Rosemarie's Recipes - A tribute to my wonderful mum

Rosemarie's Recipes - A tribute to my wonderful mum

I feel I should apologise and explain about the lack of posts recently. Those that follow me on twitter will know  this, but I lost my mum in April after a 2 1/2 year battle with bowel cancer. It has been a very difficult couple of months and my distinct lack of healthy eating during this time has shown on my hips with a weight gain of 10lb. I am trying to come to terms with such an enormous loss and trying to get back on track to shift these excess lb but I am not finding it easy.


I am going to make a conscious effort next week to start trying out some new recipes (as this is what I love doing) and hope I can make a start in eating better. After all, a healthy, balanced diet can go a long way to prevent bowel cancer. We are delighted to have raised £890 in lieu of flowers at mum's funeral for Bowel Cancer UK and hope they can continue to raise awareness and help others catch this disease early enough that it can prolong life expectancy.


I feel very lucky to have learnt some of my mum's recipes although I couldn't help but give them my healthy makeover to make them Weight Watcher friendly, and I have given a round up here. Mum's Anglo-Indian upbringing made her cooking very unique and I am so happy to have captured some of these on my food blog. Many of her other recipes exist and I hope to add these in time.  These, and other of mum's dishes will always be favourites of mine and will always continue to remind me how lucky I was to have the most wonderful mother for 37 and a half years. Sleep tight mum.

Chicken Biriyani

Marinated lamb chops / steaks

Devilled kidneys

Chicken and vegetable curry

Tandoori chicken and white bhaji

Flapjacks With Hidden Vegetables

My recent lack of blogging reflects my recent lack of healthy eating. I've not had the desire or inclination to really stick to a diet for longer than a few days so needless to say I've put on a few Easter lbs which I know are going to be a struggle to shift. It's a rubbish excuse and I should just stick to a blooming diet but I seem to be juggling way to many things right now.

One of my biggest concerns is about my 2 year old boy. He has for some time been behind his peers in terms of communication, speech and understanding. We are now beginning what looks to be a long process to understand his developmental delay. He does have some glue ear and hearing loss but it is my concern, and also the concern of the professionals, that they may also be an underlying problem. With an autistic nephew I cannot help but recognise many of the signs in my own little boy. I am trying to stay positive but a mothers gut feeling is most often the right one.

His eating has steadily got worse and worse. He refuses 'wet' foods, eats no meat, fish, eggs or cheese or any fresh fruit or vegetables at all. He is very picky about the texture of foods and lives off of toast, dried fruit, fruit smoothies & yogurts. He also loves those organic cereal bars which have proved to be life savers. When I looked carefully at the ingredients they are mostly a mix of oats and raisins. Since he loves raisins already I wanted to see if I could make my own bars filled with lots of other nutrients that he is currently missing out on. This is my first attempt to make some flapjacks / cereal bars and success was achieved with a cleared plate!

These flapjacks are moist which are perfect for kids. You can also replace the ground almonds and sesame seeds with pumpkin seeds for a more grown up texture.

Makes 16 bars

• 100g unsalted butter, diced
• 50g golden syrup
• 25g soft light brown sugar
• 150g porridge oats
• 1 large grated carrot
• 50g dried cranberries / apricots /  raisins or dried fruit of your choice
• 35g ground almonds
• 15g sesame seeds
• 1/2 a ripe banana, mashed
• Pinch of cinnamon (optional)

What to do:

• Pre-heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• Grease and line a square 9cm tin
• Melt the butter, syrup and sugar in a large saucepan over a low heat
• Add the remaining ingredients and stir well together
• Press into lined tin
• Bake for 40-45 minutes
• Remove tin from oven and mark into bars with a sharp knife
• Allow to cool in the tin and then cut through with the knife again
• Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Bar: 3

Baked Gnocchi with Spinach and Sausage

I have been rather useless of late. Instead of trying to shift a few more lbs I have been gorging on cake (well it was my son's 2nd birthday) and all sorts of naughties. It's not surprising then, I have steadily put on a few lbs. Anyway it's time to get serious, especially as it's less than 4 weeks to our school ball and I'd love to squeeze into a little red dress I bought before Christmas.

To kickstart this new period of 'being good' (can't stand the word 'diet'), I've been experimenting with a few new recipes. This one I tried for the first time last night and hubby and I were really pleased at how satisfying it was for a 12 ProPoint meal, not to mention completely scrummy! I use my favourite sausages, Porky Whites which are a Surrey Sausage and they have a real depth of flavour.  You don't need many sausages, which is a good job seeing how ProPoint laden they are. By using lots of spinach you can fill out the dish. If you didn't like spinach you could easily substitute this with broccoli or your other favourite green vegetable. It's also a very economical dish and whilst I've not worked out the exact cost, you could feed 4 for around a fiver.

