Spiced Roast Carrot, Puy Lentil and Feta Salad.

This recipe post comes with the news that I have just burned 626 calories zumba-ing on the Wii so, for someone reading my blog for the first time right now they might assume that I am actually a really healthy person which, of course unfortunately wouldn't be entirely true... okay so it's not really at all true but, we're not here to talk about the little bit of extra padding I carry around my waistline right now, are we? I do try my best to be relatively healthy but, I do love a good cupcake every now and then as I am sure you are all aware and there are also so many recipes out there that are just begging to be tried which, don't exactly go easy on the old calories. I have actually just finished writing out my shopping list for the next meal I am planning to make which is a peanut satay with coconut and pineapple rice and as you can imagine; several hefty dollops of peanut butter, a good glug of rich, creamy coconut milk and a rather generous portion of sweet, sugary caramelised pineapples doesn't exactly make for the healthiest of combinations but, it sure makes for a delicious one. Needless to say, I definitely can't say no to the calories all the time!

Not all great recipes have to make you pile on the pounds though, as this delicious salad recipe proves. This spiced roast carrot salad is fresh, vibrant and summery and has a delicious combination of flavours; from the lightly spiced and caramelised roast carrots to the creamy, crumbly feta and from the earthy puy lentils to the refreshing, tantalizing addition of the fresh mint and lemon juice. A bowl of this is just so much more gorgeous, exciting  and scrumptious than your average bowl of lettuce leaves and I really hope you love it too! Simple to make, quick to produce and extremely yummy; what more could you ask for? Food that doesn't expand the old waistline? Well, it's good for that too. There's no expansion here. Just enjoy!

Recipe

2 tbsp. olive oil                                                                   

1 tbsp. cumin powder and 1/2 tbsp. cumin seeds  

500g carrots, peeled, halved and cut into batons

1 tbsp. clear honey or maple syrup
250g pouch cooked Puy lentils (or canned, drained and rinsed) 
1 red onion, finely sliced 
½ lemon, juiced 
large handful mint leaves, roughly chopped 
100g lamb's lettuces 
100g feta cheese, crumbled

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. In a shallow roasting tin, toss together half the oil, the cumin, carrots and some seasoning. Roast for 25 mins, turning halfway through cooking. Drizzle over the honey or maple syrup, stir and roast for 5-10 mins more.

2. Meanwhile, gently heat the lentils with the onion, lemon juice, remaining oil and some salt and pepper. Allow to cool slightly while the carrots finish cooking. 

3. Toss the dressed lentils with mint and lamb's lettuce. Lay warm spiced carrots on top and scatter with crumbled feta. 

Onion Bhaji Burger and Homemade Chips.

7 years ago my 13 year old self decided to stop eating meat and now I couldn't imagine anything different. I love cooking veggie food and I try my best to make unique tasty dishes which, you often can't get as a vegetarian when you go to restaurants or buy foods in supermarkets as the choice is more limited. Last weekend I decided to make these quirky and yummy onion bhaji burgers which, I served with the Hairy Biker's special homemade chip recipe and rest assured that Si and Dave certainly know what they're doing when it comes to making chips as these chips are delicious. Deep fried chips and deep fried onion bhaji's, so obviously not the healthiest of meals I've ever made. Come to think of it, do I ever really make healthy meals? Nevermind though, a little bit of what you fancy does you good is what my Nan always says so, if you do fancy giving these onion bhaji burgers a go, please do and let me know what you think!

Recipe
Serves 4
For the Onion Bhaji Burgers-
For the Onion Bhajis-
2 red onions, one finely chopped and one thinly sliced
100g gram flour (chickpea flour)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. curry paste (I used Tesco finest Goan Massala paste which was very yummy but, it is a mild coconut flavoured paste so feel free to use a spicier curry paste like rogan josh or madras if you'd prefer a kick)
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
For the Garlic, Mint and Cucumber Raita-
150g natural yoghurt
2 tbsp. chopped mint
1 small garlic clove, crushed
8 slices of cucumber, each cut into 8

Mango Chutney
1 Beef tomato, sliced
Iceberg Lettuce, chopped
White english muffins  

For the Chips-
4 large Maris Piper potatoes
sea salt

Method

1. Start by preparing the chips. Peel the potatoes and cut lengthways into roughly 1cm thick slices. Cut each slice into fairly thick chips and rinse in a colander under plenty of cold water to remove excess starch. (If you have time, it's worth letting the chips soak in a bowl of cold water for several hours, or overnight.) 

