Foodie Challenge #8

Hi there!

I have a sort of dinner club with 2 friends here and we each take turns cooking the main every Wednesday. It was my turn this time round and I opted to make my own variation of sweet potato and white bean burgers! I wanted to try something healthy, fast and cheap.

Ingredients ( 2 large patties);

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 250g white beans
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• Ground black pepper
• 1 large egg (optional)
• Olive oil

Method;

1. Peel and cube the sweet potato and boil them until soft enough to mash.
2. Dry the sweet potatoes and allow them to cool.
3. Once cooled, mash the white beans and seasoning in together.
4. Optional; add the egg. I didn’t use one, because I found they bound very well together without it, however, they didn’t crisp up excellently.
5. Create either 2 large patties or more mini patties.
6. Heat olive oil in a frying pan.
7. Cook the patties until they are a nice, crisp, brown colour.
8. Serve with side salad, vegetables, whatever you fancy!

I apologise for the photo, my phone died before I could get a finished product photo, but here’s a mini patty cooking!

You can also bulk them out a bit with breadcrumbs or have a burger bun with them!

Gym Bug

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Foodie Challenge #7

Hi there!

I had a night out on Friday for Carnival here in Spain and offered to cook dinner for myself and 2 friends. I wanted something that would be bulky enough for us to be able have a few drinks and not leave the contents of our stomach somewhere embarassing or wake up feeling like we’d been ran over (some of my friends did wake up like this, but anyway). I decided to cook something I haven’t eaten in a while and never cooked before; gnocchi. Gnocchi is essentially potato dumplings that feel more like a pasta based dish. So it ticked the boxes of being carb heavy to line our stomachs! My family make it with mascarpone, tomatoes and spinach but dietary requirements of one friends ruled the mascarpone cheese out, so I decided to wing it.

Ingredients (this served 3 of us with a dash leftover);

• 400g of gnocchi
• 400g tin of tomatoes
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup of aubergine, cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• Crushed  black pepper
• Pinch of salt
• Couple of sprigs of fresh basil
• Olive oil
• 100ml red wine

Method;

1. Mix the aubergine with the olive oil in a pan, add the onion and red wine.
2. On a medium heat, put the lid on the pan and allow the onions to soften.
3. Add the tomatoes and all the seasoning, tasting and adjusting accordingly.
4. Allow the sauce to simmer for around 5 minutes then add the gnocchi and spinach.
5. Put the lid on and allow the gnocchi to soften in the sauce, takes about 5-10 minutes, stir occasionally to prevent burning.
6. To check if the gnocchi has cooked properly, you can slice one open and it should be soft through the centre and hot.
   Note; alternatively, you can boil the gnocchi in water for 2-3 minutes, then add to the sauce.
7. Tear up the basil and sprinkle on top before serving.

It’s tasty, simple, cheap, quick and it’s healthy! We had a side dish of caeser salad with ours. You can also add peppers in with the tomatoes to add more vegetables (going to try that next time).

I’m finding that I’m enjoying just winging recipes with new ingredients but I will return to using recipes too! I have a rather long bucket list awaiting my attention!

Gym Bug

Foodie Challenge #6

Hi there!

Another Foodie Challenge post! This time it’s a side dish I prepared last night to go along with some grilled chicken breast and sweet potato. I had plenty leftover and enjoyed the rest for lunch today. This recipe is based off of what I fancied at the time!

Ingredients (for one);

• 1/2 apple, cubed.
• 1 beetroot, cubed.
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped (you can have more, but I’m not a huge fan of red onion).
• 1/2 orange, peeled and roughly chopped.
• 1 cup red cabbage, shredded.
• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
• 4 tablespoons olive oil.
• Salt.
• Pepper.
• 1 garlic glove.

Method;

1. In bowl/jar/bottle mix the salt, pepper, garlic (which has been squashed but not chopped), olive oil and balsmic together. Set to one side.
2. Mix all the other ingredients into a bowl.
3. Pour over the dressing (as much or as little as you want).
4. Done. Easier than mixing up a protein shake.

I’ve included this one in my foodie challenge series because it’s a recipe I’d never tried before using an ingredient I’d never used before; red cabbage. It’s super simple, cheap and healthy! It’s also really colourful!

Gym Bug

Foodie Challenge #5

Hi there!

