Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I love Gnocchi, those gorgeous pillowy potato dumplings Italy made famous! They are so versatile and a fantastic change from regular pasta every once in a while. You would be surprised how simple it is to make your own. Plus making your own has the added benefit of no preservative or additives. Just a few simply ingredients and you are done!

Ever the health conscious, well I like to do a little balancing act of 20% bold awesome treats, and 80% sinless tasty meals; I've decided to make gnocchi even healthier. Normally made with white potatoes and white flour, I'm mixing things up a bit using whole wheat flour, and sweet potatoes instead. I love how by making little grooves in the gnocchi, your sauce sticks to them, making for a very tasty vegetarian meal. I like to go meat free on a Monday after maybe over eating at the weekends. This is the perfect antidote to a weekend of over indulging, but still packed with goodness and flavour!

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 2/3 tbsp of olive oil, extra virgin
• Salt & pepper
• The sauce of your choice,  My Parsley Pesto, is a particular favorite

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, and bake the sweet potatoes for 50 minutes. If you are short on time, prick each sweet potato many times, wrap in kitchen paper and microwave for 6-7 minutes.
2. Once baked, slice the potatoes in half and scoop out the soft potato, discard the skins. Allow to cool. 
3. Add salt, pepper and the oil, and mash the potatoes well.
4. Add the flour to the mashed potato and knead to a well formed dough, add more oil if too dry or more flour if too wet.
5. Dust your work surface with flour and turn out the dough, giving it a brief knead. 
6. Roll the dough out to a sausage rope.
7. Cut the rope into 1 inch intervals.
8. Using a wet fork, stamp each gnocchi, to give a slight indent.
9. Place a pan of water on to boil with a generous pinch of salt.
10. Drop the gnocchi into the water and cool for a couple of minutes. When they float, they are cooked.
11. Stir through your sauce/pesto of choice and enjoy.

Kale & Cashew Pesto

I'm a huge pesto fan! I find it to be such a diverse ingredient in the kitchen, pairing it with pasta, potatoes, dressings, salads, stews, roasts and bakes; I always have one type or another lurking a kilner jar in the fridge. This is not the first pesto recipe I've blogged! Check out the following link for my previous pestos:

Basil & Almond Pesto
Parsley, Chilli, & Garlic Pesto
Rocket Pesto

You may notice in each of those pesto recipes I have left out the Parmesan cheese component, and this recipe is no different. This makes the pestos vegan friendly.I adore Parmesan cheese, but my husband is not a fan, so I've learnt to exclude it.

I've upped the super powers though for this particular pesto, Kale & Cashew nut. You can't get healthier than Kale, and it's currently enjoying a moment as THEE go to super  food. This is a super clean guilt free pesto that is packed full of nutrients. The cashews also really help bring a creaminess to the final pesto!

My fussy little three year old would live on pesto pasta given the chance, so this was the perfect way to sneak some kale into her diet. While she didn't take kindly  to the change in taste in the first bite or two of her 'usual' pasta. By the end of the meal she had a happy belly and a happy mommy!! If it passed the Aoife Test, then it will please the very fussiest of little eaters!

Ingredients

• 50g of raw cashew nuts
• 1 large handful of chopped kale leaves (no stalks)
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• Juice of a lemon
• 3 tbsp of flat leaf parsley

Method

1. Simply place all ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the desired constituency. I like to stop just before it gets 100% smooth, for a little bit of texture. 
2. Store in a kilner jar, or similar, with a layer of oil on the top to preserve the pesto.

I also spread this on some salmon fillets, then baked as normal in the oven, it was really tasty.

Roast Squash & Goats Cheese Quinoa Pizza - A Pizza Not Just for Weekends

Big big fan of pizza,who isn't?, well except my daughter (THE fussiest toddler on the planet) But it's usually keep for weekends as I'm thinking of the fat, calories and carbs!!! But then the other day I was reading my new Donna Hay book, Fresh and Light, where a quinoa crust tart was featured, so I got to googling quinoa pizza. I was thinking, if a tart base can be made from quinoa, then surely a pizza base can be fashioned in relatively the same manner.

I stumbled across a website called Simply Quinoa, and I was blown away by the variety of recipes on the website, all of which contain quinoa. If you are a fan of quinoa or looking for some ideas to replace your carbs with quinoa, then I suggest you check out the website. I'm highly impressed!!!

It's from Simply Quinoa that I got the recipe for my pizza base. I did use red quinoa (though apparently white quinoa is better), as this was all I had in the house at the time, but it worked out brillantly. I've used gluten free pizza bases in the past, and most are disgusting. I was very skeptical of the result in using quinoa would have on the finished product, but I needn't have worried. I kept saying to my husband 'wow,wow, I can't believe it' as I was eating the pizza. What's more,Alan (fearer of all that is alternative and healthy) agreed it was pretty tasty.

