Pimp my Tex-Mex Left-over casserole

When I cook rice, I always cook too much. So when I found this recipe in a cookbook by Jean Carper, I was delighted. I have done it many times since, but it always turn out a bit different every time - depending what is left in the fridge and store cupboards. But here is the basic recipe:

Tex-Mex left-over casserole

• Cooked rice - how much do you have?
• Tomato Salsa from a jar or some small diced up tomato with some added spices
• Chilli powder - how hot can you take it?
• 1/2 can of black beans ( I love black beans xxx), you could also use kidney beans. Make sure to rinse them well before use.
• Tin or frozen sweetcorn a good handful
• If you like olives, add some chopped up olives black or green.

Mix it all together and into a oven-proof dish. If you really like it hot, add some pickled jalapeños.

Top-up with cheese of you choice - mine is dairy free!

Into the oven on 200 degrees for around 20 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Cook this once and I promise you, it will go on your frequent cooking list for the future.

Sweet Jacket smokey potatoe

This recipe is so simple and so tasty. It is from a danish cookbook called "Aldrig mere sukkerkold" meaning : no more sugar cold. It is all about controlling the GL in what your eat, to keep the blood sugar even and at the same time keep the big flavours. 
In Denmark you can buy this amazing smoked cheese called "rygeost" = smoked soft cheese.
But since I don't live in Denmark anymore and don't eat dairy products, i have pimped the recipe to suit my stomach. But i will give you the original version in brackets.

Jacket Sweet Smokey potatoe
 
(original version in brackets)

• 1 Sweet potatoe
• 1/4 cup Vegan Tofutti cream cheese (smoked soft cheese)
• 2-3 Tbsp Unsweetend soya milk or hemp milk (same amount as cheese of some greek youghurt)
• 1/2 tsp Liquid smoke (don't need this for original recipie)
• Chives
• Salt and pepper

Bake the sweet potatoe i the oven 200 degrees 40-60 minutes, this depending on the size of the sweet potatoe.
Meanwhile mix the creamy filling in a food processor or stire/mix together with a fork : cream cheese, soya milk, liquid smoke, salt and pepper. At the end stire in the chives.
Cut the steaming hot sweet potatoe open and add a big dollop of creamy smokey filling.
Beautifull!

Pimped Hummus

It has taken me years to get the perfect, to my taste, Hummus recipe.
So here it is with a little help from Rip Esselstyn and a bit of pimping (a lot) from me. Without any further nonsense :


Pimped Hummus

• 1 can of chickpeas - rinsed and drained
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 3 Tbsp Lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp Tahini
• 2 tsp Tamari or Braggs liquid aminos (is a soya sauce)
• 3-5 Tbsp water
• 2-3 Tbsp Vegenaise (egg free mayonaise)
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 Vogels herbamare herbal salt

Everything into the food processesor and blend untill the right texture.
You migh twant to add more water or salt. That is all up to your tastebuds.

Now you got all this wonderfull Hummus to eat.
Here is a brilliant way of turning it into a quick a tasty meal.
Got the idea from Neal Barnard's book Get healthy, go vegan

Humms Pizza

• One pita bread - I use "The food doctors" whole grain pita breads, but any whole grain pita will do.
• Tomatos
• Olives
• Soy cheese or any othe melting type of vegan cheese

Turn the oven on to 200 degrees. Spread the hummus onto the the pita bread. Cut the tomatoes into small chunks and slice the olives into thin slices. Add the two on top of the hummus and grate some soy cheese on top. In the oven for approximately 8 min.
Badabing!! Lunch is ready!

Caesar Salad - My way!

I absolutely love Ceasar Salad! But the shop bought dressing are calorie laden and full of dairy product, which is not on my menu. So here is my version with a little help from Rip Esselstyn and Kris Carr. 
But as always pimped by me.

Start with your croutons. Heat the oven to 150 degrees and chop some wholegrain bread into little squares, that could be gluten-free read as well. Spray the croutons with olive oil and Braggs liquid aminos. Sprinkle with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder and some freeze dried parsley. Toss it around, spread out on a baking tray and into the oven for 5 - 10 min. The amount of spices depend of course on how big the portion of croutons are.
Remember to keep an eye on them, you want them golden brown, but not burned.

Now the so delicious dressing :

• 1/2 Cup Vegan mayonnaise  - egg free mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• the juice from 1/2 small lemon
• 1 tsp Nutritional yeast
• Dash of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce
• a dash of fish sauce - optional.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Blend the dressing, add water to get the right consistency. Drizzle it over a big bowl of Romaine and/or other mixed green lettuces.
Mix gently and shatter your croutons on the top before serving. Enjoy!!

