Frit Ta Ta! My skinny pizza....

A healthy, quick dish which can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or supper and served hot or cold. What is this wondrous creation you ask? The Frittata.

 

An Italian dish, seemingly similar to an omelette or quiche- but without the crust! The Frittata is usually packed with a multitude of ingredients such as meats, cheeses, herbs, spices and / or vegetables.

 

The difference from the Frittata to an omelette is that the omelette is usually folded in half, with half the filling on one side whereas the Frittata stays flat and is usually stacked with the ingredients all over it, making it thicker and slightly more indulgent!

 

The great thing about the Frittata is you can literally put whatever you want in to it. We decided to make our Frittata with the following ingredients:

 

2tsps coconut oil

10 eggs

10 large baby tomatoes

1 large onion

1 red pepper

Chorizo (we used about 10cm cut in to cubes of a normal supermarket chorizo)

3 large handfuls of Spinach

1 log of goats cheese (about 100 g)

 

Pepper and rock salt to flavour

 

Pan:

Best to use a deep frying pan, the smaller the pan, the thicker the Frittata etc - depending on how many ingredients you have and how many eggs you want to use. 

 

Oven:

Pre-set oven to 200degrees to bake the Frittata for 10 - 15 minutes once it has set in the pan. 

 

What you need to do:

• In the frying pan allow your coconut oil to heat up, then put in all your vegetables and fry off until softening

 

• Add in your chorizo and fry off for another minute
• In a jug whisk up your 10 medium sized eggs, add a pinch of salt and pepper

• Add your spinach and cover all the vegetables, then mix in. You will find that the spinach wilts very quickly- even though it may look like a lot when you put it in

• Pour in your egg and stir around until it begins to set. Leave for 5 minutes on a low heat to allow to set

• Add in your lumps of goats cheese and allow to melt slightly on top

• Once the goats cheese has melted, place in the oven (or under the grill) and allow to bake for 5 - 10 minutes until golden brown

• Take out of the oven and allow to cool - you will find that it shrinks slightly as it cools

 

• Season with some more pepper and serve hot - or allow to cool and serve cold with some salad. The Frittata can last up to three days in the fridge and as the flavours infuse the more the tastier it gets!

I am going to try this again next week with brocolli, sundried tomatoes, butternut squash and bacon, you can literally try it with anything! The "healthier" pizza, some could say!

Enjoy!

When you just know exactly what you want to eat. . .

When my fiancé's travelling - which seems to be a lot at the moment- I try to be as healthy as possible- or so i make out to him! I don't snack (lie) and I go to the gym every night (another lie). Truth be told I'm definitely one of those people who comfort eats. If I'm on my own, I eat, if I'm low, I eat, if I'm bored, I eat,  if I'm happy, I eat.  . . i think you get the gist! Anyway in an attempt to start getting wedding body ready I have decided to give up evening carbs after 6pm...  but this does not mean neglecting my body of eating delicious meals. Meals are all about being creative- trial, error and success!  Thus, sitting at my desk earlier today staring out the window at the miserable grey afternoon I decided that I wanted steak and cabbage and even wrote up a little recipe then and there so I didn't over spend on anything sinful at the shop in my way home. Do you ever get that when you suddenly just know exactly what you need and want no matter what any one suggests, odd isn't it!

I know a lot of people hate cabbage and I just don't know why- you can do almost anything with it (fry, boil, wok, roast and even bake to turn in to crisps-for another blog!) and flavour it up to be utterly taste bud tantalising !

So, dressed in my gym gear- but not having made it further than my kitchen I set to work, Blue Peter style.

