It’s cold and horrible outside, and the perfect time to make hearty soups. This soup will live in your fridge for 4-5 days, and also freezes well.
You can use either coconut cream that comes in a block, or coconut in a milk in a team to add richness and creaminess. This also makes it suitable for vegans as well.
Ingredients
250 Grams Sweet potato (peeled and cut into 3-4cm cubes)
2 Carrots (peeled and sliced)
1 Onion (peeled and sliced)
1 Can of coconut milk or 50 Grams coconut cream
1 Tbsp Oil
2 Cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 Tsp Chilli powder
1 Tsp Tumeric (optional)
Thumb sized piece of ginger (grated) or 1 Tsp of dried ginger
1 Vegetable stock cube
1 litre Water
Salt to taste
Method
Add the oil to a large pot over a medium heat, before adding the sliced onion and cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally until the onion starts to brown
Add the other ingredients and bring to a boil, before reducing to a gentle simmer for 20-25 until the vegetables are cooked
Use a hand blender, or blitz in a blender until smooth and creamy. Serve with crusty bread
I usually find sandwiches a bit meh!, but I love these. I make these as pinwheel sandwiches, which is basically a tortilla rolled up and cut into slices. They are nice for parties, or just because you want to fancy up your lunchbox.
The filling is packed full of flavours from America’s South West, black beans, corn, coriander (cilantro) etc. This makes it full of colour, crunch, fibre and flavour.
I used full fat sour cream and cream cheese, but you can use lower fat versions. This sandwich filling also makes an amazing topping for baked potatoes, or stirred into left over pasta to make a salad.
Roll up
Serves 4-5
Ingredients
400 Gram Can Sweet Corn (drained)
400 Gram Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 Large red pepper (chopped into 1cm cubes)
2-3 Scallions/spring onions (finely sliced)
2 Tbsp Coriander (Finely chopped)
150 Grams Cheddar Cheese (grated)
2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tsp Chilli Powder
1 Tsp Salt
200 Grams Sour Cream
200 Grams Cream Cheese
4-5 Tortillas
Method
Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and stir until well combined
Spread 2 large spoonfuls of the filling on a tortilla, and roll the outside edge inwards tightly
My friend Mags has been raving about this recipe for ages. We both have a serious bread addiction and this recipe is from a slimming club site. So when she shared the recipe I had to make it. If you’ve ever had Irish wheaten bread this is similar in taste.
Ready to bake
It takes two minutes to knock together, can be enjoyed by those who have issues with gluten and is pretty cheap to make. If you want something to keep kids busy this also something to do with them on a rainy afternoon and the will be super pleased with themselves.
It’s not the lightest fluffiest bread, but it is packed full of fibre and perfect served with cheese and chutney or buttered along side soup. I topped mine with some pumpkin seeds for a bit of crunch, but you can also sprinkle with porridge oats.
Ingredients
500ml Yoghurt
180 Grams Porridge oats
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda (baking soda)
1 Egg
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (Celsius). Grease a load tin, you can also line it with baking parchment if want to (but I just greased the tin really well and it was fine)
Mix the yoghurt, salt and baking soda together, before stirring in the porridge oats
In a separate bowl, crack the egg and whisk with a fork until light and fluffy. Stir into the porridge mix and stir until we’ll combined
Transfer the mix into the loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes. Test with a tooth pick, when it comes out clean it’s ready.
I know I harp on about it, but I hate food waste. So when I found some discounted tomatoes in the supermarket that were too soft for salads I decided to make soup.
Tomatoes are roasted with some onion in the oven to bring out their flavour. I always try to cook more than one thing at a time so using the oven is more cost effective, so it’s the perfect excuse to whip up a cake too if feeling like it (I always feel ready for cake)
For the best lunch ever, team it up with a grilled cheese sandwich
Ingredients
500 Grams tomatoes
2 onion (cut into quarters)
2-3 Cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp Oil
500 ml Vegetable stock (I used a stock cube dissolved in 500ml of boiling water)
1-2 Tbsp Basil leaves
1 tsp Cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (Celsius)
Add the tomatoes, oil, and onion to an oven proof dish and roast for 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes have blistered. Remove and discard the skin from the garlic
Add all the ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
Nothing smells better than freshly baked bread straight out of the oven. Making your own focaccia also costs about a third of the price of buying one from a fancy bakery or deli.
Like most people I don’t bake my own bread everyday. At the weekend when you have a little more time its nice to shake off the stresses of the week and kneading bread is a great way to work off any residual tension. Although this bread only needs 5 minutes kneading and you’re rewarded with amazingly tasty bread that can be sliced in half for sandwiches or is a delicious side dish served along side soups, stews, or pasta.
