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Beetroot Risotto with Feta Cheese

An interesting and delicious vegetarian option just oozing with healthy goodness.

Recipe by Ian Marber "The Food Doctor Diet Club" http://www.thefooddoctor.com/The-Food-Doctor-Diet-Club-Book-PDIETCLUBBK/

Serves 2 as a main meal (despite George's valiant effort, there was some left over for my modest lunch today! I did however use 200g Red Camargue and Wild Rice, and 600ml stock).

INGREDIENTS

500 ml light stock (I use Marigold vegetable bouillon)

150g red or brown rice (red Camargue rice is delicious with this, I use Waitrose Red Camargue & Wild Rice which is deliciously nutty and filling; you will need to cook the rice quite a bit longer than stated in the recipe, and I generally have to add more stock towards the end when the stock has been absorbed but the rice is still hard)

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 stick cinnamon

150 (5 oz) beetroot, rinsed (or use vinegar-free ready-cooked beetroot, much easier. You will find it vacuum-packed near the fresh salad vegetables in the supermarket)

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

100g spinach or chard or kale, coarsely shredded with thick stalks removed

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium head of fennel, trimmed and cut into medium fine slices

2 teaspoons tamarind paste

150 feta cheese, chopped or crumbled (the non weight-conscious can add a bit more)

Green salad ingredients (optional)

METHOD

Bring the stock to the boil and add the rice, garlic and cinnamon.

Simmer gently without a lid until the rice is tender (35 - 55 minutes, depending on the rice used. Add more stock if necessary).

Drain, remove the cinnamon and mash in the garlic.

While the rice is cooking, cook the beetroot; cover with very lightly salted boiling water and simmer until tender, about 30 mins. Once cooked, it will be easy to slip off the skins under cold running water and then top and tail the beetroot.

Heat oven to 200C.

As the rice and beetroot cook, heat a frying pan and lightly toast the caraway seeds.

Remove the seeds and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the frying. Add the shredded spinach or kale and stir-fry gently until the leaves have wilted. (If you have used curly kale, this will take quite a while, stir fry until it is more tender). Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add more oil and cook the onion and fennel until golden brown or tender (tossing from time to time). Stir in the cooked shredded greens, the caraway seeds and tamarind paste. Combine with the rice and beetroot and season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Place the risotto in a shallow baking dish and scatter over the feta cheese.

Slip into a hot oven for 10minutes.

Serve with a green salad.

Hils Comment:
Astonish your veggie friends with this. It is one of The Food Doctor meals that we love even when not weight watching nor feeding vegetarians; it is tasty and filling. I am keen on 'one-pot meals', not only for the great taste but also they seem easier than coordinating several different items.

For those who have tried all the weight-loss diets, and failed at all the weight-loss diets, I can highly recommend The Food Doctor's Diet Club and healthy eating plan. George & I followed it a few years ago with great success, it really does what it says on the tin. To my great astonishment, I might add, as I do not lose weight easily! The ounces came off steadily, and this without feeling hungry or deprived. The recipes and list of ingredients can appear daunting initially, but once you get into it it is really not too difficult. The '10 Principles' of how to eat well for the rest of your life are absolutely sound. Especially Number 8: the 80/20 Rule - stick to the plan for 80% of the time, but allow yourself to stray every now and then (except for the first month when you are re-educating your body and your habits).
http://www.thefooddoctor.com/The-Food-Doctor-Diet-Club-Book-PDIETCLUBBK/

Tomato and avocado salad

INGREDIENTS
1 ripe (but not overripe and going mushy or stringy) avocado
200g halved cherry or baby pomodorino tomatoes (or normal tomatoes cut into quarters or eighths)
Juice of 1/2 a small lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

METHOD
Slice the tomatoes and place in a dish.
Halve the avocado and remove the pip.
Using a knife, cut the avocado into cubes whilst still in the skin, then scoop the diced avocado out with a spoon. Add to tomotoes.
Squeeze over the lemon juice, add the olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Tomato and onion salad

