Recipe: Turkey Mince Courgetti Bolognese (Gluten Free) #TipsTuesdays 35

Good morning (or whatever time of day it happens to be for you now :)), today I have another recipe for you for Tips Tuesdays 35. My husband said I haven't included enough of the staple recipes that I cook often here, so I have promised to rectify this. I've also tried to standardise my recipe labelling so they are easy to find :).

Turkey Mince Courgetti Bolognese (Gluten Free)

This recipe used turkey mince instead of beef mince and courgette (zucchini) spaghetti instead of pasta - so it is a very healthy version of spaghetti bolognese and it is gluten free. You could use Quorn mince or soya mince and check your Worcestershire sauce (many makes use anchovies) to make this vegetarian as well. If you hate courgetti, just use spaghetti, but it won't be quite as good for you ;).

N.B. If you haven't tried courgetti, I recommend it, even if you are not fond of courgette. My mother doesn't like courgette as a side vegetable, but done this way she thought it was lovely.

Feeds 2-3

Ingredients

Bolognese

• 1 tblspn sunflower/vegetable oil (or you can use spray oil to reduce the calories even more - but I think that's overkill)
• 2 large field mushrooms
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced (I use the stuff in a tube)
• 340g turkey breast (or Quorn) mince (thigh mince is okay, but disintegrates more - so for texture breast mince is better)
• 500g passata (this is 1 box per Morrisons - if yours comes in a tin and is not exactly the same amount, don't worry, it will be fine)
• 1 tspn dried oregano
• smiggen of chilli paste (optional and to taste)
• 2 small beef stock cubes or 1 large (small = Oxo = NOT gluten free, large = Knorr = gluten free)
• splash of sweet sherry (optional)
• splash of Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gluten free but not vegetarian - here is a recipe for homemade vegetarian worcestershire sauce or you can buy a vegetarian version or just use soy sauce instead :))
• fresh ground black pepper

Courgetti (Zucchini noodles)

• 2 courgettes (zucchini) (if you are serving for 3, add another courgette - it should be about 1 per person)
• 1 tspn garlic powder
• squeeze of lime (optional)

Instructions

1. Chop the field mushrooms into bite sized pieces.
2. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and add the mushrooms and 1 clove of the garlic. Stir until coated in oil and then pop a lid on and leave until the mushrooms are giving out their moisture. (Adding some of the garlic to the mushrooms, makes their flavour pop, rather than just adding it later).
3. Add the mince and stir to break it up.
4. Add the rest of the garlic, the oregano and the chilli paste (if you are using it - not too much though, you don't want chilli, just a little hint in the background) and stir to mix in.
5. Crumble in the stock cube(s) and stir to coat the mince.
6. Add the passata, then rinse out the box/tin with a little water and add that too, stirring to combine.
7. Add the sherry, the Worcestershire sauce and the pepper, stir and pop a lid on, turning the heat down to leave it to simmer for about 20 mins to allow the flavours to combine. (You can add extra salt as well if you wish, but I find the Worcestershire sauce gives enough for us).
8. Spiralize the courgette into noodles using the large noodle setting (if you don't have a spiralizer, I believe Sainsburys and Waitrose sell pre-spiralized courgette). 
9. In a large pan spray some oil, or dribble just a little oil in the bottom, heat and add the courgette.
10. Add the garlic powder and allow the courgetti to cook with the lid on for 3 mins.
11. Add the lime and cook until the courgetti is releasing its water (between another 30secs and 1 min).
12. Transfer the courgetti to the bolognese leaving the water behind (or is will make the sauce too wet) and mix in for 20 seconds or so (you don't want to over cook the courgetti).
13. Serve in bowls.

Spiralizers are Awesome (and Healthy) #TipsTuesdays 32

I have a new kitchen gadget and I have to share how wonderful it is. Welcome to Tips Tuesdays 32.

Spiralizers are Awesome (and Healthy)

So at the weekend I bought myself a spiralizer, thanks to a recommendation from a friend on Livejournal. For those in the UK - they have one in Range for £10 :). I have been coveting one for months, and when I found out how cheaply I could get one (they are in fashion so have come down in price greatly just recently), I had to have it :).

For those unfamiliar with what one is, it looks like this:

And it turns veggies and hard fruits into noodle shapes or long ribbons. This is far more useful than you might think.

I tested it out as soon as I got it home (two carrots were sacrificed :)), but didn't use it for actual food until Monday. I love mine already for many reasons, but here are some of them:

• it's so easy to use - takes moments
• it's easy to clean
• there are some truly awesome healthy recipes out there.

