Slow Cooker Beef & Vegetable Recipe

Slow Cooker Beef & Vegetable Recipe

The other week I finally took the plunge and got my hands on a slow cooker.. I'd heard great things about slow cookers and was drawn in by the promise of healthy, easy and hearty meals (in just one pot!). The recipe that I have for you today was inspired by one that I saw on a YouTube video. The end result was delicious and as such I cannot recommend slow cookers enough. Today's recipe uses beef.. beef is not only a great source of protein but is rich in iron (needed for oxygen to be transported around the body - a lack of energy can be a sign of iron deficiency), zinc (for your immune system) and B vitamins (to maintain a variety of healthy bodily functions).

 

Here are the ingredients that I used..

 

700g beef (I used diced casserole beef and removed any visible fat)

1/3 cup flour (enough to coat the meat with a thin layer)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large spring onions

5 carrots

4 large mushrooms

1 tsp garlic granules

1/3 cup (80ml) tomato puree

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup (125 ml) red wine

2 tablespoons of thyme

Salt & pepper to season

And here's what to do..

 

1) Coat the beef pieces in the flour, shaking off any excess and pop the meat into your slow cooker over your hob or frying pan if you have a conduction hob like me with the oil - lightly fry the beef pieces until brown all over and put to one side
2) Add your chopped veg to the pan and fry until softened
3) Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, red wine, garlic and thyme and cook for 3-4 mins until softened
4) Add the beef back in to the pan and mix well
5) Add your beef mix to your slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on high, 4-6 hours on medium or 6-8 hours low.. then season with salt and pepper.

This recipe served 4 hungry mouths and I served it with a side of basmati (low GI) rice.. additional spinach and crusty bread is optional :)

What are your favourite healthy slow cooker recipes?!

 

Happy Cooking!

 

Nic x

*This blog post had been kindly sponsored by XLS Medical.

Aphrodisiac Valentines Day Menu Healthy Recipes & Giveaway!

Aphrodisiac Valentines Day Menu Healthy Recipes & Giveaway!

With Valentine's Day just around the corner I wanted to share with you my super sensual Valentine's Day menu and recipes that will guarantee to impress any girlfriend, boyfriend, husband or wife! Each meal contains an abundance of aphrodisiac foods to get you in the mood - from suggestive colours and shapes to foods that cause physical reactions inside the body!

I also have a love-themed giveaway for you curtsy of an amazing gift company called Just Mustard.. just click the link below to watch my Valentine's Day Menu Video, subscribe and comment to enter! - The giveaway will close Tuesday 12th Feb .. good luck!

 

[To Enter the Giveaway - Click Here]

  

 

Breakfast: Wholegrain toast topped with tomato puree & a heart-shaped boiled egg

Lunch: Serve an avocado & rocket salad topped with pine-nuts (goes great in a sandwich too!)

 

 

Snacks: A banana!

Evening Meal: Honey & ginger chicken with asparagus (serve with basmati rice)

Dessert: Pineapple & strawberries covered with dark chocolate!

To make the ginger & honey glazed chicken...

 

You will need..

 

4 chicken breasts

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard

4 tbsp water

2 tsp ground ginger

2 garlic cloves (or 2 tsp of ground ginger)

Black Pepper (to taste)

 

And here's what to do..

 

1) Pan fry the chicken breasts to give colour all over

2) Mix together the dressing ingredients and add to the chicken

3) Mix well and cook for 20-30 mins over a medium heat until the chicken is cooked

 

To make the chocolate covered fruits..

 

You will need..

 

100g dark chocolate

A small punnet of strawberries

A small can of pineapple rings

 

And here's what to do..

 

1) Break the chocolate into chunks and melt in the microwave for a few mins

2) Dip the strawberries into the chocolate and twirl to let the excess chocolate drip off

3) Drain the pineapple rings and dip half of them into the chocolate as above

4) Place the fruits onto a foil covered tray or plate

5) Chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins

Have a great week.everyone.. and Happy Valentine's!

 

Nic x

 

P.S And here's a picture of the prizes up for grabs... click here for the Just Mustard website!