This simple salad is worth learning by heart, as it goes with just about anything you make.
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
3-4 ripe medium-sized tomatoes (or tasty cherry tomatoes, halved)
1/2 a small red onion (normal onion, finely sliced, is fine)
1/2 a small lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
METHOD
Slice the tomatoes, cutting out the green middle if it is tough. Place in a dish. Slice the red onion as finely as you can and scatter over the tomatoes.
Squeeze over the lemon juice, add the olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1137902/Recipe-Tomato-onion-salad.html#ixzz0PZd1d5Rc

Asparagus & salmon supper

A sophisticated salmon dish that's super fast to prepare.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

2 salmon fillets , about 140g/5oz each
100g pack asparagus spears
3 tbsp olive oil
juice half a lemon
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
410g can cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves

METHOD

1. Get a steamer on to boil. Put the salmon fillets in the first tier and steam for 3 mins until the salmon has changed colour. Throw the asparagus spears in with the salmon and continue to steam for 4-5 mins until the asparagus is tender and the fish is cooked.
   
2. While everything's steaming, make a dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice and mustard. Tip the cannellini beans and spinach into a large bowl. When the asparagus is cooked scoop it into the bowl, then stir in the dressing. Divide the vegetables between two plates and sit the salmon on top.

TIPS:

If you don't have a steamer pan
Fry the salmon in a splash of oil for 2-3 mins on each side, or bake it in a lightly oiled oven-proof dish, covered with foil, for about 15 mins at 160C/320F/gas mark 3 .

Plunge the asparagus in a pot of boiling water for 3-4 mins until cooked.

Preparing the asparagus

Remove the woody stem ends before cooking: hold a piece of asparagus at each end, and bend it. It will naturally snap at just the right place. Discard the woody ends, or cook them for the dog!

Per serving
565 kcalories, protein 41g, carbohydrate 25g, fat 32 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 9g, salt 2 g

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1942/asparagus-and-salmon-supper

Hils comment:
Exceptionally quick & easy, looks impressive, and a very healthy option too! It doesn't need any other veg, just serve with one of the following: crusty bread, new potatoes, or a simple salad of thinly sliced tomato and onion or tomato and avocado. It was perfectly adequate on its own though, for George and I last night, followed by Activia strawberry yoghurt; we felt very virtuous!

http://hilsrecipeoftheweek.blogspot.com/2009/08/tomato-and-avocado-salad.html

http://hilsrecipeoftheweek.blogspot.com/2009/08/tomato-and-onion-salad.html

Courgette Tian

Photo John Lawrence

Recipe by Xanthe Clay in Daily Telegraph 05 Aug 2009 (French Bistro Cooking)

Serves 4

A tian is the name for a shallow Provençal baking dish and anything cooked in it. Sometimes made with cheese and rice, I prefer just vegetables. Baking the courgettes brings out their sweetness and makes a lovely accompaniment to lamb or chicken.

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 courgettes, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 large tomatoes
Pinch of sugar

METHOD
Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 (or lower if that suits another dish you are cooking – the exact temperature is not important).
Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the onions with a pinch of salt. Cook gently for half an hour or so until meltingly tender. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
Oil a shallow gratin dish (mine is an oval, 10in/25cm long) and spread the onions in the base.
Arrange the courgettes and tomatoes in overlapping circles over the top. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with the sugar and season with salt and pepper.
Bake for about an hour, until coloured and slightly shrivelled, which means the flavours have intensified.
Eat the tian hot or at room temperature.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/5976735/French-bistro-cooking-courgette-tian.html

Hil's Comment:

I met this dish at a girly supper, and it was superb - Madeleine served it with marinated pan-fried chicken breast, a delicious yet simple meal; it gave a real French flavour to a wonderful summer evening relaxing 'a deux' on the terrace, and a glass (or 2) of chilled Chardonnay went down a treat!

I soon had an opportunity to try it again myself when kind neighbours gave us cherry tomatoes and (1 very large) courgette fresh from the garden, and once again it was delightful. Looks impressive, and is incredibly easy to do. Timing is not critical, and it can be removed from the oven and simply left to stand while you finish off the rest of the meal. I baked it slightly less than an hour.