As I may have mentioned on occasion, I have been trying to be better at cooking healthy food for my husband and I. Since the new year I try to make all our meals from scratch and have probably developed an obsessional love of chicken. We've also made a conscious effort to cut down on starchy foods like normal potatoes and pasta unless Rob is getting ready for running when he actually needs the carbs.

Unfortunately, I've never had an alternative to pasta for dishes like spaghetti bolognese (which I make with turkey mince these days, in case you were wondering :)). Now I do:

courgetti (aka zucchini noodles)

Courgetti is simply a courgette (zucchini) spiralized into noodles. When cooked for two or three minutes it makes a fantastic alternative to spaghetti. In fact, I have to admit I prefer it to pasta. It has a crunch and a succulence to it that pasta does not have, yet it does the same as pasta by taking on the flavour of whatever you put with it. It's also fantastically good for you as this article from Healthy Food explains in detail.

This is the really simple recipe I made yesterday, but think of it as an example of what can be achieved. Just look on the courgetti as pasta and you're away - we all know how to throw things together with pasta :).

Chicken, Lime and Garlic Courgetti with Mushroom and Feta

For the vegetarians among us - my husband said he would have been perfectly happy with just the mushroom and feta, so it is very easy to make this a vegetarian dish.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 courgettes (zucchini)
• 4 skinless and boneless chicken thighs (leave these out and add more mushrooms for veggie version)
• 1 tblspn garlic oil (or normal oil with a little bit of garlic paste)
• 1 large flat mushroom
• 1 tspn garlic powder
• juice of 1 lime
• pinch of  salt (or to taste)
• a few cubes of feta (optional)

Instructions

1. Chop the mushroom and the chicken into bite sized pieces.
2. Add the garlic oil to a wide bottomed pan with a lid and fry the chicken and mushroom until cooked through. A little colour on the chicken add flavour.
3. While the chicken is cooking, spiralize the courgette and drizzle with half the lime juice.
4. When the chicken is nearly done, drizzle in the other half of the lime juice to the pan.
5. Add the salt to taste. I use smoked salt because it give an extra depth.
6. Add in the courgetti and the garlic powder and stir, then cover and cook for 3-3.5 mins, stirring occasionally. The courgetti should be just tender, with a little bit of bite left.
7. Place in bowls and dot with a few cubes of feta. I actually preferred it without the feta, where as my husband thought the feta was really good, so try it to see which you think it tastiest.

This is a quick, simple, healthy recipe and so very, very tasty.

Do you have a spiralizer? Do you love it? Have any recipes to share? Or do you think you might get one?

Recipe: Creamy Chicken Curry (low cal)

This recipe comes from the 5:2 Diet Recipe book by Jacqueline Whitehart. So far I have cooked three recipes from the book and this is the only one I really liked, one of the others was nice,  but not worth the effort it took and the other just wasn't my thing. This one, however, is fabulous.

Prep time 10min, cooking time about 55min, but you can go away and leave it in that time because it's simmering.

This makes a lovely creamy, sweet curry with a tomato and onion base. My husband didn't even realise it was an onion base, however, because it cooks down to something like a soft chunky soup. You could use potatoes or Quorn or even lentils instead of chicken if you wanted to go with a vegetarian version. The chicken is literally a texture to take the sauce rather than offering much flavour so anything would work.

If you like more bite use hot chilli powder :).

Creamy Chicken Curry (245 kCal per serving, serves 4)

• 1tbsp vegetable oil (I used a couple of squirts of 1Cal spray oil and it worked fine which will take the cal count down even lower)
• 1tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds (I didn't have these so I used 1/8th tsp white mustard seeds and 1/8th tsp black onion seeds which tasted nice :))
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks (no skin)
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp mild chilli powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 can tomatoes (400g tin)
• 125ml water
• 100g baby spinach
• 2 tbsp mango chutney
• 4 tbsp (60ml) light crème fraiche (I used the 3% be good to yourself version from Morrisons)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil on medium either in a casserole or lidded saucepan (you will need the lid while simmering later).
2. Add the cumin and the mustard seeds (or substitute) and fry  for 1min or until they sizzle.
3. Turn the heat right down (I removed the pan from the heat for a while because it was too hot) and add the onions. Sweat down with the lid on until they are soft and translucent. Usually takes 5mins or so.
4. Add the rest of the spices and stir thoroughly.
5. Add the chicken and stir to coat, but do not brown it.
6. Add the tomatoes and water and bring to the boil.
7. Turn down the heat, add the lid and simmer for 40 mins.
8. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 mins until it is completely wilted.
9. Add the mango chutney and crème fraiche and stir, returning to the heat to make sure it is hot before serving.