Something a little different for this Foodie Challenge. I did not follow any recipes but instead just gave it a go with what I had! It was fun to try and see what I could do and it (fortunately) tasted really good. This is my very own Sriracha Salmon! I will explain the recipe with the vegetables I used, but feel free to change them to suit your preferences and tastes.

Ingredients

• 1 salmon fillet (choose your preferred size), skin on preferably, boned.
• 1/2 large, white onion, finely chopped.
• 1 medium carrot, chopped.
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped.
• 1/2 cup squash, cubed.
• 1 cup of spinach.
• 1/2 cup brocoli.
• 1 tomato, chopped.
• Pinch of smoked paprika (optional, I really like the smokey flavour).
• 2 tables of Sriracha sauce (I used the on with the Rooster on the bottle).
• Black pepper.
• Olive oil.

Method

1. Put the squash in a pot with water and boil (until soft, check regularly throughout cooking).
2. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and add the onion, paprika (if using) and black pepper.
3. Add all the sriracha sauce and stir well.
4. Cover with a lid and leave the onions to soften, stirring occassionally.
   Note; I add a dash of vinegar here to keep it from burning to the bottom, this is optional.
5. Make a space in the middle of the pan and add the salmon, skin side down (if there’s skin on the fillet).
6. Allow the salmon to cook for about 2 minutes (or until it’s gone pale pink about half way up the fillet).
7. Flip the salmon and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
8. Turn the heat off and add the remaining vegetables, cover and leave for 2 minutes.
   Note; I enjoy my vegeables being crunchy and only warmed through, add them in step 3 or 4 for cooked vegetables.

   Note; Serve with natural yoghurt or non-fat greek yoghurt if you enjoy spice but it proves too much.
   Note; A great carbohydrate for this would be sweet potato, add 1 small sweet potato (chopped) with the squash.

I really enjoyed this, I’m a huge fan of salmon and was so glad I didn’t ruin it with my experiments!

Gym Bug

Foodie Challenge #4

Hi there!

Trying lots of recipes recently! Classes are about to start so it will likely become less frequent but I will try maintain my one new recipe a month! Last nights dinner was a delicious Sweet Potato and White Bean stew, I got the inspiration to this from this recipe but made many edits. What’s great about this is it uses any leftovers from last Foodie Challenge #3!

Ingredients (for one);

• 1 medium sweet potato, chopped into chunks.
• 1 carrot, chopped.
• 1/2 large white onion, finely chopped.
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped.
• 1 cup spinach.
• 1/2 cup aubergine, cubed.
• 2-3 mushrooms, sliced.
• 1/2 cup brocoli.
• 100g white beans.
• 200g tinned tomatoes.
• 1 teaspoon cumin.
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes.
• 100ml red wine.
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed.
• Crushed black pepper.
• Olive oil

Method;

1. Heat some olive oil in a pan and soften the garlic and onions (use a lid to do this).
2. Add the cumin, black pepper and chili flakes and stir to coat over the onions.
3. Add all the vegetables, sweet potato and tinned tomatoes and mix well.
4. Add the beans and the red wine and stir it well.
5. Cover with a lid and cook gently on a simmer for 40-50 minutes until the vegetables are tender, the sweet potato is soft and the stew has thickened.
6. Taste and season further as required.

This takes longer to cook than my other recipes but it’s delicious, filling and healthy!

It looks very similar to yesterdays post but it’s sweet potato not prawns in it!

Not going to lie, I’m really enjoying this challenge!

Gym Bug

Foodie Challenge #3

Hi there!

Another Foodie Challenge post today. This was last nights dinner and was based on Runner’s World Complete Guide to Nutrition recipe for Prawns and White beans. I edited the recipe slightly to add more vegetables to it.

Ingredients (for one);

• 200g tinned tomatoes
• 100g white beans
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup of spinach
• 1/2 large white onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• Crushed black pepper
• 10 prawns, cooked (you can add more or less also mine just needed their shells removed)
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup brocoli, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes

Method;

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the onions and garlic.
2. Place a lid on the pan and soften the onions.
3. Add the tomatoes, paprika (both kinds), chili, black pepper and peppers, stir everything together.
4. Place a lid on the pan and allow the mix to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the spinach and the beans and stir together well.
6. Add the prawns and allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes to make sure the prawns are hot.
   (Taste the sauce and add any additional seasoning if desired)
7. Sprinkle the brocoli over the top, remove from heat and allow the dish to sit for 1 minute.
   (Here you can boil the brocoli if you prefer it soft, but I enjoy brocoli raw and crunchy)

That’s it! Nice and healthy and very easy. It’s also relatively cheap (the prawns may not be) but you can replace the prawns with chicken! Just add the chicken with the onions in step 1 and ensure it’s cooked through before serving!

