Quick & Easy Mushroom & Sweetcorn Pancakes

Stuffed pancakes make a quick and easy supper. I make a batch of pancakes and freeze the ones I don't use (I roll them up in pairs separated by a piece of baking parchment and out them in a freezer bag). The stuffing is really quick to make so you can rustle up a supper in about 25 minutes. Using soya milk makes the pancakes less calorific and more nutritious than using milk.

Recipe (Makes 8 Pancakes)

Pancake batter

100g Plain Flour

2 Medium Eggs

1 dsp Olive Oil

200ml Soya milk

Pancake Stuffing

200g Sliced mushrooms

1 med Sliced/diced onion

80g Tinned sweetcorn

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 dsp Bouillon powder

2 dsp Corn Flour

1 tbspn Parmesan cheese

Method

Beat pancake batter ingredients together in a bowl. Fry each pancake in a dry non-stick pan until just brown on each side. Fry the mushrooms and onions in the remaining olive oil, add the bouillon and enough water to cover the vegetables. Add the sweetcorn and thicken with the cornflour. Put 2 spoonfuls of the stuffing into each pancake and fold into square parcels. Place the parcels folded side down on a non stick baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little parmesan and bake for 15 mins at 150 deg C. Finish under a grill to brown. For more flavour and few extra calories, serve some of the stuffing mix on the side.

Nutritional Information (Per pancake)

Calories 155

Total Fat 10.9g

Sat Fat 1.9g

Poly Fat 0.4g

Mono Fat 2.8g

Total Carbs 15.9g

Fibre 1.1g

Protein 5.9g 

Quick Low Cal Chocolate Pots (60 Cals)

I felt like a bit of a treat last night, and thought that a chocolate pudding would fit the bill. These little chocolate pots are pretty good, considering they are only 60 cals each; and they're really quick and easy to make.  I'll put a picture up next time I do them

Recipe (Makes 2 Desserts)

2 dsp Options Chocolate Drink

2 tbsp Instant Coffee

30g Cornflour (about 1-1/2 dsp)

Method

Add the chocolate and coffee to a pan with about 150ml water. How much water you add is a matter of preference, I prefer them smaller and more chocolatey. Gently bring to a simmer then take off the heat. Gradually add the cornflour to thicken and return to a very low heat stirring all the time. Simmer for 30 secs, pour into small mugs or ramekins.

If you have a few cals spare then why not a 1/2 tsp grated 70% chocolate (15 cals) or 1/2 tsp caster sugar and then flash over it with a blow torch to make a brulee topping (10 cals).

Nutritional Information (Per pot)

Calories 60

Total Fat 1.0g

Sat Fat 0.6g

Total Carbs 10.4g

Fibre 2.0g

Protein 1.8g

Home-made Sausages/Burgers (50 cals each)

Sausages & Sprouted Chickpea Salad 

When I make risotto. I often make an extra portion which I can then use to make these delicious sausages or burgers – depending on my preference for shape. 

Recipe (Makes 12 sausages)

1 portion Left-over risotto (Mushroom or other)

1 slice Wholemeal toast

1 Large whole egg

1tsp Grain Mustard

1tbsp Soy Sauce

2tbsp Flour

Method

Break the toast into small pieces and blend in a food processor, add the egg and continue to mix. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the flour) and process until they reach your preferred consistency – I prefer them to keep a bit of texture. Dust your hands with a little flour and form a roll or burger shape. Fry in a little oil turning until all sides are crisp and brown. Put in a pre-heated oven at 200 deg C for 15 mins.

Nutritional Information (Per sausage)

Calories 50

Total Fat 5.6g

Sat Fat 1.8g

Poly Fat 0.4g

Mono Fat 2.5g

Total Carbs 16.9g

Fibre 3.0g

Protein 5.4g

Sprouted Chickpea Hummus

Hummus, Salad, & Flatbread (about 200 cal)

Home-made hummus is really good – quick to make but heavy on the calories due to it's high oil content. This is a great version using sprouted chickpeas and no oil. It has a pleasant nutty flavour and the lemon is more noticeable than in regular hummus. I took this pic on a non-fast day, and you will see it includes 1/2 an avocado which is about 160 cals on its own. 