A great vegetarian option, crumble feta cheese over the top or serve with slices of grilled haloumi cheese.

Baked peaches with marzipan

An idea stolen from the Swedes. You can make this recipe with nectarines, too, and add blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, scattering them round the stoned fruit.

By Diana Henry in the Daily Telegraph 21 Aug 2009
Serves six

(I used 3 peaches to serve 2, see adjusted quantities in comment at the end)

INGREDIENTS

10 ripe peaches, quartered and stoned
75ml (2¾fl oz) amaretto, marsala or peach schnapps (or more orange juice, if you prefer)
juice of ½ small orange
generous squeeze of lemon
2 tbsp caster sugar
200g (7oz) marzipan
15g (½oz) flaked almonds
icing sugar, to serve

METHOD

Tightly pack the peach quarters in a dish. Pour on the alcohol, orange juice and lemon. Sprinkle on half the sugar. Tear the marzipan into little nuggets, then scatter over the fruit, followed by the rest of the sugar and the almonds. Cook in oven preheated to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for 30 to 35 minutes. The peaches should be tender and slightly caramelised. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with icing sugar. Offer crème fraîche, whipped cream or Greek yogurt on the side.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/6056859/Fruit-recipes-baked-peaches-with-marzipan.html

Hil's Comment:

So quick and easy, and absolutely delicious, especially with vanilla ice cream if you are feeling wicked!

To serve the 2 of us, I used 3 peaches, 2 - 3 tablespoons amaretto, juice of half an orange and quarter of a lemon, roughly a tablespoon of flaked almonds and about 100g marzipan - a lot I know, but we do love marzipan. This did make it sweet so it needed very little sugar, just about a heaped teaspoon over the top to help it caramelise.

We will definitely be making this one again and again, and I look forward to experimenting with adding any left-over berries that are sitting around. The peaches do need to be properly ripe though.

Honey & cinnamon duck with lentil and pomegranate salad

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DUCK:
4 small or 3 large duck breasts, skinned
2tsp ground cinnamon
3tbsp runny honey
2tbsp olive oil

FOR THE SALAD:
250g (9oz) cooked Puy lentils
1 red onion, finely sliced
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
100g (3½oz) baby spinach leaves
1 small bunch mint
juice of 1 lemon
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½tsp ground cumin
½tsp ground coriander
75g (2½oz) toasted almonds
2-3tsp harissa paste
6tbsp Greek yoghurt

METHOD
Place the duck breasts in a bowl and coat with the honey and cinnamon and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add 2tbsp olive oil, and fry the duck breasts for 3-4 minutes each side until they are golden. Remove from the pan and leave to rest for about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together the pomegranate seeds, lentils, red onion, spinach leaves and roughly chopped leaves from the mint. in a separate bowl, mix together the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, cumin and coriander and season with salt and pepper.
Pour over the salad and mix well.
Divide the salad between plates and arrange the duck on the side, either whole or sliced. Scatter the almonds over the top.
Mix together the harissa paste and yoghurt and serve with the duck and lentil salad. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1201669/Recipe-Honey-cinnamon-duck-lentil-pomegranate-salad.html#ixzz0NzqeXmJs

Hil's Comment:

30.8.09 This looked super - colourful and easy to present attractively. I served 2, and the leftovers kept very well in the fridge and made a delicious lunch the next day. The recipe does work out quite expensive (unless you look out for duck breasts on special offer), but I felt it was worth it for a healthy, tasty and nicely presented summer meal - perfect for a girly lunch.