What you will need:

For 2. ( or a very very hungry one! )

500g steak - I use rump but you could use anything you desired (or more if you so desire)

1 tsp minced or diced garlic

1 small chili diced

8 inch spring onions to be chopped finely from the root up about 1.5 inches

Swig of soy sauce on hand (vital)

1tsp honey or marmalade

Pinch of rock salt Shake of pepper

 

For the Cabbage:

Any type of cabbage will do, cut thinly in to strips to wok

1 chicken stock cube (don't worry if you don't have one)

1/2 tsp salt (use 1 tsp if no chicken stock

Shake pepper

1/2tsp paprika

Squeeze 1/2 lime

 

What to do:

This is such a quick dish- literally 10 minutes max after preparation

Hob on, put a glug of olive oil in a wok it and let it heat

Drop in your garlic and allow it to fry until slightly golden

Drop in your chili and spring onion

Make space for the steak in the middle

Drop in steak and allow to fry on each side until sealed

Once sealed immediately add soy sauce- I normally allow a large swig (one missisipi, two missisipi, three missisipi).....

Add your marmalade or honey and mix in

Allow to simmer for 5-6 minutes on lower heat whilst you make cabbage

Note: If you want your steak to be rarer then add it later on in the process and only cook for a shorter period. I like to cook for longer so that the steak absorbs all the juices and tenderises

Cabbage

In a mixing bowl place your freshly chopped cabbage

Add in a glug of olive oil and seasoning and toss

Turn on wok or Frying pan and let it get hot

Add cabbage and fry for about 3 minutes- or less.

Note: You still want it to retain all its natural goodness and not reduce in size too much

Serve up and eat!

Great served with an ice cold glass of Chablis .......... Apparently!!! ;o)

Shepherd's Pie.....With a little help from my friend!

Not quite the dish you want to be making in this sunny AND warm (at last the sun HAS got his hat on!) weather- but, a tasty dish for when Mr Sun decides to take his regular holidays.

Shepherd's pie is one of my favourite dishes to make, with cheap and simple ingredients which can make enough to feed a small army- or, in my case, keep a hungry fiance happy.  

So, with a little help from my sous chef, Tilly, I set to work and turned the oven on to 220degrees.



What you need:
500g mince
1 large red onion
1 large carrot (2 small)
1 large courgette (2 small)
2 tsp Paprika
2 tsp salt
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 beef stock cube (or two, dependent on the depth of flavour you want)
1 large passata (or 1 tin tomatoes, chopped preferably)

For topping:
5 -6 large potatoes (baking ones)
Splash of milk
Dessert spoon of butter
Sprinkle of salt

N.B - With any seasoning, I always do it to taste, so I'll put all the above in and then when I'm about 15 mins in I will taste it- if I feel it needs a bit more (for eg) coriander, then I will just add some. Take anything out you don't like and add anything in you do- pepper, sweet corn etc! :) Cooking's all about playing around, trial and error and finding what tantalises your taste buds best!

What to do:

• Place chopped veg in to a hot wok with 2 tbsps Olive oil.
• Fry off until nicely browning (put to the side- in a bowl)
• Place your mince in to the wok- with a bit more oil if necessary- brown off until brown all over.
• Add in your veg and mix together
• Add in your spices and 3 tbsps water
• Add in the chopped tomatoes / passata and bring to boil. Turn right down and allow to simmer. The longer you leave it the more intense the flavour. You can at this stage let it cook for 10 minutes and then put it straight in the oven- however I normally allow 40 - 50 minutes on the hob.

For the topping:

• Chop up around 6 large baking potatoes (leave skins on or take off) and place in to boiling water
• Bring to boil until soft enough to put a knife through
• Drain water and place a dessert spoon of butter, sprinkle of salt and about 6 tbsps milk on to the potatoes.
• Mash up until fluffy. I prefer rustic mash- (I always leave the skin on the potatoes)- but you can make it as smooth as you like.

• Place the mince in to a baking dish and dollop the mash on top in sections and then smooth out so the whole of the mince base cannot be seen
• Put in to the oven for 20 - 30 minutes (until the top has a nice browning skin)
• FOR CHEESE LOVERS: If you want to add cheese on top I would allow the pie to cook for 10- 15 minutes and then sprinkle as much grated cheese as you like on top and then put in for another 10 - 15 minutes.

Then you just have to wait........

And wait. . . .



And then.......voila!

The Sheppard's Pie is cooked and ready to be served straight away with whatever you like. With mine I have roasted vegetables- which I put in to the oven at the same time as the pie -with a little rock salt and oil.

Enjoy!