Scotch Egg

I know the original Scotch egg is made with sausage meat but to make it healthier I've made it with lean minced beef.

I hope you really enjoy this recipe. Is a simple recipe but it is quite impressive. I think it would look awesome on a table if you have friends over.

My hubby was really impressed by it when he came home to this meal, so it was a great success.

Ingredients:

300 grams of lean minced beef
4 small eggs
Flour ( I used sesame flour but you can use oat flour or any flour you have at home)
1 egg whisked in a bowl
Onion
2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
Homemade bread crumbs (just blend 1 slice of wholemeal bread in the blender)

Step 1:

Boil some water in a sauce pan. Once the water is bubbling put in the eggs. Time them to boil for exactly 6 minutes. Once this goes off throw the water out and cover them with cold freezing water. (This step is to cool them down so the egg doesn't overcook.)

Step 2:

Prepare the meat. In a bowl add the meat, onion, herbs, garlic, dijon mustard, sea salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Step 3:

Peel the eggs.

Step 4:

Prepare your station with 3 bowls: 1 with flour, 1 with a whisked egg, and 1 with breadcrumbs.

Step 5:

Grab some meat and form a flat burger. Roll the egg in some flour and place inside the rolled meat and form a ball.

Step 6:

This is where the bowls from step 4 become important. Carefully roll the ball in the bowl containing flour, then in the whisked egg bowl mix, and finally in the bowl containing the breadcrumbs.

Step 7:

Fry them in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil, at a low heat, for about 20 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Scotch Egg

I know the original Scotch egg is made with sausage meat but to make it healthier I've made it with lean minced beef.

I hope you really enjoy this recipe. Is a simple recipe but it is quite impressive. I think it would look awesome on a table if you have friends over.

My hubby was really impressed by it when he came home to this meal, so it was a great success.

Ingredients:

300 grams of lean minced beef
4 small eggs
Flour ( I used sesame flour but you can use oat flour or any flour you have at home)
1 egg whisked in a bowl
Onion
2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
Homemade bread crumbs (just blend 1 slice of wholemeal bread in the blender)

Step 1:

Boil some water in a sauce pan. Once the water is bubbling put in the eggs. Time them to boil for exactly 6 minutes. Once this goes off throw the water out and cover them with cold freezing water. (This step is to cool them down so the egg doesn't overcook.)

Step 2:

Prepare the meat. In a bowl add the meat, onion, herbs, garlic, dijon mustard, sea salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Step 3:

Peel the eggs.

Step 4:

Prepare your station with 3 bowls: 1 with flour, 1 with a whisked egg, and 1 with breadcrumbs.

Step 5:

Grab some meat and form a flat burger. Roll the egg in some flour and place inside the rolled meat and form a ball.

Step 6:

This is where the bowls from step 4 become important. Carefully roll the ball in the bowl containing flour, then in the whisked egg bowl mix, and finally in the bowl containing the breadcrumbs.

Step 7:

Fry them in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil, at a low heat, for about 20 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

20 Simple Tips & Advice to Lose Weight And Be Healthier!

1. Avoid foods you see advertised on TV!
2. Eat food that are cooked by humans not machines!
3. It is not food if it arrived through the window of your car
4. It's not good food if it's called the same in every language (ie. cheetos, pringles, big mac etc)
5. The whiter the bread the more fat you will store
6. If you are going to eat junk cook it yourself! (ie. homemade burger, chips with real potato, etc) Unless of course is you weekly cheat meal
7. Stop eating before you feel full, our body takes times to actually know when you are full so don't eat until you can't move.
8. Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored!
9. If you are not hungry enough to eat an apple or veggies then you are not hungry, you are just anxious.
10. Eat slowly
11. Serve a proper portion and don't go back for seconds
12. Take in mind the old saying: "Breakfast like a king, lunch as a prince, dinner like a pauper" unless of course you train at night and you know whats best to intake around your workouts.
13. Homemade not home cooked!
14. Don't drink your calories! eat them! (frizzy drinks or alcohol)
15. Moderate your alcohol intake
16. Don't eat less, eat better!
17. Snack! Just snack smart!
18. Visualize yourself as how you want to look before you eat something and think: "Is this gonna help me look like I want to?" if the answer is no, don't eat it!
19. Exercise! MOVE MORE!
20. Being sleep deprived and stressed is going to be a huge sabotage for weight loss so rest and relax!

