Weblog

Wednesday, 29 August 2007

  • Zesty lemon meringue mess!

     Serves 6
    Prep time: 15 minutes
    Cooking time: 2 hours 20 minutes
    266 calories per serving

    lemon_meringue_170

    Ingredients
    2 free-range egg whites
    115g caster sugar

    For the lemon curd
    2 level tablespoons cornflour
    100g golden caster sugar
    Juice of 5 lemons and the zest of 2
    2 free-range egg yolks

    For the last bit of white fluff
    120ml whipping cream

     

    How to make zesty lemon meringue mess

    Preheat a conventional over to 120ºC or a fan-assisted one to 100ºC.

    First, make the meringue by whipping the egg whites with a handheld whisk until quite stiff, then gradually whisk in the sugar, a tablespoon at a time.

    Once you are satisfied that you have a feminine and glossy-looking mixture, dollop six blobs onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and pop into the oven for two hours.

    To make the lemon curd, put the cornflour, sugar, lemon juice (strain this in with a sieve to prevent lumps later) and the lemon zest into a small saucepan over a medium heat.

    Stir for roughly seven minutes until thickened.

    Take the pan off the heat for five minutes in order to cool slightly. Beat in the egg yolks with a balloon whisk until combined and set aside.

    Whip the cream with a handheld whisk until soft but not stiff.

    To assemble, roughly crunch up the meringue so that you have a mixture of different-sized chunks and textures.

    Gently fold most of the lemon curd, followed by all the cream (this is important to create the ripple effect) into the meringue before dividing the mess up.

    Finish off by running the remaining curd in swirly whirlies over the mixture in the bowls. You could garnish with some lemon zest or a spot of mint to smarten it up a notch.

    Harry's Tips

    Meringues keep really well for a couple of days in an airtight container or tin if you wanted to make them ahead of time.

    If you don't fancy making the meringue, you can always buy it and save yourself the hassle, but make sure that you spend the money on good-quality bought meringue as opposed to that white chalk that sets your teeth on edge.

    If you're pregnant (or feeding a baby, or if you're an elderly person), then do note that this recipe contains raw eggs.

  • Thai mango sauce.

    This looks so delicious to use with fish or chicken and the taste is so divine!

    thai_sauce_170

    Here's how to make healthy Thai mango sauce

    What you'll need

    • Over-ripe mango
    • Chilli
    • Garlic
    • Ginger
    • Juice of a whole lemon
    • Juice of a whole lime
    • Sugar
    • Tablespoon of fish sauce
    • Chopped coriander

    Simply put all the ingredients into a blender and blitz for 30 seconds.

    And that's it! Great for pouring over chicken and fish, Thai mango sauce is yummy.

  • Zesty lemon meringue mess

    Serves 6
    Prep time: 15 minutes
    Cooking time: 2 hours 20 minutes
    266 calories per serving

    lemon_meringue_170

    Ingredients
    2 free-range egg whites
    115g caster sugar

    For the lemon curd
    2 level tablespoons cornflour
    100g golden caster sugar
    Juice of 5 lemons and the zest of 2
    2 free-range egg yolks

    For the last bit of white fluff
    120ml whipping cream

    How to make zesty lemon meringue mess

    Preheat a conventional over to 120ºC or a fan-assisted one to 100ºC.

    First, make the meringue by whipping the egg whites with a handheld whisk until quite stiff, then gradually whisk in the sugar, a tablespoon at a time.

    Once you are satisfied that you have a feminine and glossy-looking mixture, dollop six blobs onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and pop into the oven for two hours.

    To make the lemon curd, put the cornflour, sugar, lemon juice (strain this in with a sieve to prevent lumps later) and the lemon zest into a small saucepan over a medium heat.

    Stir for roughly seven minutes until thickened.

    Take the pan off the heat for five minutes in order to cool slightly. Beat in the egg yolks with a balloon whisk until combined and set aside.

    Whip the cream with a handheld whisk until soft but not stiff.

    To assemble, roughly crunch up the meringue so that you have a mixture of different-sized chunks and textures.

    Gently fold most of the lemon curd, followed by all the cream (this is important to create the ripple effect) into the meringue before dividing the mess up.

    Finish off by running the remaining curd in swirly whirlies over the mixture in the bowls. You could garnish with some lemon zest or a spot of mint to smarten it up a notch.

