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| Recipe of the week... ... Enchilada Lasagne |
Ingredients: 500g meat-free mince,
1 courgette, 1 carrot, 1 large red onion, 2 peppers, 1 large tin kidney beans,
1 small tin sweetcorn, 500g tomato passata, 100g tomato puree, 1 tablespoon
garlic granules (or x2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped), 2 vegetable stock cubes,
2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (or Henderson’s
relish!), 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons
dried chilli flakes, 1 tablespoon paprika, 4 Weight Watchers wraps, 140g low fat
mozzarella, 80g low fat cheddar, Frylight, salt and pepper
Serves: 4 decent portions
Time taken: 1 hour 15 mins
Dietary: Vegetarian (and syn-free
on Slimming World if you save x1 Healthy A and x1 Healthy B for teatime)
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Hi readers,
How are you all today? Are you
good?
As I write, we’re two days into
April, and my brother got my yesterday with an April Fool’s Day prank! He got
everyone, by the sounds. Mine was a message to say that he’d been feeling
unwell since the evening before, major tummy trouble, possibly food poisoning…
and given that I’d fed him the day before for a homemade afternoon tea on Mother’s
Day, this was very troubling news! He had me making noises about vegetarian
sausages, speculating about how his stomach might not be used to them, before…
APRIL FOOLS!
Yes, I fell for it for sure. Did
you get pranked yesterday, readers? Or were you the pranker, pulling a fast one
over friends and family, maybe work colleagues?? Hats off to you if you did – it
takes a great degree of cunning. And a gullible friendship circle helps, of
course, too.
Today, readers, with the April
Fools fun behind us, it’s a bit of a gloomy start to Tuesday with grey skies in Sheffield
and – yes – a light drizzle. The weather’s not much fun today! And it seems especially
glum after all the spring sunshine we’ve had lately. I put all my woolly
winter clothes away yesterday, and now there’s sleet and hail forecast – how typical!
Finger crossed for a return of the sunshine soon, readers. Spring has officially
sprung in my mind, so hopefully we’ll all be picnicking and BBQing out in the
garden again soon.
--
- Food for thought -
This week, readers, I come
bearing recommendations! Lately, I’ve been…
Listening
To some new
music!
Exciting times, as it seems new
music is finally starting to make it out ahead of summer and the festival season.
I updated my same-old playlists the other day with some new tracks, and I’m
really enjoying the fresh hit of music when I’m about in the house and busy in
the kitchen. I would especially recommend…
Watching
Afterlife
We finished this just last night
actually. If you haven’t heard it recommended, this is a little six-part series
on Netflix, written by and starring Ricky Gervais, as a character who’s lost his
wife to cancer and is finding it hard through his grief to find a way to go on
with life, without her, and be happy again and nice to others. The episodes
are only half an hour long, so it’s not a big watch, but it is very touching. A
sweet, thoughtful show – with plenty of laughs (as it is Ricky Gervais) – and also
a lovely message on why we’re all here and what it means to be a good person to others.
I recommend you watch.
Reading
Becoming, by Michelle Obama
And, honestly, it’s been tough
going! This is Michelle Obama’s autobiography, taking you right through from
her childhood growing up in Chicago, to the present day now that Barack isn't the President of America anymore, and she has the time to look back and reflect
on everything that’s passed. I’d say… don’t enter into this lightly, readers.
It’s a big thick book, it delves into US politics, and there are parts of the story
with long descriptive entries that I found slow to read. BUT – that’s my
warning on the tough stuff. ALSO – I recommend you give this a read, as I still
believe Michelle Obama is an incredibly inspiring person, and I’ve taken lots away from the book. In work situations lately, I ask “What would Michelle do?”
