healthyeating

Tuscan White Beans

TUSCAN WHITE BEANS


I totally adore beans (except for baked beans!!😂) they are so versatile and can be made super tasty in minutes! Full of protein too (roughly 11g per serving!!)they make the perfect accompaniment to many meals.

I had mine with a fillet steak and my little birdies had theirs with sausages!!
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed

Pinch Chilli Flakes

1 Plum Tomato, chopped

1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary

2 Cans Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

1 Handful Parmesan Cheese

1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley

50ml Water

Olive Oil

Malden Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Begin by heating a dash of olive oil in a frying pan.
Add the garlic and chilli flakes, gently fry for a minute, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Add the chopped plum tomato and rosemary and cook gently for a couple of mins.
Add the cannellini beans and cook for around 5 mins, crush them up a little as you cook them.
Remove the rosemary, add the water and Parmesan and thoroughly combine.
It should be nice and creamy and not too dry. If too dry, add a dash of water. If too wet, keep cooking for another few mins.
Stir through the parsley and serve! Yumsters 😋

#beans #tuscan #protein

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Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Bacon Croutons and Truffle Oil

img_0038CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH BACON CROUTONS AND TRUFFLE OIL
This is a very versatile soup. It can be as healthy or as decadent as you choose. I made it on Saturday and instead of 500ml milk, I added 250ml milk and 250ml double cream! 👌🏻

Cauliflower is a low carb vegetable which combines wonderfully with the bacon and truffle oil.

Amazingly my kids hate cauliflower but loved this soup! So even if you are not a fan of cauliflower, don’t let that put you off!!
Serves 6-8
2 Medium Sized Heads of Cauliflower broken into florets

Light Olive Oil

Tbsp Butter

2 Garlic Cloves, crushed

2 Leeks, trimmed and finely chopped

1 litre Stock (chicken or vegetable)

500ml Milk (preferably full cream but semi skimmed will do!)

Malden Sea Salt and Black Pepper
To serve

Bacon Lardons fried until crispy

Good Quality Truffle Oil to drizzle
In a pot large enough to hold the mountain of cauliflower, add the butter and when it has melted add the leeks and soften for 5 mins.
Add the crushed garlic and cook for another few mins.
Add the stock, milks and cauliflower florets.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cook for around 10 mins or until the cauliflower is nice and soft.
(If you decide on using the double cream, add it now and stir through.)
Using a hand blender, whizz until nice and smooth and creamy.
Serve topped with the bacon croutons and truffle oil! Divine!!!

Healthy Veggie Broth

VEGETABLE BROTH
After five weeks of being in Spain, eating and drinking lots of things I shouldn’t have!! Not to mention the kids eating far too many chips, the healthy eating routine begins.
The simplicity and flexible of this soup means it is accessible to any level of cooking. I tend to make stock from a whole small chicken or the remaining carcass from Sunday lunch. You could use thigh or leg bones, bought stock or even stock cubes. The stock is the basis for this soup so ensure it is full of flavour!

I also cool and chill my stock and then skim all the fat off it.

If you are lucky to be using a whole chicken, strip all the meat off it and add to the soup towards the end of cooking the veggies.
For the veggies, you have various options from buying individual vegetables and chopping or if you are pressed for time as I was today….buy them pre chopped (M&S) and chuck them in!
I’ll give you the basics along with various options for tarting it up!
2.5 l of good Chicken Stock (Veg Stock if you want)

600g Fresh Chopped Soup Veg (celery, leeks, carrots, parsley)

100g Soup Mix (pearl barley, yellow split peas, green split peas, red split lentils)

Maldon Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Bring the stock up to the boil and add the soup mix. Simmer for 1/2 hour.
Tip in the chopped soup veg, give it a stir and season with plenty of salt and pepper. I tend to be generous with the salt for this soup.
Simmer gently for 45 mins.
Check the seasoning and serve.
Total health in a bowl!

#healthyfood #cleaneating #soup #lovefood #comfortfood #arestaurantinmykitchen