20 Simple Tips & Advice to Lose Weight And Be Healthier!

1. Avoid foods you see advertised on TV!
2. Eat food that are cooked by humans not machines!
3. It is not food if it arrived through the window of your car
4. It's not good food if it's called the same in every language (ie. cheetos, pringles, big mac etc)
5. The whiter the bread the more fat you will store
6. If you are going to eat junk cook it yourself! (ie. homemade burger, chips with real potato, etc) Unless of course is you weekly cheat meal
7. Stop eating before you feel full, our body takes times to actually know when you are full so don't eat until you can't move.
8. Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored!
9. If you are not hungry enough to eat an apple or veggies then you are not hungry, you are just anxious.
10. Eat slowly
11. Serve a proper portion and don't go back for seconds
12. Take in mind the old saying: "Breakfast like a king, lunch as a prince, dinner like a pauper" unless of course you train at night and you know whats best to intake around your workouts.
13. Homemade not home cooked!
14. Don't drink your calories! eat them! (frizzy drinks or alcohol)
15. Moderate your alcohol intake
16. Don't eat less, eat better!
17. Snack! Just snack smart!
18. Visualize yourself as how you want to look before you eat something and think: "Is this gonna help me look like I want to?" if the answer is no, don't eat it!
19. Exercise! MOVE MORE!
20. Being sleep deprived and stressed is going to be a huge sabotage for weight loss so rest and relax!

10 Different Healthy Lunch Boxes For Kids

Guys, since the kids are now back in school and my little man has just started his play group,  I jotted down a few ideas for healthy lunch snacks which I've now turned into a blog post to share a few ideas to help keep our kids heathy!

No.1 Banana pancakes & Fruit

This is my usual recipe of banana pancakes: 1/2 cup of raw oats, 1 banana, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Blend all the ingredients and cook as regular pancakes. Send a piece of fruit with them. 

You can cook them a night before or for the entire week. Once prepared you can then freeze them in individually wrapped portions, and then take out the night before you need them. 

No. 2 Chesse Ham Rolls, Carrot & Cucumber sticks and Oat Biscuits

You can make cheese rolls with cheddar, or with cream cheese and ham. I part boiled the carrots and cut a few cucumber sticks before serving with some oat biscuits.

No.3 Shaped Sandwiches, Nuts & a piece of fruit

Sandwich filing ideas: Ham & cheese, Cream cheese and banana, peanut butter and home made strawberry jam, almond butter, tuna and chocolate spread with strawberries.

No.4 Grated Apple and Cheddar Quesadilla

To make the quesadilla, simply grate 1 apple and some cheddar cheese and combine them. Place them inside a wholemeal wrap. fold in half  and cook in a frying pan until the cheese has melted. Cut in fours and then it's ready to go. They are delicious and kids love them.

No.5 Crackers, Cheese and Fruit

This is a very simple idea, especially for those days that you are in a rush and have not much time to prepare something.  This is a really quick yet nutritious lunch box.

No.6 Veggie-egg Muffins, Fuit & Yogurt

To make this I simply chopped a piece of green and red peppers, 1/2 tomato, 1 tablespoon of chopped onion. Combined in a bowl with 1 egg, grated cheese , sea salt and pepper. Place mixture inside muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius

No. 7 Chicken stripes, Popcorn & Fruit

Those left over pieces of chicken from dinner are a great option for next day lunch box. Add some popcorn and a piece of fruit and you have a very complete and nutritious lunch box

No. 8 Apple Chips, Nuts & Raisins

These apple chips are so easy to make! Simply slice an apple as thin as you can. Cover a tray with grease-proof paper. Place the sliced apple on top and bake for 30 minutes at 150 degrees celsius. Allow them to cool down to crisp. You can sprinkle them with a bit of cinnamon. They are delicious!