Jammie Cookies

This is the time where I should be writing about salads and lovely light summer food. And instead I feel like baking!

The weather isn't brilliant here and that always set me in the mood for warmth and comfort cooking.

My Dad was a baker so there might be some deep and meaning full connection there. 

Bought new cook book by Gwyneth Paltrow the other day - Yes, the girl can cook too.
Lots of nice things to cook and some lovely pictures in the book.
But poor Gwyneth has to be pimped my me as well.


Jammie Cookies

Set the oven to 180 degrees. 

200 grams grounded almonds 

50 grams soya flour 

100 grams brown rice flour

100 grams Kamut flour

1 tsps cinnamon

1/4 tsps  salt

125 ml. agave syrup

125 ml. cold pressed rapeseed oil

Sugar free jam for filling. I used Blueberry jam.

Put everything into a mixing bowl or electric mixer and combine. Form into little balls and press with a wooden spoon handle or your finger a little hole in the middle of each cookie for the jam.

Put the cookies on lined baking trays and bake for 17-20 min. Put them on an air rack to cool.

And do wait until they have cooled of so you don't burn your lips and they get nice and crispy.

So much better and healthier than Jammie Doggers!!!

Slow porridge for busy girls (and boys)

Mornings can be very stressful. It is in our home. A total mad house!

I want to make sure we all get a good breakfast, before getting us all out of the door.

We all know how important it is to eat breakfast, to set you up for the day.

You need good food to fuel your body, to keep blood sugar levels even trough out the day.

One of my sons has been diabetic since the age of two, so this is something very close to my heart.

Here is a brilliant way to preparer the breakfast the night before, to give you a calmer morning.

And all you have to do is, pop it on the stove the next morning.

This recipe has been pimped from Danish super cook Umahro Cadogan’s book “Kokken revolution pa hoje haele” only in Danish so fare.

This my Slow porridge for busy girls (and boys)

Soak in a pot the night before:

• ½ cup of oat (for each person, depending on size)
• Cover with water
• Add cinnamon to your liking, a little bit of pure vanilla powder, ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar. (This helps to soften the oat)

Lid on and go to bed!

Next morning:

Turn on the stove.

You might want to add more water or milk of your choice (from a cow, soy, rice or almond) into the porridge.

Cook and stir. Keep an eye on it.

 Add honey, agave syrup or xylitol to sweeten. Don’t go mad!

When the porridge is velvety smooth, scoop it into bowls.

There are lot of nice toppings to put on your porridge. Here is a few we like:

• Banana slices
• Chopped up Almonds or other nuts of your choice.
• Sliced up apples or pears. Vitamin -C
• Apple puree
• Blueberries. Antioxidants
• Ground flax seeds with cinnamon

A few healthy facts about the ingredients :

Bananas rich in potassium and carbohydrates (the good ones). Good carbs has a nice relaxing effect on the body so it can produce neotransmitters in the brain – serotonin which gives you a sense of calm.

It is important that the carbohydrates you choose are high in fibre and the slow acting kind.

Blueberries rich in vitamin C and stuffed with antioxidants.

Apples and pears - vitamin C and fiber.

Nuts gives you Selenium and magnesium.

Oat – Full of healthy soluble fibres that lower the cholesterol. Oat is also loaded with phytochemicals which helps the digestive system and blood sugar levels, which have an adverse affect on stress.

Green Velvet Smoothie

Just finished reading "The China Study" and it has really confirmed for me, that eating a plant based diet is the way to health. Not that I ever doubted this. I can highly recommend to read this.

It is cold  and horrible outside. People on the tube are sniffling and sneezing all over you.
You need something to defend you self against bug and germ attacks.

So here is my favourite green smoothie recipe. A shield of goodness to protect yourself!

Green Velvet Smoothie 

For this you would need a juicer and a very power full blender, mine has 1.2 horse powers could possible blend a motor bike.

Juicing : 3 apples and 1 broccoli stalk. This is a brilliant way to use the broccoli stalk after you eaten all the lovely florets.

Blending : Pour juice into the blender with 5-6 Brazil nuts, 2 dates, 1 tsp flax seeds, 1/2 Avocado and a handful of ice cubes.

Blend this until it is velvety smooth - pour - drink - enjoy!

Books for juicing I can recommend  "The Juicer Master" Jason Vale. And also "Crazy sexy diet" by Kris Carr.