Recipe (4 servings)

100g Chickpeas - sprouted

Juice 1-1/2 lemons

4 Cloves Garlic

2 tbsp Tahini

1 tbsp Toasted Sunflower Seeds

0.5 tsp Paprika

0.25 tsp Cumin

Method

Blanch chick peas in boiling water for one minute. Blitz all of the ingredient in a food processor, add small amount of water to bring to preferred consistency; salt & pepper to taste.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

Calories 97.0

Total Fat 5.0g

Total Carbs 10.0g

Fibre 29.0g

Protein 9.1g

Vitamin A 2.1%

Calcium 2.6%

Iron 4% 

Home-made flatbreads

These flatbreads are quick and easy to make, and when served immediately are much better than shop bought pittas and flatbreads. They are good with my sprouted chickpea hummus.

Recipe (Makes 6 flatbreads)

100g Spelt flour + 25g for rolling

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Method

Mix the flour and oil in a bowl, add water to make a loose dough. Knead for a couple of minutes to make it stretchy. Spelt flour doesn't require much kneading. Divide into 6 equal balls and roll out as thin as you can. Heat a dry non-stick frying pan, cook each flatbread for a minute or two, when it starts to puff up turn it over and cook for another minute.  As an option use 2/3 spelt flour and 1/3 rye flour. 

Nutritional Information (Per flatbread)

Calories 75

Total Fat 2.0g

Total Carbs 12.0g

Fibre 1.3g

Protein 2.1g 

Vegetarian Chilli-non-Carne

Here's a quick and easy vegetarian chilli. It makes a huge quantity, so you can freeze the leftovers for another day. It's around 210 cals per serving.

Ingredients (Makes 3 Servings)

150g Quorn Mince (half a bag)

1 Cup Celery sticks chopped

1 Medium Onion chopped

200g Button Mushrooms sliced

1 tin Red Kidney Beans (well rinsed)

1 tin Plum Tomatoes

1 dsp Bouillon Powder

100ml Water

1 tsp Chilli powder/flakes

Dash Mushroom Ketchup

Method

Simmer all the fresh vegetables and the tinned tomatoes and stock until the veg start to soften and the sauce thickens. Add the Quorn mince and kidney beans and cook for a further 5-10 minutes with a lid on the pan.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

Calories   212

Total Fat   3.3g

Cholesterol   0.0mg

Total Carbs   29g

Fibre   11g

Sugars   14g

Protein    18g

How to Make Tofu Taste Good

Chilli Marinated Tofu with Salad

Fast day today. The two most things for me to achieve on fast day are:-

1. To feel full and satisfied after a meal – I can't bear eating and then I'm still hungry at the end of it, and
2. To maintain that feeling of having my appetite satisfied for as long as possible.

The first goal can be achieved through eating a large quantity of food, and I normally manage this by making a large salad with a couple of raw carrots, some celery and other veg to provide lots of slowly digested plant fibre. The second goal requires a good dollop of protein, which is harder when you're not eating animal protein.

I've tried tofu several times, but usually hate it because it is so bland and boring. The best recipes I've tried call for it to be marinated and then fried – which is a problem on fast days because if I use enough oil to fry then I won't have left in my calorie allowance for enough protein to keep my appetite satisfied for very long. So the challenge is, how to make tofu tasty without piling on the calories?

Well, I've found the answer, and it's dead easy. Slice a block of tofu into 2 thick slices – like a sandwich. Marinate the slices in a polythene bag with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 de-seeded red chilli, and a couple of centimetres of grated ginger. Leave for at least 4 hours. Fry on a dry non-stick (really hot) griddle pan for 2-3 mins each side. Eat with salad. It works out at about 98 calories per slice and it actually tastes good.

Lunchtime Salad

My lunch on fasting days has to fulfil lots of competing needs. It needs to be quick to prepare, and portable in case I need to go out. It must be really tasty and it has to be fulfilling. I need to feel as if I have eaten at the end of the meal, and that sense of satisfaction must last through until dinner time. I'm learning that a salad based around pulses meets these objectives. The pulses provide protein, which means I will feel full for a longer period of time. (I know this because if I skip on protein and have a vegetable soup then I get really hungry later and and I get ratty as well!) As with all dishes, I'm looking for a balance of flavours – sweet/sharp/salt – and of textures – crisp/soft/crunchy. The greater the contrast, the more varied and interesting each mouthful of the salad will taste. A word about salad leaves – I only include leaves if they're worth eating: This recipe uses rocket which is peppery and bitter. Iceburg and round lettuce have no flavour, so for me they don't add anything to a salad.  These quantities make more than I can eat in one sitting, so I can top up later in the day if I need a snack, or finish it with my supper.

