few minutes. Take off heat. Let cool for a few minutes. Then scoop up the almonds and place on a tray lined with paper towels to absorb the extra oil. Pat the almonds, replacing the towels if necessary.
  
• Place in a bowl and when totally cool, store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

You could, if you like, prepare the almonds by coating in the combined spice mixture and olive oil and bake directly in the oven for about 10-12 minutes but I prefer to pre-roast the almonds and then toss them over into the skillet as I think this gives them a better cooking time and a richer flavour and lovely crunch!

* 1 Tablespoon serving (about 15 almonds) contains about 80 calories.

So if you're nuts about nuts and want to make sure you are getting your "handful" this is one way to do it! It is recommended that we eat up to 1.5 ounces of nuts daily or one and a half times a "handful" unless, of course, you are allergic to nuts!

This is also a lovely Easter treat especially for adults while the kids are enjoying their Easter Hunt!

Enjoy!

Baked Vegetables

My husband loves to cook Sunday lunch and occasionally tries new recipes or makes up his own. Now this is the man who, when our children were babies, used to ask me how to make a basic sauce. Yes definitely he has come a long way! Today he made us a lovely meatloaf covered with strips of bacon (came out lovely, sorry I forgot to take a picture and now of course, it is all gone). In the above picture you can see some lovely fresh veggies baked to perfection. This is a healthy way to cook them to preserve their vitamins. Here is how he made them...

Ingredients:
5-6 medium carrots
6 zucchini (the round marrow kind)
4 medium onions peeled and halved
2-3 tablespoons Olive oil
Herbes de Provence

Directions:
Preheat oven to about 350-400 degrees F (175 to 200 degrees C).
Scrape and wash carrots and zucchini, then roughly cut or chop them. Add prepared onions.
Lightly oil a large, shallow baking dish.
Combine prepared veggies in prepared baking dish and add olive oil. Mix vegetables well until they are coated with oil on all sides. Sprinkle some Herbes de Provence over all the veggies.
Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour in preheated oven or until vegetables are tender.


Note: You can also use broccoli or cauliflower florets or even mushrooms. If you are using potatoes, I suggest you pre-boil them first for a few minutes before baking them along with the other veggies.

Enjoy!

Healthy Tomatoes with recipe for Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes

TOMATOES are plentiful at this time of year and although the prices are fluctuating, it is definitely one of the best foods to include in our everyday diet.

Tomatoes are actually a fruit and not a vegetable...read here all about The Amazing Health Benefits of the Tomato


Here is a recipe I made recently:

TUNA STUFFED TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 large round tomatoes, washed, dried, halved and seeds removed
  
• 2 -185gr cans tuna (water or oil packed) drained well
  
• 1 - 2 anchovy fillets cut into small pieces (Optional - you many want to leave these out if cooking for children)
  
• 1/2 cup of fresh breadcrumbs
  
• 8-10 preferably black olives chopped (I used green)
• 3 black olives sliced for garnish
  
• dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons of fresh mint or basil washed, patted dry and chopped
  
• drizzle of olive oil
• some capers for garnish
• Optional: 2-3 tablespoons of Mayonnaise
  

Prepare your tomatoes on a large platter. Scoop out some of the pulp and reserve. Cover or refrigerate tomatoes until you prepare the mixture for stuffing. Flake tuna in a medium bowl, add all other prepared ingredients, mix well. Add the reserved pulp cut up into small pieces. At this point you could mix in the mayo if desired. Spoon generously into prepared tomatoes, add olives and capers for garnish. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Serve on fresh lettuce with crusty bread or crispbread.

NOTE: You could also add a chopped hard-boiled egg to the tuna mixture.

Tuna-Stuffed Tomatoes are fresh and light, and make a great main course for lunch or can replace a salad at dinner.



Enjoy!