You'll need for 4: (easily halved)

• 1 small onion or half a large onion, finely diced
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes or a large jar of passata
• 2 tablespoons lighter mascarpone
• 1 large bag of spinach or a few frozen portions of spinach
• 4 tbsp grated parmesan,
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Small handful of fresh basil, chopped
• 6 chipolata sausages. I use Porky white sausages which are just delicious!

What to do:

Heat the oil in a non stick pan and saute the onion. Add the garlic and gently fry for 8-10 minutes until soft and golden. Chop the sausages into nugget size pieces, add to the pan and turn up the heat to brown. Add the spinach and season with salt & pepper.

Next add the tinned tomatoes, the basil, and the mascarpone. Let the sauce bubble away for 10 mins or so. It should be quite a runny sauce.

Add the gnocchi to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Then tip into a roasting dish and allow to cool a little. Sprinkle with some parmesan. You can prepare the dish up to this stage in advance

When ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 190 (fan) and place in oven for 10-15 minutes until golden on top and piping hot.

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 12

Blueberry Compote with Vanilla Ice Cream

I have given up chocolate for Lent. I thought it would be easy as I tend to usually just nibble on the odd square of dark chocolate, well so I thought. I actually eat far more chocolate than I ever realised. The odd chocolate biscuit, a mikado stick, my childrens chocolate button, maltesers and what about choccie puds at the weekend! So in my attempt to satisfy these sweet craving right now, I have discovered a truly awesome mid-week pud of just 1, yes 1 ProPoint.

Serves 4:

• 1 punnet of fresh blueberries
• Squeeze of half a lemon
• 1 dsp caster sugar
• WeightWatchers new vanilla pod ice cream, 2 level scoops per person

In a small pan, place the blueberries and put on a high heat. Sprinkle over the sugar and squeeze the lemon juice. Stir occassionally and allow the blueberries to release their juices and pop a little. Cook until some berries have dissolved and some are just nicely soft

Scoop the ice-cream (using the WeightWatchers handy level scoop) into 4 bowls and spoon over the blueberry compote

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 1

Low Fat Banana and Walnut Cake

It's quite unusual for me to blog about a sweet food because to be honest I am all about the savoury, but the over-indulgences from Christmas have left me with a sweet craving that I cannot seem to satisfy. A sizeable amount of my weekly food bill goes on purchasing low fat sweet treats so it's time I extended my love for home cooking and got better at baking sweets & puds in an Eat Healthy But Tasty way.

There has been alot of noise about the new breed of low calorie sweeteners made using extracts from the Stevia plant. Brands such as Pure Via and Truvia have engaged in some heavy TV advertising. I was very excited to learn about these products as they are different from traditional sweeteners that use artificial means. They are calorie free and sugar free so also suitable for diabetics, plus are granulated so much better for baking. Good un's all round then?  Well I purchased Truvia (not cheap by the way, a 180g tub sets you back a fiver!) and upon first taste in my coffee I was not impressed. The saccharin taste lingered for ages and I decided I preferred Splenda.

However I decided to give Truvia another go, taking note that 1/3 of a tsp is equal to 1sp of sugar so basically it needs to be used sparingly. I significantly reduced the quantity based on my original inspiration for this recipe that I found on this fab website called All Recipes.  I was very pleased with the outcome and will continue to use Truvia in my quest to Eat Sweet Treats Healthy But Tasty!

I am also including this blog post in Turquoiselemons.com #nowaste food challenge run by the lovely Kate. Since I had some really over-ripe bananas to use up (I'm talking full on black ones!) this recipe perfectly fits this challenge for this month.

Equipment needed: 1 loaf tin, 2 mixing bowls, spatula, wire rack

Ingredients:

• 200g plain flour
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tbsp apple sauce
• 45 Truvia or calorie free sweetner
• 75g walnut pieces, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 mixed spice

Method:

• Lighly grease the loaf tin
• Pre-heat the oven to 180c / 170c fan / gas mark 4
• In a large mixing bowl sieve the flour, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon and mixed spice
• Stir in the walnuts and sweetner
• In the other mixing bowl, mash the bananas and then stir in the apple sauce
• Add the fruit to the dry ingredients
• In the empty bowl crack the eggs and lightly whisk with a fork
• Using a spatula, fold the eggs and fruit into the dry mix ensuring everything is mixed well but trying not to over-mix
• Tip the mixture into the loaf tin and cover with foil
• Bake in the oven for 50 -55 minutes
• Uncover the foil for the last 15-20 minutes to brown on top
• Test the cake is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre to see if it comes out clean
• Cool for a good 20 minutes in the tin and then transfer to a wire rack to cool
• Slice into 12 pieces

Enjoy with a nice cuppa!

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Slice: 3

Low Fat Creamy Mushroom Pasta

I've always been under the impression that mushrooms were a bit of a cheat in vegetable terms. By this I mean they look a bit strange, a wee bit dull in colour and seem well, a bit meaningless. So my thinking was they can't be that good for you? Not as good as all the green stuff that's for sure. How wrong was I??!!