You can make sweet potato crisps as well.

No. 9 Almond Butter Rice Sandwiches, Banana & Yogurt

This option as well is for those days where you are in a rush. You can still manage to send them something healthy.

No. 10 Baked Oats, Yogurt & Fruit

I made these baked oats in a muffin shape as opposed to a big square as I cooked it before. Here is the recipe for the baked oatmeal muffins: http://momfitnessdiary.blogspot.ie/search?q=baked+oatmeal

Avoid sending sugary snacks for your kids. Is our responsibility as parents to help them and educate them to like healthy and nutritious food. They will thank you later in life and you are helping preventing a number of sickness!

  Remember that every time you eat you are either feeding disease or fighting it!

10 Different Healthy Lunch Boxes For Kids

Guys, since the kids are now back in school and my little man has just started his play group,  I jotted down a few ideas for healthy lunch snacks which I've now turned into a blog post to share a few ideas to help keep our kids heathy!

No.1 Banana pancakes & Fruit

This is my usual recipe of banana pancakes: 1/2 cup of raw oats, 1 banana, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Blend all the ingredients and cook as regular pancakes. Send a piece of fruit with them. 

You can cook them a night before or for the entire week. Once prepared you can then freeze them in individually wrapped portions, and then take out the night before you need them. 

No. 2 Chesse Ham Rolls, Carrot & Cucumber sticks and Oat Biscuits

You can make cheese rolls with cheddar, or with cream cheese and ham. I part boiled the carrots and cut a few cucumber sticks before serving with some oat biscuits.

No.3 Shaped Sandwiches, Nuts & a piece of fruit

Sandwich filing ideas: Ham & cheese, Cream cheese and banana, peanut butter and home made strawberry jam, almond butter, tuna and chocolate spread with strawberries.

No.4 Grated Apple and Cheddar Quesadilla

To make the quesadilla, simply grate 1 apple and some cheddar cheese and combine them. Place them inside a wholemeal wrap. fold in half  and cook in a frying pan until the cheese has melted. Cut in fours and then it's ready to go. They are delicious and kids love them.

No.5 Crackers, Cheese and Fruit

This is a very simple idea, especially for those days that you are in a rush and have not much time to prepare something.  This is a really quick yet nutritious lunch box.

No.6 Veggie-egg Muffins, Fuit & Yogurt

To make this I simply chopped a piece of green and red peppers, 1/2 tomato, 1 tablespoon of chopped onion. Combined in a bowl with 1 egg, grated cheese , sea salt and pepper. Place mixture inside muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius

No. 7 Chicken stripes, Popcorn & Fruit

Those left over pieces of chicken from dinner are a great option for next day lunch box. Add some popcorn and a piece of fruit and you have a very complete and nutritious lunch box

No. 8 Apple Chips, Nuts & Raisins

These apple chips are so easy to make! Simply slice an apple as thin as you can. Cover a tray with grease-proof paper. Place the sliced apple on top and bake for 30 minutes at 150 degrees celsius. Allow them to cool down to crisp. You can sprinkle them with a bit of cinnamon. They are delicious!

You can make sweet potato crisps as well.

No. 9 Almond Butter Rice Sandwiches, Banana & Yogurt

This option as well is for those days where you are in a rush. You can still manage to send them something healthy.

No. 10 Baked Oats, Yogurt & Fruit

I made these baked oats in a muffin shape as opposed to a big square as I cooked it before. Here is the recipe for the baked oatmeal muffins: http://momfitnessdiary.blogspot.ie/search?q=baked+oatmeal

Avoid sending sugary snacks for your kids. Is our responsibility as parents to help them and educate them to like healthy and nutritious food. They will thank you later in life and you are helping preventing a number of sickness!