I’ve used a traditional salt and rosemary topping, but caramelised onion or olives are also brilliant alternatives. This also freezes really well.
Ready for the oven
Ingredients
500 Grams Strong white flour
7 Grams Dried yeast
1 Tsp Salt
300-400 Mil Luke warm water
4-5 Tbsp Olive oil
2-3 Sprigs Rosemary
Method
1. Mix your yeast with 300ml of luke warm water and set to one side while you measure out the flour and add it to a large bowl
2. Add a teaspoon of salt to one side of the (this will stop it coming into direct contact with the yeast and killing it). Make a well in the centre of the flour, add two tablespoons of olive oil and the water and yeast mix.
3. Mix well, you may need to add more water, your dough should be quite soft and sticky, but not super wet
4. Turn your dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes (or until the urge to punch someone has passed, if I haven’t mentioned it before I sometimes “rage bake”)
5. Clean the bowl you were using, (I always give the bowl a quick wipe with a little oil to stop your dough sticking). Put your dough back in the bowl and cover with a tea towel and prove for one hour
6. Grease an 8 x 12 inch tin with some olive oil and transfer the dough from the bowl to the tin. Stretch the dough out to fill the tin. Cover with a tea towel again and prove for 45 minutes
7. Pre-heat your oven to 220 degree (Celsius). Remove the tea towel from your baking tin, and with your finger tips press little dimples into the dough
8. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of olive oil across the top of the dough. Pluck leaves of rosemary and poke them into the dough (it will just sit on top and then fall off if you don’t). Sprinkle a teaspoon is salt across the top of the dough (sea salt is best if you have it, but just use a little less ordinary salt if you don’t)
9. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes
I love any type of dumpling, but have been over indulging lately, so needed something that tasted great but needed to be good for me. These are so delicious you won’t even like you’re being healthy.
I make a big batch of these and freeze them, as they make a really quick week night dinner, they’re also much nicer and cheaper that the frozen ones you can buy. You can use any dipping sauce you like (I just used a bottle of sweet chilli sauce I had in a cupboard).
Like most batch cooking if you can rope in friends or some child labour (kids love making these) it gives you a chance to kick back and give orders. Chop the vegetables fairly finely, as it will be easy to stuff the dumplings.
I came up with these mainly to use up vegetables that had been hanging about my fridge and a packet of wonton wrappers that had been in my freezer since my last visit to the Asian supper market. Traditional pot sticker dumplings are usually made with a dough, so these are a bit of a cheat, I think they work well and saves you time.
Ingredients
1/2 Small head of cabbage (finely chopped)
1 Red pepper (finely chopped)
200 Grams Mushrooms (finely chopped)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
3-4 Scallions/spring onions (finely chopped)
1 Tbsp Garlic (minced/crushed)
1 Tbsp Ginger (grated or finely chopped)
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 Tsp Chilli flakes, or 1 fresh chilli (finely chopped)
1 Tbsp Sesame oil
1 -2 Tbsp Sunflower oil (plus extra to fry the dumplings)
1 Pack Wonton wrappers
Method
Heat 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil to a large frying pan and add the chopped vegetables, chilli garlic and ginger, cook for about 5 minutes, there should still be a bit of bite, but the onion should be cooked through.
Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and allow to cool completely
Set up a little work station for yourself, you should have your bowl of the dumpling filling, a small bowl of water to wet the edges of the dumplings and if you are making some to freeze you should have a tray lined with foil that has had a small about of oil rubbed across it so the dumpling don’t stick to it while they’re in the freezer
Open your packet of wonton wrappers and wrap in a slightly damp tea towel to stop then drying out as you work
Lift a wonton wrapper and put a teaspoon of the filling in the centre. Wet your finger and wet all the edges of the wrapper and take one corner to meet the opposite corner to make a triangle. Make sure that the edges of the dumpling is properly sealed. Set on your tray and move onto make the next dumpling, keep going until you have run out of filling or wrappers.
If you’re freezing some of the dumplings, freeze them on a tray and then transfer into freezer bags
When you’re ready to eat the dumplings, spray a small amount of oil in a non stick frying pan (you’ll need a lid or some way to cover the pan) and heat over a high heat. Boil the kettle.
Place your dumplings in the pan (don’t try to squeeze too many in the pan at once). Cook for 2 minutes or until the bottoms have started to brown, then add a couple of tablespoons of boiling water (the pan shouldn’t be swimming in water), and cover with a lid and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until the water has been absorbed
Serve with your favourite dipping sauce (they’re also amazing washed down with a cold beer)
Sometimes random things pop up on your social media feed and this was the “Friends” salad, apparently the female cast members all ate the same thing every day for lunch for 10 years.