So here is the recipe as taken from Simply Quinoa for the basic base Simply Quinoa's Ultimate-quinoa-pizza-crust/

Serves 2 (or Serena)

Ingredients

For the Pizza crust

• 3/4 cup of quinoa, soaked for 6-8 hours
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil

For the pizza topping

• 1 tbsp of passata
• Roasted cubes of butternut squash
• 50g soft goats cheese
• 1 tbsp grated mozzarella
•  1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp  black pepper
• Pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 1 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees and lay oiled baking paper on a baking tray.
2. Rinse the quinoa and put in a blender along with the other ingredients. I used my Nutri Ninja, making it the work of mere moments. The mixture is like a pancake batter.
3. Pour the batter out onto the baking paper trying to keep a circle shape.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn it over and bake for a further 15 minutes.
5. Spread the tomato sauce over the base and scatter the toppings over the sauce. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the pizza is ready. Then enjoy.

You can use any ingredients once your pizza base is made, everyone has their one favorite pizza toppings. 

I'm even thinking that this crust would also work as well sweet as it does savory, so watch out for my quinoa apple tart or a nutella smore pizza!!!!

Nigella's Italian Steak n' Chips - A New Take on a Classic

In my hungover state yesterday I found myself indulging in my ultimate guilty pleasure - watching hours of the Food Network. I love Nigella Lawson, so I  was delighted with a double bill of Nigellisima. In the episode I watched, she made Tagliata and Tuscan Fries. I was positively drooling. And knew that that would be the hangover cure meal for the coming evening, So I pulled out my Nigellisima book and sent my husband off to the shops to get the ingredients.

This is her Italian take on steak and chips, and I'm completely converted and actually very excited to recreate it again next weekend for our Valentine's dinner. I do not have a deep fryer, so I opted for her style of making the chips in a pan with hot oil. I was absolutely terrified making the chips as I can be quiet clumsy in the kitchen and it requires the utmost concentration, so as not to scald yourself. But it is most definitely worth it. Though in hindsight, with a crazy hangover and a hyper toddler running around the kitchen, it was a bold choice.

The idea of marinating the steaks after cooking is sheer brilliance, resulting in an extremely tasty steak, full of flavour and punch. In  Nigella's book, she states that one steak is plenty for two people. In fact stating this is a wonderful way of stretching a steak to two people. Now if Nigella tells you something is enough, then I should have believed her. Greedy guts here cooked two steaks (it would have certainly done four people at a dinner party).  In saying that, me and my husband had no trouble eating everything.

I didn't have the herbs she called for in the Tuscan Fries recipe, but I substituted the sage with basil, and it worked really well, especially seeing as this is an Italian recipe anyway.

With Valentines approaching, this is a stunning elegant steak and chips recipe to make for that someone special.

Serves - 2 greedies/4 adults

Ingredients

For the steak

• 1/2 tsp of dried chili flakes
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• 2 tsp of red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp of black pepper
• 1 tsp of sea salt
• 2 sirloin steaks

For the chips

• 4 large rooster potatoes, skins on and cut into thin chips
• 2 litres of vegetable oil
• 4 cloves of garlic in skins
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 4-5 fresh basil leaves

To serve

5-6 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 bag of rocket (or designer leaves as Nigella would say)

Method

1. Start by putting the chips in a deep pan of oil, cold oil. Turn the heat up high and cook for 15 minutes. using a tongs and oven glove to stir every so often. Some of the chips will stick to the bottom of the pan. Stir frequently so you don't loose too many to this fate.
2. After 15 minutes, carefully drop in the garlic and herbs and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so. The chips tend to float to the top with cooked. Try to get a really brown crispy finish.
3. Transfer the chips to a warm oven to keep hot while you cook the steaks. The steaks go cold quickly so that's why I suggest making the chips first and keep warm. As trying to keep the steaks warm whilst trying to wait for the chips to cook, will only result in an over cooked steak.
4. Heat a grill pan until searing hot.
5. Combine all the steak ingredients, except the steaks, in a shallow baking dish.
6. Lightly oil the steaks and sear in the pan, 2 minutes a side. The steak will be rare but this is what we want. 
7. Transfer the steaks to the baking dish with the marinade and let them rest for 2 minutes a side in the marinade.
8. Remove the steaks to a board and slice very thinly on the diagonal. Meanwhile, put the cherry tomatoes, cut side down. in the marinade and stir them around a bit.
9. To serve, scatter a serving dish with the rocket. And randomly scatter the slices of steak over the rocket, along with the cherry tomatoes. Pour the remaining marinade over the dish, not wasting a drop of flavour.
10. Serve with the crispy Tuscan fries.

Tip for the Fries: Chips in my opinion cannot be eaten without salt and vinegar. For these chips, I recommend coarse salt and balsamic vinegar. Delish!!!!!!

Thank you Nigella, as always, you rock!!

Parsley, Chilli & Garlic Pesto

I've never been a fan of store bought jars of pesto and sauces. I'm  very conscious of additives and sugars in processed food, and I always like to know exactly what I'm eating. It is for this reason I like to make my own sauces and pesto. I normally just make a bog standard basil pesto (excluding the cheese), but last week I decided to make some pesto with a bit of a twist. I've used parsley instead of basil, and blanched almonds instead of pine nuts. I've also upped the 'kick' of the pesto with a deseeded whole red chilli and a large clove of garlic.  I prefer my pesto pulsed rather than blitzed smooth, the texture adds much more to a dish.

