Beetroot Hoummus - Detox 2013

• 2 tins of chickpeas - drained and washed under cold water
• cloves
• garlic - roughly chopped
• zest and juice of a lemon
• 100 ml olive oil
• 2 cooked and peeled beetroots
• salt/pepper
• 1 Tbs tahini

Blitz all ingredients bar the olive oil in a processer until you have made a thick paste, then drizzle in the olive oil and blitz again. 

Low Carb Beef Stew

Low Carb 

Beef and Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

2 Tb. oil
 
2.5 lbs. beef chuck, cut into ¾ inch cubes
 
1 onion, chopped
 
3 garlic cloves, minced

4 carrots, sliced

3 large celery stalks, sliced

1 ½ cup dried green or brown lentils

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

6 cups beef stock

1 cup dry red wine

3 bay leaves

1 Tb. dried thyme

Pinch of cayenne pepper

3 Tb. fresh chopped tarragon

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes, then add the beef and garlic.

Brown the meat, stirring regularly, for 5-10 minutes.

Add the carrots, celery, lentils, tomatoes, beef stock, wine, bay leaves, thyme, 1 tsp. salt and cayenne pepper.

Bring to a boil, COVER, then reduce heat and simmer for about 45-60 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Stir in the tarragon. Then taste for salt and pepper. *The key here is to use a pot with a heavy lid, otherwise you may have to cook it longer for the meat to tenderize.

Detox 2013 - Ginger Apple Smoothie

Ginger Apple Smoothie 

Ingredients:

1 apple, cored, peeled and sliced

1 lemon, peeled and seeded

1/2 cup filtered water

1/2 cup ice

1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and crushed.

Detox 2013 - Jazzy Water

Bored of water but resolved to drink more in the New Year as part of your detox plan? 

Try jazzing it up.

Ingredients:

2 lemons

1/2 cucumber

10-12 mint leaves

3 quarts water

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Chill Time: Overnight or 8 hours 

Yields: 10-12 glasses

Method:

1. Slice cucumber and lemons. Place in the bottom of the pitcher. Toss in mint leaves. Add water

2. Chill overnight or for at least 8 hours

Mackerel Pate

(serves 4-6)

2-3 medium smoked mackerel, bones and skin removed ( I used 280g from Sainsbury’s!)

1 lemon, skin and pips removed

1 small carton cottage lowest fat cheese with chives (or whatever you fancy)

few squirts lime juice or half a fresh lime

black pepper

1. Put everything into a blender and blend for around a minute, until well combined and of desired consistency.

I promise you won't taste the cottage cheese !

White Hot Chocolate

White Hot Chocolate (4 large mugs)

85g finely chopped white chocolate 

150 ml double cream 

850 ml whole milk 

Half teaspoon vanilla extract.

Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, and set aside. Combine the cream and milk in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Heat just until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan; do not boil. Pour the hot liquid over the white chocolate. Let sit for about 30 to 60 seconds, then stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the vanilla, then whisk vigorously until a light foam forms on the surface of the liquid. Pour into heated cups, and garnish with chocolate-covered marshmallows or a peppermint stick. Serve immediately.

Apple Crisps

Healthy Canapes for New Years Eve & Christmas Parties

Slice apple as thinly as possible, sprinkle with lemon juice, a little sweetener or a tiny bit of sugar, and cinnamon, and bake.

Sue’s Super Lamb Shanks

All hail kitchen suppers, with a low level of finesse, a high comfort food factor, and the added bonus of knowing you can put the meal to cook on a slow, low heat and go to the pub for an hour or two.

There’s hundreds of recipes for cooking Lamb Shanks, and I blatantly steal this from my Sister in Law, Sue (a very fine cook), who tells me that she stole it from somewhere else, who probably stole it from an aunt, who found it in a classic cookery book; such is the way with the recipe merry-go-round.

We all acknowledge that Lamb Shanks in Red Wine is a classic, and I tend to tow the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” line with a traditional favourite. This is my preferred method of preparation and ingredients, because it’s incredibly tasty, homely and practically impossible to mess up. You don’t need much more than a mound of fluffy, buttery mash and a few vegetables to contribute to your “five a day”.

An incredibly versatile meal option, suiting every occasion from a smart dinner party to a casual family supper and it can even be prepared the day before and reheated, making it a great choice for the busy Christmas holidays. You can buy the shanks fairly cheaply, even frozen if you so wish, although for entertaining, great quality meat cannot be bettered and the local farm shop, a superior Butcher or the super new Whole Food’s emporium in Cheltenham would be my supplier of choice.

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks

4 tablespoons flour, well seasoned

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 carrots, chunked

2 onions, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

500 ml of hearty red wine

250 ml lamb stock

4 chopped anchovy fillets

5 medium sized tomatoes, quartered

1 tablespoon of dried Herbes de Provence

4 sprigs of rosemary

1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly

Salt & Pepper

Method

Using a large cast iron pot (Le Crueset or similar) coat the shanks in seasoned flour, and sear in half of the oil until browned. Remove the shanks and set aside. Top the pot up with oil and add the garlic, onions and carrots, and sauté for five minutes on a low to medium heat, then add the tomatoes, wine and the lamb, and bump up the heat until boiling point. Then add stock, herbs and anchovies and season. Pop a lid on the pot and cook in the oven for about 2.5 hours at around 160C.

Now if there’s any red wine left, go pour yourself a supersized glass. If not, open another bottle.