Anne Elliott - Lose Weight

The following recipes have all been picked because:
they are easy to make
they are quick to make
they are nutritionally good
ENJOY!

DELICIOUS HOMEMADE BURGER. Try out this simple yet delicious homemade burger and flavour it with your favourite tastes. This will make 4 medium burgers.

BASIC BURGER
250gm lean lamb mince
1large onion finely chopped
I egg

POSSIBLE FLAVOURS

fresh mint, sun dried tomatoes, chopped mushrooms, fresh sage, olives, sweet peppers, cheese +

1) In a bowl mix the meat, finely chopped onion and egg and mix together by hand
2) Add your flavouring. Whatever you choose, make sure it is cut finely. You can experiment by adding 2 flavours at the same time.
3) Add salt and pepper and mix all ingredients together by hand. Cut into 4 and form round patties.
4) Cook in a non stick frying pan on a low heat. Do not use any oil and drain out fat during cooking.

5) Put into a warm 'interesting bun (not white) and grate on a little parmesan or cheddar

Serve with salad and enjoy!

BREAKFAST BONANZA SMOOTHIE. Don't miss breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day. Here's a great idea even if you don't have much time first thing. To make and eat will take less than 5 minutes.

1 banana or strawberry's or berry's of your choice
150ml natural yoghurt
1/2 glass of apple juice
25gm porridge oats
1 tbsp runny honey

1) Get out your blender
2) Put all the ingredients into it
3) Blend till thick and smooth
4) Add a little more apple juice if it's too thick for you.
5) Put in long glass and enjoy!

Doesn't get any easier to be healthy

CREATIVE COUSCOUS. With this month's theme of dealing with being time pressured, here's a quick and brilliant recipe with a hint of Mediterranean summer about it .

Plain Couscous
tomatoes / spring onions / cucumber / mushrooms (optional)
mint / parsley
prawns
olive oil / juice of 1 lemon

1) Follow instructions on packet and make up 250g of couscous (normally add 400ml boiled water to 250g couscous in a bowl. Set aside to expand and cook)
2) In a separate bowl mix tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, spring onions mint and parsley all chopped finely.
3) In a cup mix olive oil and juice of lemon. Add salt and pepper if required.
4) Add dressing to vegetables and mix well
5) With a fork separate grains of couscous. When cool, slowly add to vegetables, thoroughly mixing as you go. Stop when you have desired amount of couscous in.
6) Was cooked prawns and add to mixture.
7) Serve with crispy lettuce and chunk of wholemeal bread
OPTION - instead of prawns, couscous can served with a grilled salmon or mackerel steak on the side.

Takes 10 minutes to make - tastes brilliant.

Yummy tummy veggy cakes. Do you find it hard to pack in your 5-a-day? If so this is a quick, easy answer to the problem that is simplicity itself and really delicious.

1) Boil some broccoli, diced carrot and 1 medium potato
2) Mash potato in a bowl
3) Break up broccoli so it's still a little lumpy and add to bowl - add diced cooked carrots
4) Add small tin of drained sweetcorn and mix it all together
5) Add 1 beaten egg and mix thoroughly
6) Add a good helping of mature cheddar cheese
7) Take a handful of mixture at a time, squash it together and shape into 'burger' shape. Put all on a baking tray
8) Cook at Gas 5/medium oven for 20 minutes till golden brown.
9) Serve with a crisp fresh green salad.

Looks lovely, tastes even better

SALMON/CHICKEN CRISPY SALAD. An unusual choice for this time of year, but I think immediately after Christmas it's nice to have a fresh taste after all the thick rich foods of the holiday days. Simple, quick and useful. Feel free to leave out anything or add any leftovers you want.

1) Fresh crispy lettuce
2) Cooked chicken/smoked salmon or turkey leftovers
3) Cucumber, radish, olives, gherkins
4) Chopped mint and parsley
5) Couscous or brown rice - cooked and cold
6) Olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic

Cut all ingredients to approx 1cm cubes. In a bowl mix all ingredients from 1-4. Add (5) couscous or rice slowly. Don't add too much. Mix dressing together - olive oil, lemon juice and optional crushed garlic clove (give a great kick) mix dressing through salad. Serve with crusty (homemade?) wholemeat bread. DELICIOUS.

With the night starting at about 4pm in the afternoon its hard not to tuck up by the fire and tele. Here's an easy and delicious quick recipe for a TV supper or if mates drop in- VEGETABLE WRAPS. Also best made in advance and kept in freezer till you need them.