Enjoying
Some time off work
And it’s lovely, readers. I have
the week off work this week, and I know not everyone has the luxury of using up
a week’s annual leave on time for themselves, but if you have the days to spare
then I so recommend you take them, readers. This week, I’m just pottering around
at home taking it easy. I’m not setting an alarm, I’m enjoying proper
homecooked meals, I’m drinking cocktails on a school night (!), I’m swimming
and running, I’m knitting and reading. Then, we’re going away for a couple of
nights in a log cabin with a hot tub, to end the week on a high. Treat yourself
to some time to be human, readers. You deserve it.
Wondering
Why I never discovered Caribbean food before
now?
Because, clearly, I’ve been
missing out. Sheffield recently got a Turtle Bay restaurant in town,
and I went along with a friend at the weekend to try it out and see what the
food is like there. Answer? It’s spectacular! I can’t tell you to go soon
enough, readers. What tasty, colourful, exciting food. And 241 cocktails! We
ordered a seafood platter to share, which includes squid and whitebait, and added
some sides like the crumbed plantain and the jerk halloumi. All, so good! The
rice and beans, and also the sweetcorn fritters, and the grilled mango, were
all highlights for me. It was all a highlight really! And our waitress was lovely,
and I think if I could eat there every day I probably would. It tastes like
summer.
--
- Feeding a friend -
My recipe this week, readers, is
one that my housemate cooked our tea for Flat Dinner ages ago now and I’m
really excited to share it with you as this is definitely one of the best homecooked
meals that we’ve eaten while on Slimming World. And the Slimmers at our weekly
group rave about this recipe, too. We tried it our after an impassioned
recommendation from about half the Slimmers at group one week, and a lengthy discussion over the different ways you can make it, and tips for getting in and out the tin.
After hearing so much about it, we
had to give the recipe a go! This week’s recipe, readers, is one for an
Enchilada Lasagne, which combines chilli, gooey cheese and soft tortillas
instead of the regular pasta sheets you’d use, for a fiery Mexican take on the
traditional Italian lasagne. The recipe is based on one from Pinch of Nom, and you can check out the original here. We just tweaked in small ways and switched out the real minced beef for a veggie mince instead, which seemed to work just fine.
If there aren’t four of you
eating at your house, fear not as this dish makes for good leftovers. Any
portions which you don’t eat on the night can be Tupperwared and left in the
fridge then reheated on a later day – you get a firmer texture when you heat the
second time around, but I think that’s one of the best things about reheated
lasagne leftovers when they get a bit stodgy and dry!
This syn-free dish is packed full of speed veg, and if you can save up a Healthy Extra A and also your Healthy Extra B for the day, then it’s totally syn-free on Slimming World. If you’d like to give the Enchilada Lasagne a try for
yourself, here’s the recipe in just nine simple steps…
--
- Enchilada Lasagne -
Ingredients: 500g meat-free mince,
1 courgette, 1 carrot, 1 large red onion, 2 peppers, 1 large tin kidney beans,
1 small tin sweetcorn, 500g tomato passata, 100g tomato puree, 1 tablespoon
garlic granules (or x2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped), 2 vegetable stock cubes,
2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (or Henderson’s
relish!), 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons
dried chilli flakes, 1 tablespoon paprika, 4 Weight Watchers wraps, 140g low fat
mozzarella, 80g low fat cheddar, Frylight, salt and pepper
1.
Clear your
head… which is easier said than done. I’d recommend you stretch out really tall
and take a few deep breaths, crack open a window in the kitchen and pour
yourself a cool drink, set some relaxing music playing and wipe down the
surfaces, clear away any dishes and get out all the ingredients you need for
this recipe. Then begin.
2.
Heat the
oven to 160°C. Spray a loose based cake tin (that’s one with a push up base) liberally
with Frylight and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.
3.
Spray a
large saucepan with Frylight and add the Quorn mince to heat through for 5
minutes. Meanwhile, time for some veg prep. Chop the onion, courgette and
peppers, and grate the carrot. Add the veg to the saucepan and mix well with
the mince.
4.