  Remember that every time you eat you are either feeding disease or fighting it!

Quinoa Bean Salad Recipe & Quinoa Nutritional Facts

Oh this salad is delicious is one of those dishes when you prepare them you can't stop picking on them!

This salad is full of goodness and nutrition! Quinoa, beans and sweet corn are an excellent source of carbohydrates so if you are trying to lose fat you have to measure it. So Measure 1/2 to 1 cup of the above mixture if you are a woman and 1-2 cups if you are man.

Quinoa:

With twice the protein content of rice or barley, quinoa is also a very good source of calcium, magnesium and manganese. It also possesses good levels of several B vitamins, vitamin E and dietary fibre.

Cooked quinoa seeds become fluffy and creamy, yet maintains a slight crunch. It has a delicate and subtly nutty flavor, versatile for breakfast (as a cereal), lunch (as a salad) or dinner (as a side).

Quinoa is among the least allergenic of all the grains, making it a fantastic wheat-free choice. Like buckwheat, quinoa has an excellent amino acid profile, as it contains all nine essential amino acids making it a complete-protein source. Quinoa is therefore an excellent choice for vegans who may struggle to get enough protein in their diets. 
 

A 100g serving of quinoa provides:

368 calories	14g protein	6g fat	64g carbohydrate	7g fibre

To cook quinoa:

Place quinoa in a saucepan doubling the amount of water on it.

So If you are cooking 1/2 cup of raw quinoa add 1 cup of water. For 1 cup of quinoa add 2 cups of water.

Bring it to the boil. Once boiling add a chicken or vegetable stock cube. Put a lid on it bring heat to the lowest setting and cook for 10-15 minutes or until water has evaporated. If you cook over cook it it can become mushy so be careful not to over do it! 

Ingredients for the salad:

1 can of pinto beans

1 cup of sweet corn

1/4 red pepper

1/4 green pepper

1/2 red onion

I personally like to boil the beans for 2 minutes to make them softer. I boil them with the water that comes in with the can. And throw away the water once ready

Chop up vegetables, and mix everything together. 

Season with sea salt, black pepper, garlic salt and fresh parsley.

I served with salmon fillet and it was absolutely delicious, healthy and very filling! I also had a big leafy salad with it! 

Quinoa Bean Salad Recipe & Quinoa Nutritional Facts

Oh this salad is delicious is one of those dishes when you prepare them you can't stop picking on them!

This salad is full of goodness and nutrition! Quinoa, beans and sweet corn are an excellent source of carbohydrates so if you are trying to lose fat you have to measure it. So Measure 1/2 to 1 cup of the above mixture if you are a woman and 1-2 cups if you are man.

Quinoa:

With twice the protein content of rice or barley, quinoa is also a very good source of calcium, magnesium and manganese. It also possesses good levels of several B vitamins, vitamin E and dietary fibre.

Cooked quinoa seeds become fluffy and creamy, yet maintains a slight crunch. It has a delicate and subtly nutty flavor, versatile for breakfast (as a cereal), lunch (as a salad) or dinner (as a side).

Quinoa is among the least allergenic of all the grains, making it a fantastic wheat-free choice. Like buckwheat, quinoa has an excellent amino acid profile, as it contains all nine essential amino acids making it a complete-protein source. Quinoa is therefore an excellent choice for vegans who may struggle to get enough protein in their diets. 
 

A 100g serving of quinoa provides:

368 calories	14g protein	6g fat	64g carbohydrate	7g fibre

To cook quinoa:

Place quinoa in a saucepan doubling the amount of water on it.

So If you are cooking 1/2 cup of raw quinoa add 1 cup of water. For 1 cup of quinoa add 2 cups of water.

Bring it to the boil. Once boiling add a chicken or vegetable stock cube. Put a lid on it bring heat to the lowest setting and cook for 10-15 minutes or until water has evaporated. If you cook over cook it it can become mushy so be careful not to over do it! 