This fabulous website explains it all but I was very surprised to learn that:

• Mushrooms are one of the highest antioxidant foods in the world, in the same league as the red pepper and spinach.
• The dietary fibre in mushrooms also helps promote good bowel function and leaves you feeling more satisfied, so you won’t be hungry again as quickly.
• Mushrooms are also extremely rich in protein, so are a great alternative protein source for vegetarians

Choosing some really good tasting mushrooms is essential for this dish, as the mushrooms need to add flavour and meatiness. I used a mix of oyster mushrooms, chestnut mushrooms and just a small amount of dried porcini to pack a mushroomy punch. 

But importantly, how to make a classic creamy pasta dish waistline friendly? I used low fat creme fraiche (WeightWatchers brand), lots of black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg to enhance the flavour.  If I had some in my fridge I would have finished with a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley but it was perfectly fine without it!

You'll need for 2:

• Half a small onion, finely diced
• 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
• Seasoning
• 125g punnet of mixed oyster mushrooms
• 150g of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 5-10g dried porcini mushrooms or dried wild mushrooms
• Handful fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp low fat creme fraiche
• 1 tsp cornflour
• Cupful of chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 200g pasta, penne or tagliatelle work well
• Pinch of nutmeg

What to do:

• In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, get the pasta on as per packet instructions
• Pour some boiling water over the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and leave to soak
• In a non-stick frying pan heat the oil and very slowly saute the onion and garlic until soft and translucent
• Meanwhile prepare the mushrooms by slicing the chestnut mushrooms. With the oyster mushrooms, just gently tear them length ways. Add the mushrooms to the onions and and turn up the heat to get a nice colour on them. Stir frequently. If it's a little dry add some of the stock. Cook for a few minutes until softened and nicely browned
• Mix the cornflour with cold stock or cold water then add the stock bouillon / cube to the mug.
• Add the stock / cornflour to the pan and stir well
• Season well, especially adding lots of black pepper and add the nutmeg
• Turn the heat down and add the drained dried mushrooms and a little of the water from soaking. Add as much of this as you like for your own personal taste. I find the flavour a little overpowering so I go easy on this part.
• Turn the heat down or off and stir in the creme fraiche. It may split (as it's low fat, not double cream!) when cooked on a high heat so be careful at this point
• Drain the pasta and add to the mushrooms along with the parsley and toss everything together
• Serve with  a little Parmesan cheese

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 12

Baking Mad's Low Calorie Blueberry Muffins

The whole ethos of this food blog is that you can have your cake and eat it i.e. you can lose or maintain weight by eating healthy but tasty. Likewise if you are interested in maintaining a healthy, balanced diet you will find that all my recipes are carefully balanced with a mix of whole grains, vegetables and lean proteins making the dishes naturally low in fat. 

So of course I was keen to try out some low calorie sweet treats and jumped at the chance to recipe test for Baking Mad using Silver Spoon's latest 'Half Spoon' product. It has a small amount of sweeteners added to make it twice as sweet and half the calories.  It's granulated form makes it ideal for baking.

There are a list of recipe ideas on the Baking Mad website and I decided to give the Blueberry muffins a go. The lovely people at Baking Mad sent me the recipe, the flour and half spoon then I purchased the remaining ingredients.  I carefully timed the baking of these on a day I was hosting a mum's coffee morning so to test them on a live audience! They are quick and easy to prepare with very little washing up and I managed to get them done before the school run which was pretty impressive!

All the mums liked the muffins. There were two main observations; 
1) The muffins were not overly sweet. Some may say not sweet enough but for me I liked them.
2) The muffins did not rise particularly well. You can see by the picture they look more like cupcakes without icing. I followed the recipe and made 12 muffins as the recipe stated but perhaps it could do with some added baking powder to get a better rise.

On the whole though a nice recipe and if you are after a sweeter taste my advice would be to up the Half Spoon quantity or use a naturally sweeter fruit such as ripe banana.  Hmmm, thinking that could be a good way to go especially as on the WeightWatchers plan bananas are 0 ProPoints!!

Ingredients - Makes 12

• 250g self rasing flour (I used Allinson Nature Friendly)
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 50g low fat margarine
• 75g Half Spoon Granulated sugar (Silver Spoon)
• 100g fresh blueberries
• 2 large free range eggs (I used Happy eggs)
• 235ml milk (recipe did not state full fat so I used semi-skimmed)
• Juice from half a lemon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c / 160c fan / 350f / Gas mark 4
2. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases
3. Sieve the flour and baking powder together in a bowl, twice
4. Add the margarine and rub gently until it resembles breadcrumbs
5. Stir in the sugar and blueberries
6. Whisk together the eggs, milk and lemon juice
7. Add to the flour mixture stirring gently but not over-mixing
8. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 20-25 minutes
9. Allow to cool slightly and then serve warm

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Blueberry Muffin:  4