Edited August 22nd, 09: For those who have already read the recipe, please note I have adjusted it adding the scooped out tomatoes to the filling mixure and the optional mayo as one of the ingredients...these will make it more moist. Sorry I forgot to add them in the first place. Alternatively you could also add more olive oil if it is too dry. Let me know if you try this recipe : )

Meatloaf ..... or 'late duty' meal

This is another family favourite. I love to bake this on the day I am on late duty. I prepare the mixture early (put in fridge) and leave the broth as the last ingredient to add just before placing in the oven. My husband or my daughter or son usually bake this just on time for me to find it ready when I come home. Easy as pie to make, even easier, and certainly nutritious for the whole family. Notice the hidden carrots in the meatloaf for those young ones who don't like these veggies.

Ingredients
• 500g lean ground beef

• 2 eggs well beaten

• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage

• 1/4 teaspoon herbes de provence

• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

• 2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1 medium carrot finely grated

• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup

• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees if you are baking this right away. In a large bowl start with the beaten eggs and minced beef, add all the other ingredients and mix well. If the mixture is too dry add some milk and if it is too wet you can add some more grated parmesan or 1 or two tablespoons flour.

Place mixture into a non-stick loaf pan or shape into a loaf (using two forks or spoons) and place in a non-stick baking pan.

(If your pan is not non-stick you can lightly grease your baking pan with a little olive oil).

You can add sliced carrots and place around the meatloaf. Pour the chicken or vegetable broth in pan and bake uncovered for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on your oven...as I said in my previous recipe posting, I am careful with my baking since my thermostat does not work. My meatloaf is usually done in about 45 minutes. Make sure no pink remains at the centre of the meatloaf...check by inserting a knife in the centre.

Let sit for 5 minutes before removing from pan and slicing to serve.

You can serve with mashed potatoes or couscous and peas or corn.

Crusty bread is lovely with this healthy meal.

Enjoy!

I'm back...with a Recipe!

WOW I can hardly believe it's been a week since the last time I posted on my blog. Oh well, I am back here once more with loads of pictures to share of what I've been up to. The problem is I have been so busy and have taken so many photos, I don't know where to begin : )

I guess I could start at the beginning and work my way up to the present or start with the latest venture and work my way back to last week...no, I prefer the other way as that will bring me to the present!

So starting from where I left off, my first picture to share is of a recipe I made using a cauliflower. Whenever I make this, my family always ask for more!

I will not repeat what is already on the net on 'How to cut a cauliflower' or 'How to cook a cauliflower' as you can make a search and get loads of great instructions.

Here is how I made my appetizing dish...

Having prepared the cauliflower by cleaning off the outer leaves and cutting off the bottom stem, I broke it (you can cut it) into florets for steaming or boiling. Rinsing is an important part and you can do this the night before if you prefer and leave covered in your fridge overnight.

Now the cooking starts...I usually boil the florets for about 8-10 minutes until I can easily insert a knife into one of the stalks. Drain and put aside. At this point I pre-heated my oven. Sorry I can not quite tell you what temperature to use as my oven is quite old and the thermostat does not work very well (Yep, time for a new one I guess!) so I have to keep checking to adjust the temperature.
I prepared a baking pan by lightly greasing it (you can use a non-stick one).
I placed the pre-cooked florets and arranged them to cover the entire pan.
In a small bowl, I beat three medium eggs with 200ml (a little less than a cup) semi-skimmed milk and a 4-5 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese.
Next I poured this mixture over the prepared florets distributing it evenly.
I made another mixture this time of breadcrumbs with grated parmesan cheese and sprinkled it over the top.

I would say you need to bake it for about 15 minutes at 350° but it depends on individual ovens so the best guide is to check when the cheese and crumb mixture becomes golden. Remember the cauliflower has already been cooked and it is only the egg, cheese and milk mixture that needs to set and cook.

This dish can be served as a main meal along with crusty bread or as a side dish with your favourite meat or fish.

Enjoy, I hope you will try this, if you do, let me know : )

Footnote: I prefer to gently mash the cauliflower before adding the egg mixture, makes it easier to cut into portions once it is cooked.