Sweet potato filled with veggie chilli

I've been starting to cook a few more veggie meals recently. Not for any particular reason, just something different. This dish is one of my favourites at the moment. It's low in fat, tasty and easy - what more do you want from a mid-week meal!

This serves 2 (with a bit of chilli left over)

2 sweet potatoes
Veg oil
1 red onion
Garlic
1 red pepper
250g quorn mince (I bought frozen quorn)
1\2 tsp chilli powder
Tin of chopped tomatoes
Tin of kidney beans
2tsp tomato puree
1 veg stock cube

Bake the potato in the oven for about an hour.
Fry the onion, pepper and garlic in the oil until soft.
Stir in the quorn (you can do this from frozen), chilli powder, tomatoes, puree, kidney beans, stock cube, 200ml boiling water and bring to the boil.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Once the potatoes are ready you can cut them in half and fill with a big dollop of chilli!

Enjoy
Laura x

Afternoon snack - homemade houmous

I'm trying to eat really well at the moment ready for my holiday next month. I get home mid-afternoon after doing the school run and really have to resist opening the biscuit tin! I love houmous so decided to make my own and have it with cucumber and pepper sticks. It's so easy to make and healthy and even better, it puts you on until teatime!

Possibly something the kids might like too. I didn't think Alice would but she surprised me!

You would usually put some tahini paste in when you make it but I didn't have any, didn't miss it though because it was still really tasty.

Small tin of chickpeas (drained)
1/2 tsp garlic
A few glugs of lemon juice and olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 paprika

Literally blend it all up and keep adding a bit of water in until it's like a paste.

What's left over is fine in the fridge for a good few days.
Enjoy

Laura x

Slow Cooked Beef, Mushrooms and Tomatoes

I'm still feeling the need to cook stews, pies and casseroles. Its been a busy week so far and I'm wanting something thats easy to cook. I decided to do a dish that would be ready as soon as we got back in the house. Easy to prepare in advance and cooks all day in the slow cooker.

Eryn and Chris loved it and I served it with a warm crusty baguette to mop up all the juices.......

Slow Cooked Beef, Mushrooms and Tomatoes - serves 4

Ingredients 

2 Onions - quartered

3 Celery Sticks - roughly chopped

Handful of Chestnut Mushrooms - sliced or diced.

Hand full of Cherry tomatoes

1 tsp of Dijon mustard

900g of Good quality Stewing steak

1x Bouquet Garni

1x tin of chopped tomatoes

Salt and Pepper

1 pint of Beef Stock

Method

• Add the chopped onions, celery, diced beef, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes to the slow cooker.
• Add the beef stock, tin of tomatoes, bouquet garni, Dijon mustard and stir.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook on high setting for 6 hours.

Serve with crusty bread

Enjoy

Louise x

Getting bored of potatoes? Try these hassleback potatoes!

I was trying to decide what to cook on Sunday and I was looking for some inspiration to 'pimp' up a Sunday dinner. I came across these and thought I'd give them a go. So easy to make and results were great. They look fab on your plate and give a bit of texture to a Sunday dinner.

Ingredients

- New potatoes or a waxy potato (it won't work on floury potatoes)

- 3 tbsp Olive Oil

- 50g Butter

- Mardon Sea Salt

Method

- Preheat the oven to 180C

- So easy. Place a potato on a wooden spoon and cut through. The spoon will stop you    

  cutting all the way through. 

- Place 3 tablespoons of olive oil on a baking tray and 50g of butter. 

- Place the baking tray on the hob and heat to melt the butter. 

- When sizzling add the potatoes faced down to coat then turn them faced up. 

- Sprinkle some sea salt over the potatoes

- Bake for 30-40 mins until crisp and cooked

I served this today with pork. 

Enjoy

Louise x