Keep on juicing!

Victor's cream of Mushroom soup

When the twins came home from school and told us they were going to do a project: "Create a healthy dish!"
I thought it was time to carry on the family tradition, how to "pimp" a recipe. All chefs do it, take inspiration from others cooks or books and turn it into their own.

So Victor found a Heston Blumenthal free recipe in Waitrose. And together we turned it from Heston's fat version, into a much lighter Victor's healthy version. So here it is!!

Victor's Cream of Mushroom soup

Set  oven to 150 degrees. Bake 20 grams of dried porcini mushrooms for 5 minutes.

Chop up fine : 2 onions, 800 grams of fresh mushrooms and 2 leeks.

Remember to wash the vegetables; you don't want soil in your food!
Melt 50 grams of butter in a large pot and start frying of first onions and leeks.
Peel and grate 1 large baking potatoe and throw that into the pot as well.
Now add 1,5 litre of vegetable stock.
Grind the baked dried mushrooms, we used a coffee grinder, and into the pot. Now cook this for 10 minutes or more.
Now fry all the fresh mushrooms on a frying pan. When they are going soft and start to take colour into the soup pot.
Add some salt and pepper - not too much! Remember you can always add, but you can't take it out of the soup again.
Add 250ml. soya cream, much lighter in calories and a source of protein. Let it cook for another 5 minutes.


Now blend the soup with a handheld blender. Be careful with this!!
And don't do it for too long, you want a few bits to chew on.
Taste again!  Add more salt or pepper if needed.

Serve the soup with some crusty brown bread. Bon Appetit!

Aubergine and Sundried tomato "Bolognese"

Have you heard about meat free Monday? A group of veggie celebrities is trying to promote eating more vegetables, look after your health and the environment at the same time.
Read more about this at  http://www.meatfreemondays.co.uk/
I found a recipe on this website which is one of Linda McCartney's - bless her soul! But sorry Linda, not even you will be spared from being pimped by me.

This is a very tasty and slightly spice pasta sauce, that will spice up a dark winter evening and make you go : "Uhmmmm!!!"

Aubergine and Sundried tomato "Bolognese"

Soak 50 gr sundried tomatoes in some boilling water. If your sundried tomatoes comes in oil use 100 gr, and skip the soaking offcourse.
Chop 3 shallot onions and 2 cloves of garlic - fry in some olive oil.
Chop up a medium aubergine in to small cubes and into the pot with the onions.
Let it soften for about 5 -8 minuts. Now add some dried and/or fresh herbs of your choice. I like oregano, basil and some fresh parsley. But a herb de provence mix is ok as well.
Add the chopped sundried tomatoes and a finely chopped small chili.
Be carefull with the chili in this recipie, you don't want to overpower the other flavours.
Now turn down the heat to low and let it simmer with lid on, for about 10 min.
Then add 1 carton of either soy or oat cream. You can use cream fraiche if you like, but I don't do dairy.
Add 1/2 tsp of smoked spanish paprika, 2 tbsp tomato puree and salt and pepper.
Cook for another 5 min. Take of the heat and put this into a food processor and pulse 4 to 5 times!
PULSE not Puree!! You want the sauce to keep lots of texture - No baby food!
At this state you might think :"It looks like dogs mess!" . But I promise you it taste wonderfull.
Serve this with some wholewheat pasta - Bon appetit!

Naughty Popcorn

Having a child with diabetes sets a natural break on the amount of sweets we got in our cupboards.
This house is a "Haribo" free zone (Candy free!).

That doesn't mean we don't like a bit of a treat.
So here is some pimped popcorn.
Goes well with a good DVD on a rainy afternoon.

Antony Worrall Thompson has done quite a few good cookbooks for diabetics. And this recipe has been pimped from one of his books.

Naughty Popcorn

• 1/4 cup (50 gr) Popcorn
• 25 gr Dark high quality chocolate, I choose a dairy free version.
• 1 tbsp Honey or "Sweet Freedom" syrup
• 1 tbsp Sesame seeds

Put 1 tsp coconut oil into a wok or large pan. Put on high heat
Add popcorn - lid on and get popping. Shake the wok regularly, not to get black popcorn!
After 3- 5 min when all corns has popped. Turn of the heat.
Now add chocolate, honey and sesame seeds. lid on again and give it a good shaking.
Let the heat of the popcorn do the work. Pour into portion glasses and enjoy!

If you are not in the mood for sweet popcorn, try adding some vanilla salt (pure vanilla powder and salt),
NOT vanilla sugar! That is so good too!