I love prawns and the extra kick from the chili gave a nice heat to it!

Gym Bug

Foodie Challenge #2

Hi there!

Another Foodie Challenge post! Today’s post is inspired by a good friend’s incredible soup recipe with lentils, tomatoes, onions and lots of amazing seasoning!

Ingredients (makes about 10 bowls)

• 500g puy lentils (best leave these to soak for an hour prior to making the recipe)
• 800g tinned tomatoes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 4 sticks of celery, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 inch piece of ginger finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons mixed Italian herbs
• 2 teaspoons Chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 stock cube
• Black pepper
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil

Method

1. Fill a pot halfway with water and start to boil.
2. Add all the vegetables, lentils, garlic, ginger and sweet potato into the water.
3. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for approximately 30 minutes (until the lentils are soft)
4. Add the tomatoes and herbs.
5. Stir it all together well and allow to simmer for a further 10 minutes.
6. Taste the soup and season as required.
7. My friend added some leeks at this stage and cooked for a further 5 minutes, this is optional.
8. You can puree the soup or leave it nice and chunky.

This is truly a delicious and addictive soup but it’s nice a healthy! You can add more vegetables too such as courgette (zucchini), potatoes and aubergine (eggplant) too to add more vegetables. You would add these with the carrots! Another nice thing to do is to slice an entire aubergine lengthways, add a light drizzle of olive oil and some black pepper then griddle them as delicious dipping devices instead of bread! (We didn’t make these). And that’s it! A very easy soup that got protein in it and lots of healthy vegetables!

Gym Bug

Foodie Challenge #1

Hi there!

So I decided to try a new recipe as part of my Foodie Challenge. I made an attempt at Runner’s World Endurance Boosting Pisto from their amazing book The Complete Guide To Nutrition. It’s filled with advice, research, knowledge and delicious looking recipes that are healthy and help you perform at your best! They have a whole array of books available to look at here. Now for the recipe.

This serves 2 people and takes approximately 30 minutes start to finish.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, deseeded, diced
• 2 garlic gloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried chillies
• 300g aubergine, cut into 2cm pieces
• 200g courgette, cut into 2cm pieces
• 400g skinned, chopped tomatoes (fresh or tinned)
• 2 large free-range eggs
• Pinch of hot pimenton (paprika)
• Sea salt and frehly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the onions and peppers and cover.
2. Cook them gently for 7 minutes or until golden.
3. Stir in the garlic, cumin and chillies and cook for 1 minute.
4. Stir in the aubergine and cover and cook for 4 minutes.
5. Stir in the courgette, season and cook for 4 mins.
6. Stir in the tomatoes, 150ml water and seasoning, simmer for 7 minutes (you want the veg to be tender and the sauce thick).
7. Break the eggs on top and sprinkle with pimenton (paprika), cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer gently until the eggs are cooked.

Here is what I ended up with! Not quite like the recipe photo, but it tasted really good despite appearances!

I had some variations, mainly portions, this does serve two but this was my dinner so I used 2 medium eggs instead and was unable to weight the vegetables so I just went for what I fancied. This is delicious and I really enjoyed it!

So there’s Foodie Challenge #1 complete! Stay tuned to see what I attempt next!

Gym Bug

A Foodie Challenge

Hi there!

So I’m back in Spain with mixed feelings. I’m missing home majorly but my whole family is visiting me at some stage this semester so I better get my act together! But in an attempt to keep myself busy I have set myself a challenge and I recommend you all to try it to!

I’ve decided that at least once a month I’m going to tackle a new recipe. Whether it’s from trust Pinterest, a cookbook, online or a nutrition book my sister gave me I want to try a new recipe every week. I shall be posting updates of new recipes I try out here on my blog so keep your eyes peeled! I say ‘once a month’ because I know that I wouldn’t be able to manage once a week once classes start again!

I intend to start this next week after my last exam (I really need to knuckle down for this one) so there may not be much activity between now and Wednesday (the date of the exam).

But if you decide to try out the Challenge keep me updated! I would love recipe inspiration too!

Gym Bug