Turn the
heat down to low and add the kidney beans, sweetcorn, spices, stock cubes,
tomato puree, garlic granules, Worcestershire sauce and passata to the saucepan,
along with a generous splash of water. Season with salt and pepper. Give everything
a good stir to mix well, then leave to simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.
5.
Once the
sauce has reduced, it’s time to put this dish together! Take your pan off the
heat and turn your hob off. Place a wrap in the bottom of the tin, then spoon a
layer of the mince mix on top (using approximately a quarter of the contents of
the pan).
6.
Continue
this pattern three more times, ending with a layer of mince mix. Grate the cheddar
over the top, then tear the mozzarella using your hands and spread small pieces
of mozzarella evenly over the top of the cheddar.
7.
Sprinkle
with a little paprika to add colour, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Then,
carefully lift the lasagne into the oven to bake for 25 minutes, until the
cheese has turned golden and your kitchen smells amazing.
 |
| B-E-A-uuutiful |
8.
It’s time! Turn
your oven off and safely lift the lasagne out onto the side. Leave to cool
slightly in the tin for 10 minutes (don't worry, it'll still be hot when you
eat it!).
ChefBeHere Top Tip: Patience is a virtue here as this cool time will help
your lasagne to combine, so it holds its shape better when you come to remove it
from the tin and serve up for tea. If you’re looking for something to do to
make the ten minutes pass, I’d suggest popping dinner plates in the still-warm
oven to heat a little, and setting the table. Maybe light a candle… and have a
dance around the room!
9.
Once it’s cooled
slightly, run a knife around the edge of the lasagne to loosen it, then push
the base up and lift your dish out onto a baking tray. Cut into four wedges,
and safely take your dinner plates out of the oven. Serve up the lasagne (making sure to leave all the greaseproof paper behind on the baking tray)... and tuck in!
 |
| Ta-da! |
--
- Recipe round up -
And that’s all there is to it! What
do you think, readers? Would you be tempted to give this recipe a go? I’d
definitely recommend – if you get an occasion to feed lots of hungry mouths,
then this is the perfect dish to serve up when everyone’s at the dinner table.
It’s fuss-free – just cook in one saucepan, and then bake in one tin – and the
ingredient list looks long, but lots of those ingredients are straight out of
the cupboard or they’re low cost veg, so it shouldn’t cost you much to get in
everything that you’ll need.
This is a dish which is straight forward
to cook and serves up four big healthy platefuls of colourful food! It’s an unusual
take on a lasagne – and nice to try something different for a change, I think.
Not too spicy on the tongue, just packed full of Mexican flavours and with
plenty of delicious cheese melted on top to please your slimmers! I’d say, readers,
that this dish is a definite crowd pleaser. If you decide to give it a try,
best of luck in the kitchen! Go steady when you’re lifting your lasagne in and
out of the oven – this would be the worst kind of floor filler.
Whether you’re working this week
or you’re off living the good life like me, I’m wishing you all a fabulous rest
of your week, readers. Don’t settle for any less! Take good care of yourselves.
And bake safely,
Hayley
--
- ps -
My boyfriend and brother are still taking about some scones I made at the weekend, so I feel I must signpost you to the recipe, readers. Anyone who picked up a free magazine from Asda this month will recognise it from the front cover, and you can find the recipe online here. This recipe, readers, is one for Lemon & Blueberry Scones. It doesn't make 10... it makes 4. Otherwise, though, a cracking recipe! Even I thought they came out really well, and tasting amazing.
--
- pps -
How cute is this note from my grandad, stuck to a Tupperware he returned, thanking me for a banana bread? I had to share, readers. It's heart warming, fo sho.
--
- Closing thoughts -
If you’ve been inspired to give
this recipe a try, readers, whether I’m speaking to you on the day of this post
or you’re reading some far out time in the future... please drop me a line to
let me know whether it went okay. I’d love to hear how you got on in the
kitchen and your thoughts on this dish. Plus, it’d be fab if you’re able to
share any tips you have for success, or your suggestions to improve the recipe?
Please send your wisdom my way.
Thank you for reading!
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