2. After soaking, pat the chips dry with kitchen paper. Heat an electric deep-fat fryer to 130C. Using a large, metal, slotted spoon, gently lower half the chips into the hot oil and stir carefully. Fry for ten minutes, or until cooked through but not browned.

3. Remove the chips from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on plenty of kitchen paper. Repeat the process with the remaining chips and set aside. (The chips can be left for several hours at this stage.)

4. Next, mix together the raita ingredients with a little salt and pepper, then spoon into a small bowl. Refrigerate until needed.

5. Prepare the onion bhajis. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the curry paste, chopped chilli and a good sprinkling of salt. Add about 80-100ml of cold water to make a thick batter. Stir in the chopped and sliced onions until they are well coated.

6. When the onion bhaji batter is prepared, heat the oil in the deep-fat fryer to 180C. Add heaped tbsps of onion mix to the pan, a few at a time, and cook for a few mins, turning once, until they are evenly browned and crisp, about 3-4 mins. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you cook the remaining bhajis.

7. Once all of the bhajis are prepared, finish cooking the chips. Increase the temperature of the deep-fat fryer to 190C. With a slotted spoon, lower all the par-cooked chips gently into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Tip into a serving dish and sprinkle with salt to serve.

8. Finish by assembling the onion bhaji burgers. Halve and lightly toast the english muffins. Spread one half with mango chutney and one half with the raita. Place lettuce and tomato on top of one of the halves of each muffin. Add the onion bhaji (or two bhajis if they are quite small), place the lid on and hold together with a cocktail stick. Serve alongside the chips and enjoy!

Homemade Nachos.

Last week I decided to branch away from the old mixing bowl and cupcake tin to make some homemade nachos which, are something I've never made before but, they are now something I will be making time and time again. I love nachos and they are actually one of my favourite foods so I thought I would try making them from scratch and they are honestly completely delicious! Crispy tortilla chips smothered in melted cheese, refreshing salsa, cool sour cream and tangy guacamole. They are perfect! Not so good for the old waistline but, the best food never is. The diet starts tomorrow I promise... unless there's another giant bowl of homemade nachos on offer again! There are lots of components to the dish but, none of them actually take very long to make so if you do have the time and you are a big nacho fan, give these nachos a go and I really hope you enjoy them!

Recipe

Serves 3-4

For the Salsa-

6 medium tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 medium red onion, very finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, crushed

Small splash of white wine vinegar

Squeeze of lime juice

Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Guacamole-

1/2 large ripe tomato

2 small avocados, very ripe but not bruised

juice 1/2 large lime

small handful coriander, roughly chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

For the Sour Cream and Chive Dip-

5 tbsp. sour cream

4 tbsp. chopped chives

2 tsp. lemon juice

Pinch of salt

For the Tortilla Chips-

4 Flour tortillas

Vegetable oil

A hefty noggin of cheese

Method

1.First, prepare the salsa. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, stir. Refrigerate until ready to use. To peel the tomatoes; make slits all over the tomatoes, place in a bowl and cover with boiled water. Leave for 2-3 mins and then peel.

2. Next, prepare the guacamole. Use a large knife to pulverize the tomato on a chopping board, then tip into a bowl. Halve and stone the avocados (saving the stones) and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and add to the bowl with the tomato. Tip all of the other ingredients into the bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Use a whisk or potato masher to roughly mash everything together. Sit the stones in the guacamole to stop it going brown, cover with cling film and chill until needed.

3. To make the sour cream and chive dip; mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate.

4. Next, prepare the tortilla chips. Take the 4 tortilla wraps and use scissors to cut each into 3 strips of equal thickness, then snip into triangles and other fairly large shapes ready for frying. Heat your deep fat fryer to 190°C or heat oil in a large pan. When heated to the correct temperature, start to add 4-6 tortilla chips to the deep fat fryer at a time and turn until bronze and crispy. If using a pan to cook, test the oil with a small piece of tortilla wrap to see when the oil is hot enough for frying. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tortilla chips from the oil and place on to a kitchen towel on a plate to drain off some of the oil. You can sprinkle and season with salt if you like but, it isn't essential. 

5. Finally, when all of the tortilla chips are cooked, take a large dish or casserole bowl and place a layer of tortilla chips into the bottom, scatter with grated cheese and melt under the grill. Place another layer of tortilla chips on top, scatter with cheese and some tomato salsa and melt the cheese under the grill again. Place a final tortilla chip layer on top and scatter with salsa and cheese, melt the cheese under the grill one last time and spoon a large scoop of sour cream, salsa and guacamole onto the top of the nacho stack.

Then most importantly...Tuck in! Devour! Indulge! And don't you dare leave a single crumb!

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone!