Tag Archives: Cooking

My new favourite dish: Teriyaki salmon

Posted in Recipes by

It’s official, teriyaki salmon is my new favourite dish.

I love salmon and probably eat it twice a week but usually it’s just marinated in sweet chilli sauce so I decided to try something new and different to make this evenings dinner that little bit more exciting.

Both salty and sweet, it really was delicious and I was also very surprised at how quick and easy it was to make such a tasty meal.

I will definitely be adding this one to my meal plans.

Here’s the recipe I followed:

You will need:

-Salmon fillet
-1 small piece of fresh ginger, sliced
– 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
– 3tbsp soy sauce
– 2tbsp maple syrup
-salt and pepper to season
-Slash of olive oil
– Dash of rice wine

 

How to do it:

-Add the garlic, ginger, syrup olive oil, rice wine and soy sauce in to a bowl and mix. Season the salmon fillet and then cover it with the marinade.

-Leave the salmon to marinade for at least thirty minutes to allow it to soak up all of those strong flavours. Leaving it for a couple of hours is better but if you don’t have that much time, half an hour is fine.

-Heat a frying pan and add a dash of oil before placing the salmon, skin side down, in to the pan. Fry on each side for about three to four minutes until the salmon is thoroughly cooked. Keep adding more sauce to the pan if it looks as though it is drying out.

-When cooked use the rest of the teriyaki sauce left in the pan as a dressing.

 

I served mine with parsnip chips and stir-fry vegetables. I think it would work really well with savoury brown rice as well.

 

Delicious!

Meat free Monday

Posted in Nutrition, Uncategorized by

Every Monday morning when I get in to work my Twitter feed is scattered with #meatfreeMonday Tweets.
Intrigued, I decided to check it out.

As a devoted meat eater I personally think I would struggle to be vegetarian but this initiative, of going meat free for one day a week, seemed like it could be doable and with added health benefits I decided to give it a go.

Not only that, but the campaign is dedicated to helping the planet by reducing carbon emissions of meat production.

I’ve often heard that too much red meat is bad for you yet too little can leave your iron stores depleted meaning you are left feeling tired with little energy. It’s a tough balancing act but according to Oxford University’s department of public health eating meat a maximum of three times a week could prevent an astounding 31,000 people dying from heart disease.

Added incentives to join Meat Free Monday include the cost. By skipping your daily meat one day a week you could save some pennies as meat free alternatives are noticeably cheaper – an ideal time to save money with the festive season ahead.
And of course there are the animals to consider as well.

With all that in mind, I checked out the McCartney’s website and my meat free Monday began.

My meals today were far from inventive but were more quick and easy due to being back at work after a week off and a training session to cram in – but I’m looking forward to trying out some new and exciting recipes, many of which can be found on the website, next week.

So today, I had:
Breakfast: Porridge with blueberries
Morning snack: banana and raisins
Lunch: Cottage cheese salad
Afternoon snack: carrot sticks and rice pudding
Dinner: Spinach, mushroom and tomato omelette with vegetables

The recipe I’m going to be trying next week is Deep Dark Black Bean Soup. Check it out here and I’ll post how I got on with making it next week.

Have you tried meat free Monday? Have you felt any health/bank balance benefits? Comment below and let me know 🙂

Turkey and apricot burgers

Posted in Uncategorized by

If you’re caving a burger but looking for a healthier alternative then this tasty creation is perfect.  

Lean turkey mince is lower in saturated fat than beef mince but still makes a proper burger and teamed with these ingredients it’s packed full of flavour.

You will need:

–          500g lean turkey mince

–          2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

–          1 red onion, finely chopped

–          1 pepper, finely chopped

–          Ginger

–          Coriander

–          250g pack of soft apricots, finely chopped

–          Black pepper to season

–          Oil for brushing

Ingredients for turkey and apricot burgers

Ingredients for turkey and apricot burgers

To make:

–          These burgers could not be easier to make – you basically put all of the ingredients, except for the oil, in to a big bowl before mixing together.

–          It’s easiest to mix it all together with your hands to really make sure it’s combined.

–          Make six burgers before brushing with oil and putting under the grill.

–          Cook for 6-8 minutes on each side until they are thoroughly cooked and the meat is no longer pink.

Ready to go under the grill

Ready to go under the grill

They really are that simple. I served mine with roasted vegetables but they would be great served in a toasted wholemeal pitta with salad for lunch as well.

Enjoy.

Tastier then they look - I promise!

Tastier then they look – I promise!

Sweet potato and chorizo soup

Posted in Recipes by

Sweet potato and chorizo are two of my favourite things so I was excited to try out a recipe with the two combined.

If you’re looking for a quick, nutritious tea then this dish is perfect. I know chorizo is not the healthiest of meats to add to a soup but it gives the dish an abudance of flavour and also makes it a perfect treat meal without being too guilty.

Here’s the recipe for sweet potato and chorizo soup which I made earlier this week and it was truly delicious and very simple to make.

What you need:
– Vegetable oil
– 2 large sweet potato
– four garlic cloves
– seasoning
– 1 large red onion
– 500g uncooked chorizo
– 750ml chicken stock

What to do:

– Start by chopping the sweet potato and red onion in to large chunks.
– In a pre-heated oven of about 200C put the potato, onion and unpeeled garlic cloves in to a roasting tin, sprinkle the oil over and roast for about 25 minutes until soft.
– Whilst the veg is cooking, cut the chorizo in to chunks and fry off, keeping the juices in the pan to add to the soup later.
– When the veg is cooked, peel the garlic and add it all to a pan.
– Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil before simmering for a couple of minutes.
– Blend (depending on how chunky or smooth you like your soup.
– Add the chorizo and the juices and simmer for a further five minutes.
– Season with pepper and you’re good to go.
Enjoy 🙂

soup