I think it's the mango chutney that really makes this, but I'm sure the cinnamon helps. Very tasty.

The original recipe says it can be frozen. I just made it for two using half the amounts shown :).

Recipe: Low Fat Chilli

This is my own recipe, based off a standard chilli con carne recipe. I came up with it because I wanted something substantial, that was low fat so I could have it on my fast days for the 5:2 diet. This can be made so it is vegetarian, although I use Worcestershire Sauce so my version isn't.

Low Fat Chilli
Ingredients (serves 2 ~225 kCal per person)

• 200g Quorn Mince (210 kCal)
• 1/2 can Red Kidney Beans (200g) (112 kCal)
• 1/2 can chopped tomatoes (200g) (32 kCal)
• 1 small onion (chopped) (~28 kCal)
• 1 carrot (grated) (~25 kCal)
• ~1/2 punnet of mushrooms (sliced) (~20 kCal)
• 200 ml veg stock (you can use beef stock if you prefer) (~20 kCal)
• 1 tspn mild chilli powder (you can add hot chilli powder or chilli flakes if you like it hotter)
• a dash of Worcestershire Sauce (for vegetarian version use something like Soy sauce)
• spritze of oil (~5 kCal)

Instructions

1. Spray the bottom of a sauce pan with a spritze of oil.
2. Add the chopped onion and cook on low with the lid on until it has softened.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are also going soft.
4. Take out just over half the mushrooms and set aside for later.
5. Add the tomatoes, stock, chilli powder and Worcestershire sauce and bring to the boil.
6. Take off the heat and blitz to a smooth sauce with a hand blender (you can miss out this step if you like it chunky, but I find it makes for a much thicker chilli this way).
7. Return to the heat, add the reserved mushroom, kidney beans, Quorn and carrot. Cook for about 20 mins.

For the light option serve with a green vegetable like kale or broccoli, or a green salad.

If you're not worried about the calories you can serve it with rice or bread and a handful of grated cheese :).

Recipe: Red Lentil Tikka Masala With Rye Barley Roti (from the Times)

This is a recipe from the Times Eat pullout special with low cal recipes. It's another one I tried for a fasting day on the 5:2 diet and it's really tasty and filling. However, the recipe is very spicy, way too spicy for me and I didn't even use the full amount of spice suggested in the original.

Red Lentil Tikka Masala With Rye Barley Roti
Serves 4 (original) or 2 (my ingredients list)
218 cal per portion (396 with Roti)

Image taken from the Times website

Ingredients
Original recipe masala paste (for 4)

• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tsp smokes parprika
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (dry fried and ground)
• 1 tsp coriander seed (dry fried and ground)
• 2cm root ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp groundnut oil
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• salt and pepper
• handful of fresh coriander

Recipe I used masala paste (for 2)

• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2/3 tsp chilli paste (next time I'm going to use a third of this)
• 1 tsp smoked parprika (next time I'm going to use half of this)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (dry fried and ground)
• 1/2 tsp coriander seed (dry fried and ground)
• 1cm root ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp groundnut oil
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• salt and pepper
• handful of fresh coriander

Original recipe for the curry (for 4)

• 1.5 tsp groundnut oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tbsp masala paste
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 250ml vegetable stock
• 200g red lentils
• 4 generous handfuls of young spinach leaves washed (~200g)
• 2 tbsp low-fat natural yoghurt

Recipe I used for the curry (for 2)

• several squirts of oil spray (the 1 cal a spray stuff)
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed (I like garlic :))
• 1 tbsp masala paste
• 200g tin chopped tomatoes
• 125ml vegetable stock
• 100g red lentils
• 2 generous handfuls of young spinach leaves washed (~200g)
• 1 tbsp fat free greek style yoghurt

As you can see I reduced the amount of oil as much as I could, especially in the curry because it was only for frying and the spray worked just fine.

Instructions

The original recipe says to use a processor for mixing the masala paste, but I used a pestle and motar because I couldn't be arsed to get it out and then have to clean it all :). If you are using the processor see instruction 2, if you are using a pestle and mortar see instructions 3 to 8.