Ingredients for the salad:

1 can of pinto beans

1 cup of sweet corn

1/4 red pepper

1/4 green pepper

1/2 red onion

I personally like to boil the beans for 2 minutes to make them softer. I boil them with the water that comes in with the can. And throw away the water once ready

Chop up vegetables, and mix everything together. 

Season with sea salt, black pepper, garlic salt and fresh parsley.

I served with salmon fillet and it was absolutely delicious, healthy and very filling! I also had a big leafy salad with it! 

Zucchini Bolognese

Zucchini Bolognese

This meal is the ideal evening meal as it is low carb and it is very feeling. You will not for sure be hungry after eating this dish. If you want to throw in some carbs you can add 1/2 cup of cooked pasta to give even more volume to it. I personally like like that.

You can make the meat for a few days and keep in the fridge for max 3 days and freeze the rest. Cook your zucchini fresh and you have a super quick healthy meal!

Ingredients: (1 portion)

1 zucchini
100 grams of beef or turkey mince meat
100 grams of passata (passata is a tomato sauce which is a better option than a canned tomato sauce due to its content of 99% tomatoes agains a can which only contains 60-70%)
1/2 onion chopped
1 celery stick chopped
1 carrot peeled and grated
fresh parsley
sea salt
pepper
chilli flakes

To make the meat start by sautéing  the onion, carrot and celery for a few minutes. Add then the meat until brown cooked. Pour the tomato sauce and season with sea salt, pepper and your fresh parsley.

To spirilize the zucchini I use a spirilizer from a brand called GEFU which I bought on Amazon is the small version and it is very handy. If you don't have one you can cut the zucchini in small and thin long sticks.

Spirilize your zucchini and sauté it in the pan for only 2 minutes season with pepper and chilli flakes.

You don't need to cook more the zucchini for more than 2 minutes as it turns very watery very quickly.

Plate your zucchini and top it up with bolognese sauce! If you are maintaining add up a bit of parmesan or cheddar on top. If you are losing I would recommend leaving the cheese out.

Hope you enjoy this dish.

Zucchini Bolognese

Zucchini Bolognese

This meal is the ideal evening meal as it is low carb and it is very feeling. You will not for sure be hungry after eating this dish. If you want to throw in some carbs you can add 1/2 cup of cooked pasta to give even more volume to it. I personally like like that.

You can make the meat for a few days and keep in the fridge for max 3 days and freeze the rest. Cook your zucchini fresh and you have a super quick healthy meal!

Ingredients: (1 portion)

1 zucchini
100 grams of beef or turkey mince meat
100 grams of passata (passata is a tomato sauce which is a better option than a canned tomato sauce due to its content of 99% tomatoes agains a can which only contains 60-70%)
1/2 onion chopped
1 celery stick chopped
1 carrot peeled and grated
fresh parsley
sea salt
pepper
chilli flakes

To make the meat start by sautéing  the onion, carrot and celery for a few minutes. Add then the meat until brown cooked. Pour the tomato sauce and season with sea salt, pepper and your fresh parsley.

To spirilize the zucchini I use a spirilizer from a brand called GEFU which I bought on Amazon is the small version and it is very handy. If you don't have one you can cut the zucchini in small and thin long sticks.

Spirilize your zucchini and sauté it in the pan for only 2 minutes season with pepper and chilli flakes.

You don't need to cook more the zucchini for more than 2 minutes as it turns very watery very quickly.

Plate your zucchini and top it up with bolognese sauce! If you are maintaining add up a bit of parmesan or cheddar on top. If you are losing I would recommend leaving the cheese out.

Hope you enjoy this dish.

Homemade Sausage Rolls

This rolls might not be as fit as my other recipes but they are a great idea if you are having friends over or just for kids meals. They are for sure healthier than the ones you buy in the supermarket.

Is a nice comforting treat for every now and again specially around christmas.

The best thing about them is that you can make them and freeze them and cook them from frozen any time you need them.