 

Walnut & Oat Vegetarian Moussaka

Walnut & Oat Vegetarian Moussaka

**Meat-free Monday!**

I first tried Moussaka in Greece and fell in love. I then Googled the recipe when I got home and fell out of love rather quickly.. all that butter and cheese.. no wonder it tasted so good! You can imagine my delight though when I came across this amazingly tasty yet healthy moussaka recipe from Mornflake - click [here] .. which used walnuts, oats and aubergines in a dish packed with other vegetables.

Yum!!

 So, if you fancy making this vegetarian moussaka then you will need..

15ml vegetable oil - I used 1 kcal spray oil instead
2 onions, chopped
100g mushrooms, sliced
50g Mornflake Oats
100g walnuts, chopped
50g wholemeal breadcrumbs - I used Mornflake stoneground oats instead
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g can of tomatoes, drained
2 aubergines
For the topping:
1 free-range egg - I used 2
15ml flour - I used 30ml
150ml natural yoghurt - I used 300ml
50g grated cheese - I missed this step!
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

And here's what to do!

First, preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas mark 5 and lightly oil a rectangular ovenproof dish (I sprayed with 1 kcal spray oil)

Then..

1) Slice the aubergines and sprinkle with salt to bring out any bitter juices. Leave for 30 minutes, (before rinsing thoroughly before using later on) ..

2) Heat the oil (I used 1 kcal spray oil) and gently fry the onions for a few minutes until softened but not browned. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute.

2) Add the oats, walnuts and breadcrumbs (I used ground oats instead) to the pan; mix well and season with a little sea salt and plenty of black pepper.

3) Place a third of the aubergines in a layer in the bottom of the dish. Place half the walnut mixture on top and add the tomatoes. (oops I did this other other way around!)



Yummy veg, walnut & oat mixture

4) Add another third of the aubergines, the remaining walnut mixture and the last of the aubergines.



No idea where I read about adding more tomatoes!!



If I made this again I would leave more aubergines for the top!

5) Mix together the ingredients for the topping and spread over the top.

Perhaps doubling the topping mixture was too much .. it looks more like lasagna now!!

6) Cook in the oven for 30 minutes until crisp and golden - if you use cheese it will look more golden than mine!

*YUM*

7) Serve!! I served mine with salad one night and vegetables the next - this really is such a versatile dish.

Let me know if you make this dish too.. and for more healthy recipes check-out my recipes page [here].

Have a great week!

Nic x

Chilli & Peppadew Turkey Burgers

Chilli & Peppadew Turkey Burgers

This recipe is a great twist on the classic burger (which, when made with beef mince is a lot higher in calories and fat too!).. these burgers are really fun to make and taste delicious. You can serve them with as much (or as little) salad as you like in a bread bun of your choice!

So, to make these delicious 'Chilli & Peppadew Turkey Burgers' you will need (serves 3-4):

350g Turkey Mince
60g Peppadew Peppers
4 tbsp of wholemeal breadcrumble (and bread baps to serve)
1 Onion, 1 Chilli
(Salad to Serve)
& for the relish: 4 tbsp of natural yoghurt & 5cm of cucumber

And here's what to do..

1) Place the turkey in a large bowl and mix in the onion, chilli, peppers (chop as finely as you want) and breadcrumbs (season with salt and pepper as desired)..

You may want to chop the vegetables a bit more finely.. depending on how you like them (I like them thicker to add 'crunch' and texture to the burgers)

2) Divide the mixture into 4 and shape each portion into a round measuring 10cm across. Place the burgers on a plate lined with baking paper and leave to chill for 30 minutes..

3) Meanwhile, make the relish.. simply mix the yoghurt and chopped cucumber and chill in the fridge until required.

4) Pre-heat the grill on a medium setting and line a grill rack with baking paper, securing the ends under the rack and place the burgers on top. Cook for 8-10 minutes and then turn over and cook for a further 8-10 minutes until cooked through.

5) Prepare the salad (you may wish to add extra Peppadew Peppers here)..

6) Serve the turkey burgers in a bread bap with salad and relish... and enjoy!

These burgers look and taste great.. Do let me know if you make them yourself! This is my third and final entry to the British Turkey & Peppadew Blogging Competition.. to read more about this click [here].


