Posts Tagged ‘nutritious’

Italian-style beef stew

Monday, October 4th, 2010

An easy, super healthy stew full of vitamin C.

 Ingredients:

  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 300g pack beef stir fry strips, or use beef steak, thinly sliced
  • 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • Sprig rosemary, chopped
  • Handful pitted olives

 Preparation and cooking times

 Prep 10 mins                                       Cook 20 mins

 Method

1.     In a large saucepan, cook onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 mins until softened and turning golden.  

2.     Tip in the beef strips, pepper, tomatoes and rosemary, then bring to the boil.  

3.     Simmer for 15 mins until the meat is cooked through, adding some boiling water if needed. Stir through the olives and serve with mash.

Make it vegetarian – Leave out the beef and cook 1 chopped aubergine and 1 chopped courgette along with the pepper. Finish by sprinkling over some feta cheese.

Per serving:    225 kcals, Protein – 25g, Carbohydrate – 7g, Fat – 11 g, Saturated fat – 3g, Fibre – 2g, Sugar – 6g, Salt – 0.87 g

Speedy Spuds

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

Jacket potatoes can provide a speedy, healthy and tasty meal in a matter of minutes but the benefits can last much longer. Potatoes are a good source of energy and many other nutrients including vitamin C and folate.  Simply combine with chicken, fish, beans or cheese and a salad or green vegetables, for a complete meal on a plate.

If you simply microwave a potato, it is fluffy inside but you do not get any crispiness on the outside. Instead I prefer to microwave the potato to save time but finish it off in the oven – so I get the best of both worlds – speed AND flavour!

 

* Wash and prick the potato all over with a fork and place in the microwave on full power for around 6-7 minutes, depending on its size.

* In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200 ° C.

* When the potato is finished in the microwave, place on a baking tray, drizzle a little olive oil over the top, sprinkle with sea salt and place in the hot oven for approximately 15 minutes.

The result is a beautifully fluffy jacket potato in the middle but crispy and tasty on the outside too.

 

Once it is cooked, why not try one of these toppings:Jacket Potato

Beans and Cheese

Chilli and Soured Cream

Tuna, Red Onion and Pepper

Tuna, Sweetcorn and Mayonnaise 

Prawns and Mayonnaise

Bacon, Garlic and Mushroom

Cream Cheese and Chives

 

These are just a few of the many hundreds of topping ideas for a quick and tasty meal. A jacket potato is very nutritious so it is a great fallback when you can’t find inspiration or you don’t have much time to cook dinner.