    Harry's Tips

    Meringues keep really well for a couple of days in an airtight container or tin if you wanted to make them ahead of time.

    If you don't fancy making the meringue, you can always buy it and save yourself the hassle, but make sure that you spend the money on good-quality bought meringue as opposed to that white chalk that sets your teeth on edge.

    If you're pregnant (or feeding a baby, or if you're an elderly person), then do note that this recipe contains raw eggs.

  • Lamb and butternut squash tagine

    Serves 6-8
    Prep time: 20 minutes
    Cooking time: 1 hours 45 minutes
    371 calories per serving

    lamb_tagine_170

    Ingredients

    800g leg of lamb, cut into 3cm pieces
    1 and a 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 large onion, sliced
    2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1 and a 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
    1 teaspoon ground ginger
    2 good pinches of saffron
    410g tin chickpeas, drained
    450ml lamb stock
    400g tin plum tomatoes
    200g couscous
    30g sunflower seeds
    2 handfuls of roughly chopped coriander
    A handful of roughly chopped mint
    550g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2.5cm chunks
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

    How to make lamb and butternut squash tagine

    Brown the lamb in batches in a large, deep non-stick frying pan over a high heat with a tablespoon of the oil.

    Add a bit of water to the saucepan to deglaze the pan between frying each batch (this little liquid adds even more flavour to the final dish). Set aside.

    Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the onion over a medium heat for five minutes until slightly golden, stirring occasionally.

    Add the garlic, cinnamon, cumin seeds, ginger and saffron and stir over the heat for 30 seconds to release the aromas of the spices.

    Add the meat back into the onion with the chickpeas, stock and tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for one hour.

    Meanwhile, put the couscous into a large bowl.

    Add the sunflower seeds and a third of the herbs and cover with 200ml cold water. Set aside for the water to be absorbed.

    After one hour, add the butternut squash and the remaining herbs, apart from about a tablespoon, to the tagine and cook for a further 15 minutes, uncovered.

    After the 15 minutes has passed, season the tagine well.

    Fork through the couscous to separate the grains and spread evenly over the top of the tagine. Cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes.

    Serve immediately, ensuring there's some lamb and couscous in each spoonful and also a sprinkling of the remaining herbs.

    Sal's Tips

    Instead of butternut squash, you could add 100g dried apricots or prunes.

    Try mixing some shredded mint with 0% fat Greek yoghurt and a little water to make a mint sauce to drizzle over your tagine.

  • Spicy Mexican burgers with guacamole and salsa!

    These look soo delicious its unbelievable they're so low in calories!

    Serves 4
    Prep time: 20 minutes
    Cooking time: 10 minutes
    456 calories per serving

    mexican_burger_170

    Ingredients
    400g turkey mince (must be the best quality, or you could try and get a butcher to mince it for you)
    1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped
    1 clove of garlic, peeled and very finely chopped
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    1 teaspoon ground coriander
    1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
    A pinch of dried chilli flakes

    For the guacamole
    1 avocado
    1 clove of garlic, peeled
    1 lime
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

    For the salsa
    4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
    1/2 red onion, chopped
    120g tinned blackeye beans
    A splash of olive oil
    Juice of 1/2 a lime
    A handful of coriander
    1/2-1 chilli (depending on how hot you like your food), finely chopped
    4 flour tortillas
    1/2 iceberg lettuce, shredded
    150g 0% fat Greek yoghurt
    1 lime, cut into wedges
    Jalapeño peppers

    How to make spicy Mexican burgers with guacamole and salsa

    Mix all the burger ingredients together and make into eight patties. Set aside.

    To make the guacamole, scoop out all the avocado flesh and put into a blender with the garlic and lime juice. Blend until smooth and season to taste.

    To make the salsa, mix the tomato and onion with the beans, olive oil, lime juice, coriander and chilli. Season and set aside.

    Heat up a griddle pan. Cook the burgers for about five minutes on each side, turning occasionally to chargrill all over.

    Heat up a frying pan (with no oil) and warm the tortillas through. If using granary rolls, cut them in half.

    Serve the burgers with some shredded lettuce, a dollop of yoghurt, the guacamole and salsa, wrapped in a tortilla or squashed in a roll.

    Serve the lime and the jalapeño peppers on the side for extra flavour and heat.