Nutrition Per Burger (inc. relish & bread bap): 270 kcal, 27g Protein, 30g Carbs, 3g Fat*
 

Nutritional Benefits: Low fat, high protein meat source

For more great tasting, low calorie recipes click [here]

Have a great rest of the week!

Nic x

 

*Nutritional information provided by Firecracker

Orange Turkey Stuffed with Rice & Sweet Peppadews

Orange Turkey Stuffed with Rice & Sweet Peppadews

This dish certainly has the 'wow' factor and is perfect for a special occasion or when you're entertaining.. and it really does taste as good as it looks!

To make this 'Orange Turkey Stuffed with Rice & Sweet Peppadews' dish (sorry for the long title!) you will need (serves 2):

2 Turkey Steaks/Breast
100g Peppadew Peppers
60g Cooked Brown Rice
1 tsp Orange Rind & 450ml Unsweetened Orange Juice
4 Spring Onions
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Fennel Bulb
1 Tbsp Cornflour
(Brocolli to Serve)

And here's what to do:

1) Using a small, sharp knife, make a slit in the centre of each turkey breast to create a pocket & then mix together the rice, orange rind, finely chopped spring onion and half of the Peppadew Peppers (season with salt and pepper).

 2) Press the mixture into the pocket of each turkey steak and press to seal. Then, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the turkey steaks for 5 minutes each side until lightly browned.

3) Add the sliced fennel and orange juice to the pan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes until the meat is cooked through.

4) Add the remaining Peppadew Peppers to warm through..

5) Remove the turkey steaks and stir the cornflour in to the pan.. cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens..

6) Pour the sauce over the turkey steaks, garnish with fennel sprigs and serve with vegetables of your choice (I liked it with broccoli for colour!)

I hope you like the look of this recipe! This is my second entry for the British Turkey & Peppadew Pepper Blogging Competition.. click [here] to find out more!

Nutrition Portion as Pictured: 380 kcal, 28g Protein, 50g Carbs, 8g Fat

 Nutritional Benefits: Lean protein source, high in vitamin C & antioxidants

For more great tasting, low calorie recipes click [here]

 

Nic x

 

*Nutritional information provided by Firecracker

Sweet Peppadew & Turkey Casserole

Sweet Peppadew & Turkey Casserole

This recipe is colourful, tasty and (perhaps most importantly) bursting with nutrients. It's also relatively low in fat, easy to make and is great for all the family.

So, to make this 'Sweet Peppadew & Turkey Casserole' you will need (to serve 4 people):

450g Turkey Thigh (trimmed of any visible fat)
70g Peppadew Peppers
70g Dried Apricots
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon, Coriander & Cumin
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 Red Onion
1 Garlic Clove
400g Chopped Tomatoes & 2tbsp Tomato Puree
300ml Vegetable Stock
(Fresh Coriander to Garnish & Brown Rice to Serve)

And here's what to do:

First, pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C

1) Place the turkey in a mixing bowl and add the spices and oil.. Mix!

2) Cook the turkey in a non-stick frying pan until browned all over, before transferring to an oven-proof casserole dish..

3) In the same frying pan cook the onion (finely chopped), garlic (finely chopped), chopped tomatoes, tomato puree for 5 minutes and then season to taste with salt and pepper..

4) Stir in the Peppadew Peppers, apricots and the stock and bring to the boil..

5) Spoon the sauce over the turkey and mix well. Then cover and cook in the oven for an hour, removing the lid (or foil) for the last 10 minutes.

6) Roughly chop the coriander and sprinkle over the casserole to garnish.. serve with brown rice (my choice), couscous or bulgar wheat..

7) Enjoy!!!

I'm entering this recipe into the British Turkey & Peppadew Peppers Blogging Competition.. you can read more about this by clicking [here].

Nutrition Per Serving (without rice): 230 Kcal, 26g Protein, 22g Carbs, 5g Fat*

Nutritional Benefits: High in protein, low in fat, rich in antioxidants (fruit & veg)

For more great tasting, low calorie recipes click [here]

Nic x

*Nutritional information provided by Firecracker - calculated with 140g apricots and no peppers