1. Put the coriander seeds and cumin seeds in dry pan and heat until you can spell their scent rising and they are toasted. Then crush them in the pestle and mortar.
2. Using a PROCESSOR: Add all the ingredients for the paste and pulse until well combined and mostly smooth (jump to instruction 9).
3. Using a PESTLE and MORTAR: Add the oil to the crushed seeds in the mortar and mix in.
4. Add the garam masala and work together.
5. Add the chilli and work together.
6. Grate the ginger (I used one of these, which are brilliant for garlic and ginger) and add, working it in with the pestle.
7. Add the tomato purée and salt and pepper and work in.
8. Chop the coriander and add a little at a time, working in with the pestle each time.
9. Now you're on to the curry. Spray the pan and add the onion, cooking on a medium heat until it has softened, usually about 4 or 5 minutes.
10. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.
11. Add the masala paste and stir in to release all the flavours.
12. Add the tomatoes.
13. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
14. At this point I used a hand held blender to smooth out the sauce because I don't like lumps of onion and tomato in things, but feel free to leave out this step. Once blended return to the heat and bring back to the boil.
15. Add the lentils, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 mins (because I had blitzed the sauce it was quite thick, so I covered it while it simmered as well to keep in the moisture).
16. Take off the heat, allow to cool a little and add the spinach leaves, allowing to wilt in the heat.
17. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt and a warm rye, barley roti (see next).

Now I do have to say I haven't tried to make the rye barley roti because I was going for the really low cal option, but I'm including it for completeness and it looks tasty :). If I do make them I'll come back and edit the post with any observations I make.

Ingredients
Makes 8

• 100g wholewheat flour
• 50g barley flour
• 50g rye flour
• 1/2 tsp rock salt
• pinch chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 120 ml water

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients to a smooth dough.
2. Leave to rest for 20 mins
3. Knead well (this usually takes a good ten mins if doing by hand) and divide into 8 balls.
4. Rolls each ball into a disc on a floured surface to prevent sticking.
5. Spray a heavy frying pan with oil and heat the rotis on each side until cooked through.

Recipe: Lo-lo meatballs with cavolo nero (from the Times)

I had to share this recipe, because I tried it last night and my husband liked it so much he literally licked out his bowl. As I have mentioned we're both doing the 5:2 diet and this is a fabulous meal for a fasting day - tasty, filling and yet only 264 cal per person.

First thing I have to say, I have no idea what Cavolo Nero actually is, in the picture with the recipe it seems to be some form of cabbage, I used some steamed green veg instead, which were 25 cal per serving. The recipe comes from the Eat! pullout from the Times this weekend.

Lo-Lo Meatballs with Cavolo Nero
Serves 2
264 cal per person

Picture from the Times website

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 200g lean pork mince or turkey mince (I used turkey mince)
• half a med red onion (chopped)
• 1 garlic clove (peeled and crushed) (I used a little bit of pre-minced garlic for speed)
• 1 small carrot (grated)
• pinch of oregano
• 1 egg (beaten)
• salt and pepper
• oil for spraying (you can make up your own spray bottle of oil, or buy one of the spray cans)

For the tomato sauce

• oil for spraying
• half a med red onion (chopped)
• half a garlic clove (peeled and chopped) (I used minced again)
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 50g fresh tomatoes (skinned, de-seeded and chopped) (I left these out because I was going for a puree rather than a chunky sauce)
• 1 tsp tomato purée
• pinch of sugar
• 200ml water
• chili flakes or powder to taste
• dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano

For the cavolo nero

• 200g cavolo nero (steamed)
• squeeze of lemon
• sea salt

Instructions

1. Put the mince, onion, garlic, carrot, oregano, salt, pepper and egg in a bowl and mix. 
2. Form into 12 small meatballs. The mixture was very wet, but held together very well.
3. Spray a large pan with oil and fry the meatballs until lightly browned (approx 4 mins).
4. Put meatballs aside.
5. Spray the same pan again and add the onion for the sauce, sweat it down until it is softened. Boy is it hard to sweat onions without a decent amount of oil - keep the heat really, really low.
6. Add the garlic and cook for about 3 mins.
7. Add the tomatoes, the tom purée, sugar, water, chili flakes and Worcestershire sauce to taste.
8. Simmer for a few minutes until reduced somewhat and glossy.
9. At this point I grabbed the hand blender and turned the sauce into a purée because I don't like chunky tomatoes and onion in my sauces, but that's not in the original recipe.
10. Add the meatballs, cover and simmer for 20 mins.
11. Serve with the steamed cavolo nero, adding a twist of lemon and sea salt to the cavolo nero (if you have any clue what it is :)). I had steamed brocoli, peas and green beans instead.