Bean & Mangetout Salad (Serves Two)     

240g   Drained and rinsed beans                 

50g   Mangetout, parboiled for 2 mins          

2   Celery sticks chopped                          

12   Cherry tomatoes halved                        

1/2  Cucumber chopped                            

1   Red pepper/capsicum diced                   

1/2  Green pepper/capsicum diced             

50g  Home pickled beetroot                        

1  Apple                                                      

100g  Rocket                                               

Dressing:  Juice of 1 lemon with 1 tbsp soy                

Method

Mix all the ingredients except for the leaves, and dress with the lemon juice and soy sauce. When serving, put a few leaves in the bottom of a bowl and cover with the salad. Beans and pulses differ in their calorific value – as a guide you're looking for about 100 cals per 100g. At 40 cals per serving the apple is a bit of a luxury, but having something sweet really improves the eating.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

Calories 240

Total Fat 3.0g

Sat Fat 0.5g

Cholesterol 0.0mg

Total Carbs 44.5g

Fibre 11.2g

Sugars 12.9g

Protein 11.7g

Low Cal Quorn Cottage Pie

I've replaced the high cal ingredients of a traditional cottage pie to create this low-cal version, which works out at 205 cals per serving.

Ingredients (Serves Two People)

150g Quorn Mince (half a bag)

2 Medium carrots roughly chopped

3 Celery sticks chopped

1 Medium Onion chopped

200g Button Mushrooms sliced

90g Small baking potato sliced wafer thin

1tbsp Bouillon Powder

100ml Water

Dash Soy sauce & Worcestershire sauce

Method

Simmer all the vegetables (except the potato) in the stock until they start to soften. Add the Quorn mince and put into an oven-proof dish, spread to thin discs of potato over the top of the vegetables, and press down with the back of a spoon. Top up with water to cover the potato. Cook for 25-30 mins until the potato layer is cooked and brown under a grill if necessary.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

Calories 205

Total Fat 2.1g

Sat Fat 0.5g

Cholesterol 0.0mg

Total Carbs 29.4g

Fibre 9.6g

Sugars 8.8g

Protein 15.2g

Home Made Rye Crackers/Crispbread

I'm not going to make it on this diet if I have to snack on Rice Cakes.  They are basically rubbish commercial food (IMHO), and I must be able to do better.  I want a snack/biscuit/crispbread that is nutritious and that tastes good, so I've been looking around for recipes and I've had a go.  I've got to say this is a big improvement on bought crackers and crispbreads (except maybe for Dr Karg's -- but that costs a fortune).

Home Made Crispbread

This recipe is for 24 crispbreads or 96 crackers, depending what size you cut them into. They are quick and easy to make and totally delicious.  They aren't low-calorie, they're about 64 calories per crispbread -- but that's less than a slice of bread, and the rye flour seems to make them more satisfying.  Perhaps I'll experiment with a lower fat version in the future.

Ingredients

50ml Pumpkin seeds

50ml Sunflower seeds

50ml Golden Linseed

50ml Sunflower Oil

150ml Rye Flour

200ml White Spelt Flour

200ml Water

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

Method

Preheat oven to 200 deg C. Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl, add the oil and most of the water, mix to a loose dough . Continue adding water until it is loose enough to be able to be easy to mould with your hands, but not sticky.  Rest it for 15 mins so that the water gets completely absorbed -- this will allow the dough to become more elastic. 

Line the bottom of a baking sheet with parchment, spread the mixture onto the parchment, cover with a second layer of baking parchment. Press/spread/roll the dough with hands or a small rolling pin to form a thin even layer. Remove the top layer of parchment and tidy up the edges and corners. Score into rectangles with a knife.

Put tray into upper part of oven, after about 10 mins remove the tray and score the crispbreads right through. Place back into oven and keep checking/watching every couple of minutes. After the crackers are cooked, and before they are fully browned I move them onto a rack in the bottom of the oven and leave them there to brown (each cracker will brown at a slightly different time depending its thickness). Remove the browned crackers at set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container.

These quantities are enough to make a tray and a half on my 28x42cm baking tray.

Nutritional Information (Per Crispbread)

Calories 63.1