Selection of vegetables of your choice cut into 15cm cubes and cooked
Coursely cut and fried onion + garlic (optional)
Cheese - either cheddar, feta or mozarella cut into smaller cubes
Bacon (optional) cut into cubes and fried
Packet of ready made Filo pastry
Poppy and Sesame seeds (optional)

1) In a bowl mix together cooked vegetables, onion, garlic, cheese and bacon.
2) On chopping board lay 3 layers of pastry in a square shape
3) Put a good dollop of mixture in centre. Roll up pastry and tuck under edges to make a packet so that non of mixture can come out.
4) Brush top with a little melted butter. Sprinkle seeds on top if required.
5) Put in freezer in sealed bag for at least 4 hours. Will keep for up to 2 months.
6) Cook in oven on baking tray for 40-45 mins 190C, fan 170C, gas 5

Delicious served with cranberry jam.
Yummy.
Enjoy

A perfect seasonal meal with fresh goodness in every mouthful. It's tomato time. Here's a great
PASTA SAUCE that's so easy and versatile.

1. Put your tomatoes into boiling water till their skins split. Take out and peel off skins.
2. Chop a medium onion + clove of garlic (optional) and lightly fry in olive oil.
3. Add tomatoes to pan and mash up. Allow to simmer
4. Add a few squirts of tomato puree, pepper and a little salt. Allow to simmer till soft
5. If you like a lumpy sauce leave it as it is. If you like your sauce smooth then blend at this stage. (this is perfect for small children.
6. If you wish add any of the following in any combination you chose:
sweetcorn, oregano, mushrooms, small chunks of cooked bacon, peas, lightly fried diced courgette, basil, cooked chicken cubes ... and ...
7) Serve over wholemeal pasta with a little grated parmesan on top (or cheddar if you prefer.

If you're got a packed day ahead then you might find my INSTANT STEW a useful addition to your recipe list. It's great if you're too dog tired to cook.

Pot of 'good' ready made supermarket soup of your choice. Not tinned or powdered.
Selection of vegetables pick from : potatoes, carrots, parsnip, mange tout, broccoli, cauliflower etc.

1. (You can prepare the veg in advance) Prepare, chop and cook all vegetables.
2. Warm up soup gently.
3. Add cooked veg to soup and gently stir for a couple of minutes.
4. Serve with chunk of interesting bread (not white, refined)
5. Enjoy

Now for a springtime feast. CHICKEN PASTA SALAD is simple to make and as fresh as the daisies popping up everywhere.

Pasta (try an interesting new shape you haven't tried before)
peas
mushrooms
onion
2 big spoons of maionnaise
2 big spoons of creme fraise
Chicken cooked.

1. Cook pasta, drain and leave to cool
2. Cook peas and leave to cool
3. Slice onion and fry in tiny amount of olive oil
4. Cut mushrooms into quarters and add to onions. Do not overcook.
5. Add peas, onions and mushrooms to pasta and carefully stir in.

Just before serving:
6. Mix Maionnaise and creme fraise together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add to pasta and carefully mix in. Put in serving bowl.
7. Cut cooked chicken and place carefully on top of pasta salad. Serve with crisp lettuce

Yummy!

I came across this simple and yummy recipe recently that is a brilliant desert to tempt you without being too naughty.

FRUIT YOGHURT ICE CREAM

2 ripe bananas or pummet of strawberrys or kiwi or any fruit you particularily like
2 tbsp runny honey
250ml (8 fl oz) plain yoghurt
1 tbsp lemon juice

Blend ingredients in liquidizer until smooth
Freeze in either ice cream maker or shallow container in freezer (whisk 1-2 times)

Doesn't get easier than that! Enjoy

Here's a lovely SMOOTHY drink to make yourself that's easy, quick, delicious and cheaper than the ready made versions.

Orange Juice
Banana Plain
Yoghurt
Mango (optional)
Put ingredients in a blender until smooth. Put in glass and enjoy. I add a few sultanas before I drink it. Just because I like the chewy bits

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Large mushrooms (I found 2 x 2" wide is enough for 1 person)
Brown rice Onion
Garlic
any bits left in the fridge or freezer - bacon bits, sweetcorn, peas, tomatoes, boiled egg, chopped carrots etc Grated cheese to cover

1. Cook brown rice, drain and put to the side.
2. Fry onion, garlic (optional) until soft. Add any bits you have left in the fridge/freezer. ie a carrot or spoonful of beans in freezer or leftovers of chicken. (Carrot must be cut small and cooked before adding). You can mix and match to suit your taste and what you can find. Fry all together. Add cooked rice and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Take stalk from mushroom. Peel skin. Place on baking tray that has been oiled with olive oil.
4. Spoon rice mixture into centre of each mushroom. Be generous. Squash as much onto each mushroom before they collapse.
5. Cover each mushroom mountain with grated cheese.
6. Put into the middle of a medium to hot oven for about 30-40 minutes.
7. Perfect with either vegetables and gravy or salad and couscous.