Ingredients:

400 grams of puff pastry
350 grams of meat sausage (you can buy sausage meat in any butchers or alternatively you can buy sausages and take the meat out of the little plastic they put around them)
1 tablespoon of honey
2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
1 garlic glove chopped
nutmeg
handful of fresh parsley
1 egg
1 egg for brushing pastry
sesame seeds

pre-heat oven at 150 degrees Celcius

Prepare your meat in a bowl with the honey, mustard, nutmeg, garlic and fresh parsley.

cut your already rolled pastry in stripes of 10 centimetres long
Place the meat in the middle
brush pastry around the edges with egg
Fold over pastry and press with your fingers
Brush on top with more egg and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top
Cut into desired size ( I love them mini but you can cut them any size you'd like)
Bake into oven for 25 minutes or until pastry is brown and crispy

Homemade Sausage Rolls

This rolls might not be as fit as my other recipes but they are a great idea if you are having friends over or just for kids meals. They are for sure healthier than the ones you buy in the supermarket.

Is a nice comforting treat for every now and again specially around christmas.

The best thing about them is that you can make them and freeze them and cook them from frozen any time you need them.

Ingredients:

400 grams of puff pastry
350 grams of meat sausage (you can buy sausage meat in any butchers or alternatively you can buy sausages and take the meat out of the little plastic they put around them)
1 tablespoon of honey
2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
1 garlic glove chopped
nutmeg
handful of fresh parsley
1 egg
1 egg for brushing pastry
sesame seeds

pre-heat oven at 150 degrees Celcius

Prepare your meat in a bowl with the honey, mustard, nutmeg, garlic and fresh parsley.

cut your already rolled pastry in stripes of 10 centimetres long
Place the meat in the middle
brush pastry around the edges with egg
Fold over pastry and press with your fingers
Brush on top with more egg and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top
Cut into desired size ( I love them mini but you can cut them any size you'd like)
Bake into oven for 25 minutes or until pastry is brown and crispy

Tomato Spicy Rissotto

As many of you know I love to have something cooked for the weekends as I don't like to be in the kitchen that much when hubby is around just so I can spend more time with him.

So this dish is very handy to do on a Friday to have ready for the whole weekend to serve with a bit of chicken, fish or a nice steak as it has a lot of vegetables in it you wouldn't need many side veggies apart from a nice leafy salad.

I made this in snapchat like 2 weeks ago and a lot of you guys did it and got great reviews about how amazing this dish was so I am pretty sure you won't retreat trying this recipe!


Ingredients:

1 courgette
1 onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1 leek
2 carrots
2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
2 cups of uncooked brown rice
500 ml passata
500 ml chicken or vegetable stock cube
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon curry
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Method:

Chop up all the vegetable ingredients
Sauté them in a saucepan with a dash of olive oil in a low heat for a few minutes
Add rice and straight away passata and stock
Condiment with spices
Cover saucepan with a lid
And cook in a very low setting for about 30 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Garnish with some fresh parsley.

Tomato Spicy Rissotto

As many of you know I love to have something cooked for the weekends as I don't like to be in the kitchen that much when hubby is around just so I can spend more time with him.

So this dish is very handy to do on a Friday to have ready for the whole weekend to serve with a bit of chicken, fish or a nice steak as it has a lot of vegetables in it you wouldn't need many side veggies apart from a nice leafy salad.

I made this in snapchat like 2 weeks ago and a lot of you guys did it and got great reviews about how amazing this dish was so I am pretty sure you won't retreat trying this recipe!


Ingredients:

1 courgette
1 onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1 leek
2 carrots
2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
2 cups of uncooked brown rice
500 ml passata
500 ml chicken or vegetable stock cube
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon curry
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Method:

Chop up all the vegetable ingredients
Sauté them in a saucepan with a dash of olive oil in a low heat for a few minutes
Add rice and straight away passata and stock
Condiment with spices
Cover saucepan with a lid
And cook in a very low setting for about 30 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Garnish with some fresh parsley.