Jo Pratt's Pimms & Strawberry Ripple Creams

Light, fruity and boozy, these taste as good as they look.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
3tbsp caster sugar
50ml Pimm's
Grated zest of 1 large orange
275ml double cream
225-250g strawberries, sliced
175-200ml strawberry sauce, bought or homemade (see tip)
3 individual meringues, bought or homemade, crushed into small chunks
6 sprigs of mint (optional)

METHOD
In a large bowl, stir the caster sugar into the Pimm's until it starts to dissolve. Add the orange zest and double cream, and whisk manually or with an electric hand whisk (which is far easier and quicker) until it is thick enough to just hold its shape.
Take four glass dishes – sundae or wine glasses – and randomly layer up the strawberries, Pimm's cream, strawberry sauce and crumbled meringue to create a ripple effect. Finish by garnishing with a sprig of mint, if using.
Keep in the fridge until needed or serve straight away.
TOP TIP To make your own strawberry sauce, blend 200g strawberries with about 50g caster or icing sugar until you have a smooth purée.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1192630/Recipe-Pimms-strawberry-ripple-creams.html

Hil's Comment:
14.6.09 Lovely light and easy pud, I did it for an impromptu summer barbecue and it was delicious. If you don't have Pimms, it would also be nice with the juice of the orange instead.

Roast chicken with butternut, chorizo & chilli

(Recipe from BBC Good Food Guide bbc.goodfood.com/recipes)

INGREDIENTS

1 large free-range chicken (about 2.25kg/5lb)
4 medium red onions , 1 halved, the rest cut into wedges
1 tbsp olive oil , plus extra for greasing
12 sage leaves, 8 shredded, 4 left whole, plus an extra sprig to garnish
1 butternut squash , peeled and cut into large, chunky wedges
500g pack Charlotte potatoes , halved
2 red chillies , seeds left in and sliced
110g pack chorizo sausages, sliced
1 garlic bulb, separated into cloves

METHOD
Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Pull the white fat out of the chicken's cavity and discard. Tuck 2 onion halves inside the cavity with the 4 whole sage leaves, rub the skin with a little oil, then season well. Put the chicken, breast-side down, in a large roasting tin, then roast for 45 mins. Turn it over then roast for 30 mins more.
Toss the onion wedges with the sage, squash, potatoes, chillies, and garlic. Add the oil, season well, and mix again. Scatter round the chicken, toss in the pan juices, then roast for 45 mins.
Lift the chicken from the roasting tin and put on a plate, then turn up the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Add the chorizo to the roasting pan, toss the vegetables in the pan juices, spread over the tin to give them a bit of space, then return to the oven for 15 mins to brown while the chicken rests under foil and tea towels. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and serve with broccoli and wilted spinach.

Hil's Comment:

9.8.09 Very tasty and easy, the chilli and chorizo give a tang to the vegetables.

I used a smaller chicken (about 1.6kg) and reduced the cooking times to 25 mins before turning it, another 20 mins before adding the vegetables, then 40 mins before removing the chicken and adding the chorizo for the final 15 minutes.

I did not reduce the quantity of the vegetables, and after 2 generous servings there was plenty of chicken & veg left over for another meal.

If you haven't got red onions, normal onions would be fine.

Roasted butternut, beetroot & goat's cheese salad

Jo Pratt's recipe (Serves 3 - 4)

INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed, and cut into small wedges
4-6 small-medium raw beetroot, washed and cut into wedges
1tbsp olive oil
1 bag of rocket, watercress and spinach salad leaves
200g (7oz) soft mild goat's cheese
1 tub of mustard cress
50g pine nuts, lightly toasted
1tbsp balsamic vinegar
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200degrees C/gas 5.

Place the butternut squash and beetroot in a roasting tray, toss in 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces), until tender and the squash is just becoming golden.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly, or leave until completely cool if you prefer a cold salad.

Arrange the salad leaves on a large platter or divide up onto individual plates along with the squash and beetroot. Place spoonfuls of the goat's cheese on top, and scatter with the mustard cress and pine nuts. Mix together the balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the top of the salad and serve straight away.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1201647/Jo-Pratts-recipes-Simply-sensational-salad-suppers.html

Hil's comment:

29.7.09 Very tasty, easy and satisfying, looks colourful, and the goat's cheese ensures sufficient protein. An interesting and healthy weekday supper, and an interesting vegetarian option.

Any nuts can be substituted for the pine nuts - I used walnuts, and it wasn't necessary to toast them. Any nice salad leaves could be used, but the rocket, watercress and spinach leaves salad is so tasty and full of antioxidants.