SUPER SIMPLE Granola Pots

So what with our healthy diet, I've been experimenting with low fat and low cholesterol foods - a novelty. I've always been fairly conscious of what I eat in recent years after stopping 5 day-a-week swimming training in year 11. However, as summer kicks in, I've a new-found drive to eat healthy food that's both filling and quick. This is definitely a breakfast, snack or dessert that ticks all of those boxes for me.

Granola Pots:

Ingredients:
A handful of blueberries
A handful of red grapes
A handful of raspberries
30g sultanas
4 dessert spoons of 'fat-free'/ low fat or skimmed natural yogurt
2 dessert spoons of rolled oats (porridge)

Method:
1. Wash your fruit
2. Place at the bottom of a tall glass
3. Spoon over the yogurt
4. Sprinkle the oats on top

As you can probably gather, this is a very basic recipe but you can always change any of the fruits for whatever you want; perhaps try dried apricots and bananas or strawberries and kiwi. You can, if the rolled oats aren't your thing, crumble a granola bar on top of the yogurt, toast your oats for 2 mins before placing atop or use a breakfast cereal such as cornflakes or a 'Jordan's' variety to pack in that crunch.

The end result should look something like this - I haven't made this; the image is purely for exemplification purposes (www.realfood.tesco.com)

The Lifestyle Change: Day 2

A few days ago my father was diagnosed with dangerously high cholesterol and blood pressure levels and high blood sugar. With such news in mind it's suffice to say that we've gone on somewhat of a lifestyle change. We gone out with the bad; the unhealthy snacking and dependence on white carbs in favour of morning runs, whole wheat and extra lashings of chicken. Having already tried ultra healthy meals from Weightwatchers without much success, I could hardly be hopeful for what fat free and low cholesterol meals might hold for us. The thought, for me, was hardly an appeasing one. Nevertheless, the dietary change is a necessity and there is no questioning its importance. Day 2 of a diet that time can only tell how long it might last, we've had a first lunch that I will cook again; a couscous salad.

Dad's low cholesterol vegetable couscous:

Ingredients:
350g couscous
100g green beans
1 red capsicum
4 medium tomatoes
300g sweet potato
500ml vegetable stock (made from 1 knorr/maggi stock cube dissolved in 500ml boiling water)
100g frozen peas (thawed)
150g frozen sweet corn kernels (thawed)

Method:
1. Pour the dry couscous in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling stock over the top
2. Cover and leave for 5 mins until the couscous has soaked up the liquid
3. Meanwhile, dice the sweet potato and boil in a pan for 5 mins or until tender
4. Chop the green beans in half width ways and boil for 5 mins or until soft
5. Dice the capsicum and tomatoes
6. Once the couscous is cooked transfer to a large mixing bowl
7. To the couscous add the cooked potato, beans, capsicum, tomatoes, sweet corn and peas
8. Toss together until well combined

9. For the dressing, thinly dice 1 clove of garlic and place in a small bowl with 1 tbsp chopped mint or mint paste
10. Add to it 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp clear honey
11. Mix well and then pour over couscous
12. Mix well and serve

Healthy as this may be it is a clear lunch favourite and like a broken lift on the 15th floor, it won't let you down!

Round-Up

Although I HAVE actually been baking recently, it's been a while since I posted anything. So, I just wanted to give a brief round-up of what's been baking in my house recently and, perhaps, inspire you to get baking this summer.

Flatbreads

These flatbreads were INCREDIBLY simple to make and very soft. The yield made 7 which we ate with a Hungarian Goulash as a substitution for rice so I made another 10 which I froze for easy use whenever. Whether from frozen or fresh these are such a fulfilling treat.

Spinach and Olive Bread

This bread was somewhat of my own creation, taken from an olive bread I found in the Italian cookbook. What made me decide to put Spinach in it, I seriously don't know but was quite a complimentary ingredient.

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche 

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

These Mushroom and Spinach quiches were taken form my favourite recipe book - an old book from the Women's Institute full of real good food from the late 1960s as well as many English classics.

Stay tuned for recipes on simple granola pots and cheese and mushroom risotto.