I find that this pesto lasts up to two weeks in the fridge, and it's not only good with plain pasta, I used it last week to pimp up a roast chicken,brushing the pesto all over the chicken before roasting in the oven, and the  other day I brushed it over some thick cod fillets before baking in the oven. Today I'm using it as a sauce for my homemade wholewheat sweet potato gnocchi. There are so many more possibilities with this pesto, I find myself reaching for it in the fridge time and time again.

Ingredients

• I bag of flat leaf parsley
• 1 fat garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
• 100g of blanched almonds
• Salt & pepper
• Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
• Extra Vigin olive oil, approx 100mls (add more if you want a 'wetter' pesto)

Method

1. Simply add all the above ingredients to a mini food blender and pulsed until you get your own desired consistency. Add more oil if you wish.;
2. Store in a sterilized container or jar.

Tomato Baked Orzo

I've taken a time out from the blog for last two months, a little maternity break, as we welcomed a new addition to our family on Sept 2nd. We now have a gorgeous baby boy called Fionn!! I took the break as time is precious with a newborn, plus I also have my little two year old angel Aoife to consider. So whilst getting used to the lack of sleep and the little time to prepare meals, I had made a decision not to let the blog, diet, exercise;or lack thereof all 3, bother me. Instead I've been getting to know my new little man and sleeping when he's sleeping (only when Aoife is sleeping too which is not too often). So basically, I have my hands full.

Fionn is six weeks old already, so hard to believe. We have been living in our own little bubble since his arrival. He's getting so big and alert and already outgrown 2 sizes in baby wear. The six week milestone is a big one for him, he can now focus on us and he's smiling a lot, which melts my heart!!!

But the six week milestone is also important for me. It marks the beginning of me getting back on track, with diet, exercise, and a few sneaky blog posts (when time allows).

I mentioned diet!!! I'm on a mission to loose the baby weight, or at least most of it in time for Christmas.  This will involve, a lot of exercise, mainly walking with the double buggy and my Kayla Itsines 12 Week BBG.

As today is a Monday, I have decided to start the week with a meat free Monday recipe. I'm making enough for 2-3 meals. It's all about batch cooking these days for us. I'm easing myself into the diet so the first recipe is a pasta style dish.

Orzo pasta is a Greek pasta, which resembled rice, but tastes like pasta. If you can get wholemeal, please do, though it is difficult to find. This dish is packed full of flavour, veggies and herbs. It's all made in one pan, making it a true one pot wonder. By baking the dish in the oven, it intensifies the flavours.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 500g passata
• 150g orzo pasta
• 1 tsp Italian herbs
• 1/2 diced red onion
• 1/4 red pepper, diced
• 1/4 yellow pepper, diced
• 1/4 green pepper, diced
• 5-6 mushrooms, diced
• 2 tbsp of chopped mixed herbs (flat leaf parsley, basil, & mint for example)
• 6-7 olives
• 2 tomatoes, sliced thinly
• 100ml of stock
• Salk & Pepper
• 2 tbsp of olive oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. In an oven proof dish, add the oil and onions and saute for a minute.
3. Add the dried herbs, peppers, mushrooms and orzo.
4. Saute for a few minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients, except for the tomato slices.
5. Place the tomato slices on top of the stew like mixture and place the dish into the oven for 40-50 minutes until, all the liquid has been absorbed. 

Tip: I'm serving mine with a green salad, but to make the dish even tastier, you could add slices of mozzarella on the top of the dish before placing it into the oven.

Asparagus, Feta & Serrano Pizza - A Shortcut to a Deluxe Pizza

Friday nights in our house is nearly always Pizza Night. But after a long week at work, sometimes making my own pizza dough is too laborious even for me. 

Thankfully there are some good quality shop bought pizza dough out there now which take all the hard work out of home made pizzas. Tonight was such a night when the efforts of homemade pizza dough was beyond me. Luckily I had a Jus-Rol pizza dough hidden in the fridge for such a dilemma. 

Ingredients

• 1 good quality ready made pizza dough
• 2 tbsp of tomato sauce
• 4 asparagus spears, ends removed
• 50g of fresh mozzarella 
• 50g of feta cheese
• 3 tbsp of carmelised onion relish
• Pepper
• 3 slices of Serrano ham
• 2 fresh basil leaves
• 1 wedge of lemon
• Balsamic glaze

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Lay the pizza dough on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.
3. Spread the tomato sauce over the pizza dough.
4. Scatter the cheeses over the pizza and lay the asparagus spears over the cheese.
5. Dot the relish in between the spears of asparagus and liberally grind black pepper over the pizza.
6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
7. Divide the Serrano ham over the cooked pizza and scatter with some freshly torn basil.
8. Serve with the lemon wedge and drizzle over the balsamic glaze.