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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Diabetic Roasted Pumpkin and Parsnip Soup

If you are diabetic or watching your weight, then this delicious winter soup is ideal. It is full of goodness but has hardly any fat in it.
If you don't need to worry about fat, you can always substitute the skim milk with light cooking cream for a richer, creamier taste.

INGREDIENTS:

1 brown onion - peeled and chopped
2 large carrots - peeled and roughly chopped
2 large parsnips - peeled and roughly chopped
350g butternut pumpkin - peeled and cubed
spray oil such as olive or canola
3 teaspoons vegetable or chicken stock powder
3 cups hot water
1/4 cup skim milk ( or light cooking cream)

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200C.
In a large baking dish, place carrots, parsnips, pumpkin and onions. Spray some oil over them and roast for approx 25 mins or until they are golden brown and tender.
Remove from oven and place in a large saucepan. Add the stock powder, water and skim milk (if using cream, add it later, just before serving). Season with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cook for approx 10 - 12 minutes and then remove from stove to cool down slightly.
Using either a blender or hand held blender, process soup until smooth.
If necessary, add some more water to achieve right consistency and if using cream instead of skim milk, add this and then reheat gently on stove.
Serve with some crusty bread.

Meatloaf Recipe

As food prices are spiralling it is important to go back to basics with cooking. Often the cheaper cuts of meat, when cooked correctly, have much more flavour than the more expensive ones. This is where slow cookers, pressure cookers and oven baking ensure that you get the best out of the cheaper cuts.
My mum used to make the best meals out of just using mince steak and I can always remember the wonderful aroma whenever she made this meatloaf recipe. It is just so simple and easy to make and will serve 4 large servings.

INGREDIENTS:

650g pure beef mince ( I like to use one with a little bit of fat to give it flavour and moisture)
1 medium brown onion - peeled and chopped
2 medium size eggs
2 slices fresh white bread
1 medium size fresh tomato (organic is best)
small amount of sea salt
bush seasoning with mountain pepper
1/4 teaspoon hamburger seasoning (optional)
1 tablespoon dried or freshly chopped parsley

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180C in fan forced oven.
Cut crusts off bread. Slice thinly into fingers and then finely chop them.
Finely dice the fresh tomato. Do not have to remove skin.
Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and with your hands, mix through thoroughly so all ingredients are well combined.
Tip mixture into a non stick loaf tin and bake for approx 1 hour. Test at about 50 minutes and if you prefer the mixture slightly medium rare, you can take out then.
This is delicious served hot with creamy mashed potato, carrots and green beans. You can make a thin gravy, using the juices left in the pan and pour over meat and potatoes.
It can also be served cold with a lovely tossed salad and some crusty bread.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Swedish Meatballs Recipe

I love meatballs done in various sauces and one that I really like to make are Swedish meatballs. This recipe is suitable to use for Italian meatballs in tomato sauce or even with a satay or chilli sauce.
If you like the traditional Swedish sauce that they serve with theirs, then I have included one that was given to me by a friend who had a swedish mother-in-law and she says that it is an authentic recipe. In the states you can purchase beef gravy in a can and you just add some light cream to that and heat in a sucepan. I haven't seen it in Australia so always make my own.

INGREDIENTS:

1 small brown onion - finely chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon butter
extra tablespoon butter
300g lean minced steak
300g minced pork
1 large cold boiled potato
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (can use wholemeal)
1 cup milk
1 egg - lightly beaten
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)

METHOD:

Gently saute onion in the tablespoon butter until just transparent and take off heat to cool.
Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for 8 - 10 minutes.
Mash potato and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add all other ingredients apart from oil and extra butter.
Shape mixture into small balls about the size of a walnut.
Using clean frypan, fry the meatballs slowly, in the oil and butter, until browned on both sides.
transfer to a plate that has been covered in paper towels, to drain off excess oils.
Place on dinner plates and pour over the cream sauce. Serve with lingonberry jam, ( a Swedish fruit) mashed potatoes and some green beans.

CREAM SAUCE:

100 ml cream
200ml light beef stock (or half stock, half water)
1 desertspoon corn flour
little light soy sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste

To make, blend flour with some of the cream to make a smooth thin paste. Add the stock, soy sauce, seasoning and remaining cream. Stir over a low to moderate heat in a small saucepan. Make sure you stir continuously so it doesn't become lumpy. When it boils, reduce heat and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Light Satay Chicken Recipe

I love cooking but am always having to watch my waistline as it tends to thicken more than I like in a very short space of time. Every few weeks we go onto low fat recipes and I often add a lot of diabetic cooking whenever possible. This is not classed as a diabetic recipe but when you look at the ingredients in it, I am sure that it would be suitable for diabetics.
I think that it tastes as good as a full fat recipe and you enjoy it knowing that it is healthy for you.

INGREDIENTS:
700g chicken mince
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 cup wholemeal breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon corriander powder
white of 1 egg
1 1/2 cups jasmin rice

METHOD:

Combine mince, breadcrumbs, egg white, corriander and cumin together in a large bowl. Shape into small balls and roll in a little flour to stop them sticking.
In a large saucepan, spray with a little olive oil spray and brown the balls on both sides.
Turn heat right down and make up the satay sauce.
Add the sauce to the chicken balls and gently simmer for approx 20 minutes or until cooked.
Serve with steamed jasmin rice and some lovely colourful vegies such as baby carrots and beans.

SATAY SAUCE:

2 tablespoons light peanut paste ( I use crunchy)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons curry paste (I use red but you can use any)
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 - 2 tins light carnation coconut milk

Slowly add the milk to the other ingredients as this is easier to blend them together.

Tropical Rum Punch Recipe

Whenever summer time comes around, I always think of punch when planning a party or barbecue. When my children were small, it always had to be non alcoholic of course but when they grew up I loved to experiment with different drinks to find one that I liked. I still love non alcoholic ones and sometimes just add a little bit of spirits to spice them up. You can always omit the alcohol and add ginger beer to it and it will still taste great.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup guava juice
juice of half a lime (can use lemon if prefered)
30ml Cointreau
1 cup Bundaberg rum
pineapple and orange slices to garnish

METHOD:

Mix all ingredients together in a large jug.
Pour over tall glasses of ice and top with fruit to garnish.