I followed the recipe provided by icecreamandneondreams.com and I have to say it’s very tasty (maybe not eating it every day for 10 years), but definitely worth including in your salad or lunch dish rotation.
Needless to say its very healthy with plenty of fibre and protein and full of lovely flavours that compliment each other. Like any salad you can play with the ratio of ingredients depending on your taste
The original salad doesn’t have any dressing, but you can also add some olive oil and lemon juice if you think it needs it.
Ingredients
250 Grams Bulgar Wheat (dry weight cook according the instructions on the packet)
1 Large or 2 small Cucumbers
400 Gram Tin of Chick Peas
1 Small red onion (finely sliced)
200 Grams Feta Cheese (crumbled)
50 Grams Shelled Pistachios
2 Tbsp. Fresh mint (chopped), or 2 tsp dried mint
2 Tbsp. Parsley (chopped)
Method
Cook the bulgar wheat according to the instructions on the packet and allow to cool
Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out and discard the watery seeds on the middle. Cut each half in half again and slice into 1 cm slices (you can make them chunkier if you prefer)
Drain the chick peas and add to a large bowl along with all the other ingredients and mix well. Have a taste and add some salt and pepper if you the salad needs it
I love a hearty breakfast, and this is quick enough for a weekday breakfast but you might prefer to save it for the weekend as it makes a great brunch/lunch dish.
I have shown quantities per person, so just up the amounts based on how many people you’re cooking for. I know we don’t usually use herbs at breakfast time, but the coriander and mint really make this delicious (I love picking this from my window box). This meal has plenty of fibre and protein and will fuel you for a good part of the day. If you are gluten free, you can swap the wholemeal tortilla for corn tortilla (just make sure to check the label, to ensure they are GF)
Ingredients (per person)
1 Wholemeal torilla
2 eggs
1/2 Avocado (diced)
6 Cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 Spring onion/scallion (finely sliced)
1 Tbsp Mint (finely chopped)
1 Tbsp Coriander (finely chopped)
100 Grams Canned black beans
Chilli powder – according to taste
1 Tsp Oil
Method
Heat oil in a small pan, crack both eggs into the pan (I like to add a little water and cover with a lid so they steam fry, but feel free to cook the eggs your preferred way)
While your eggs are cooking, slice the vegetables and herbs. Place the tortilla on a plate
Place your eggs on top of the tortilla, and use the same pan to warm through the black beans
Scatter the vegetables, herbs and heated black beans, across the tortilla and eggs and sprinkle with chilli powder (or sliced fresh chillies if you prefer) according to how spicy you like your food.
Classic dauphinoise potatoes are loaded with cream and sometimes cheese, and are one of my favourite things to eat.
The first time I made this I had spuds but no cream, so these were basically an experiment. But it was a really yummy one. It’s also nice to mess with the classics sometimes.
I could eat a massive bowl of this on its own, but it’s works really well as a side dish to marinated tempeh or chicken or fish if you’re a carnivore. This is full of creamy, garlicy, chilli gorgeousness.
Left overs are also great heated up with a fried egg on top.
1Kg Potatoes
400ml Tin of Coconut mik
3-4 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
1Tsp Chilli flakes
1 Tsp Ground ginger
1Tsp Tumeric
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (Celsius)
Peel and slice your potatoes as finely possible. Some people use a mandolin, but I’ve never been able to use one without cutting myself, I just use a kitchen knife
Add the coconut milk, garlic and spices to a saucepan and heat over a gentle heat, add the sliced potatoes and simmer very gently for 10 minutes
Line a baking dish with parchment paper (you don’t have to this, but it does make it easier to clean the dish afterwards)
Add the potatoes to the dish and spread evenly before putting in oven for 40-45 minutes. Test with a fork to make sure the potatoes are soft
Healthy food can still be rich and unctuous. This makes a great week night dinner or you can assemble and bake the following day.
Packed with flavour and protein, this makes a deeply satisfying meal. I love it served with salad and crusty bread.
Ingredients
200 Grams Halloumi (allow the halloumi to come to room temperature before using)
340 Gram Tin of Chick peas
400ml Passata
150 Grams Mushrooms (roughly chopped)
1 Onion (roughly chopped)
1 Courgette (roughly chopped)
Large sprig of thyme
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (Celsius)
Add oil to a large pan over a medium heat, add onion, courgettes and mushrooms, and thyme and cook for 5 minutes, stirring until the vegetables start to soften.
Add the chick peas and passata, and simmer for a another 5-10 minutes before transfering to an oven proof dish
Slice the halloumi into 1cm think slices and brush or spray with a little oil
Top the vegetable mix with the halloumi and bake for 25-30 mins or until the cheese had turn a rich golden brown.
Seaneen's Sunnyside Kitchen 