Smoked Salmon and Green Bean Pasta

Yesterday we got our new cooker yay... time for nicer food at dinner :) I had saved the salmon for my mum and dad coming over but they'd already had a full cooked breakfast ( dad did) typical. So I decided to make a nice meal for Jace and I's dinner. Mum brought us a forest for the house ... well a parsley, chilli, cactus and what I call a butterfly plant. We will have green fingers in no time!

Ingredients

• Smoked Salmon (small packet diced)
• Chilli (1 large, 2 small diced) 
• Garlic (3 cloves diced) 
• Creme Fraiche (1tub) 
• Cheese (2 inch cubed grated)
• Green Beans (packet chopped)
• Lemon (juice of 1)
• Pasta (enough for 4)
• Handful of flatleaf parsley

Method

1. Put the pasta on to boil.
2. Add the chillis and garlic into a pan a simmer
3. Add the green beans and the juice of a lemon and leave to simmer for around 5 minutes .
4. Add the chopped parsley
5. Add the smoked salmon and simmer for 5 minutes
6. Add the cheese and smoked salmon and leave for a further 5 minutes
7. Drain the pasta and add the sauce.

Photographs

 

New Parsley Plant

New Chilli Plant

Green bean, garlic, chilli, parsley and lemon mix

yum yum smoked salmon

Green bean and salmon mix

The finished product

 

 

This was a nice with a hint of heat and zing from the chillis and lemon. I had cooked far too much so was able to cool the rest down and keep for lunch tomorrow.

Ease: (8/10)

Taste: (8/10)

Look: (6/10)

Overall: (22/30)

 

This was a fairly simple meal and packed a punch in the flavour department - extremely good if you like strong flavours, if you don't I would half the chillis, garlic and lemon.

Smoked Salmon and Feta Cheese Bagel

Went shopping today - yay... We went to Tesco and the smoked salmon is reduced to under £2 so that was a must have as I am a big fan. This was a nice lunch time meal.

Ingredients

• Smoked Salmon (2 slices)
• Feta Cheese (3 inches cubed) 
• Chilli (half a small 1 and chopped finely)
• Iceburg Lettuce (handful)
• Bagel (1)
• Lemon Juice (half a lemon)

Method

1. Crumble the feta cheese and add the chilli and juice of  lemon and mix.
2. Cut the bagel in half, add the feta cheese mix.
3. Add the salmon and the iceburg lettuce.

Photographs

 

The Final Product

This was a great lunchtime meal especially as it is such a nice day.

Ease: (10/10)

Taste: (8/10)

Look: (6/10)

Overall: (24/30)

 

Very nice and if you do not like feta cheese (like Jace) swap it with philadelphia.

Summer Salad

For my first healthy meal it has to be a salad...yes sounds boring I know but was actually quite tasty...although I shouldn't have put chillies in it bleh....so I will list the ingredients minus the chillies. Also its kept pretty simple because this is all I had in the fridge.

 

 

Ingredients

 

• Carrots (2 - peeled and chopped into cubes)
• A handful of new potatoes (6-8)
• Green Pepper (Half - Cubed)
• Iceburg Lettuce (handful)
• Apple (1- chopped into cubes)
• Raisins (handful)
• olive oil (teaspoon)

Method

1. Boil the new potatoes skin on until ready
2. Add all other ingredients into a bowl and stir
3. Chop potatoes into cubes and add
4. Add a tablespoon of mayonaise and salt to taste

Photographs

  

The Basic Ingredients

The Final Product

 

 

This meal was suprisingly tasty for such a simple and quick meal. It was uber healthy and I am actually feeling satisfied (strange for me).

 

Ease: (10/10)

Taste: (6/10)

Look: (6/10)

Overall: (22/30)

 

Great for summer nights or even just a side salad. The mixture of fruit and veg made it extra tasty.

 

Laura xo

Lets get back to it!

Hey everyone!

Apologies for the minimal posts...I know it has been a while!

Guess what though?!?!

I have got a grown up job! My job title is: Media Builder and Forensic Assistant. The job is perfect...it incorporates everything I have learned at uni and allows me to expand my skill set. The people are all really friendly and it is a very relaxed, friendly office atmosphere (always good). If you would like a wee look at where I am working or just want to find out more... here is the website: http://www.r2s.co.uk/

Anyway since that is me all sorted, I get my weekends free to do what I want. This should allow me time to start cooking more!

I have also decided I NEEEEED to get fit... its getting rediculous... but for the past 2 weeks I have managed 3 gym sessions a week! I just need to start controlling my portions and watching what I eat.

There is however a slight hinderance to wanting to do all these new recipes.... Our oven is broken! (sob) So will be aiming to have that fixed by the end of the month. (I hope).

More Life Updates....

I moved in with the wonderful Jace and we are trying to get the house all sorted.

I graduated with a 2.1 in Forensic and Analytical Science (Hons)


P.S ... if anybody has any getting fit tips please let me know!

Laura xo

Ahh just found out I am lactose intolerant....but I love milk and cheese!

Hey guys, sorry it has been a while since my last update, so much on at the moment.

But but but, for the past week everytime I drink my usual glass of milk I have the worst guts imaginable (nice I know). So was speaking to my friend who is lactose intolerant and she said she had the same symptoms!

I love anything dairy so it is going to be a struggle for me at first, so if anyone out there has any good hearty recipes for people who are lacto free get in touch :)

I will try and post up another recipe or two this week.

Laura xo

Admitting Defeat, New Beginnings and Photos

Haha so mum was right (as usual)

There was no way I could keep this up once I'd gone back to uni etc. So I propose to update recipes here when I think they are good enough for you lovely viewers :)

They should all (hopefully) be healthy from now on as I do not want to keep piling on the pounds.

oooo and heres a few photos from the photoshoot that I was telling you all about :)

Laura xo

22nd - Pancakes with strawberries and lemon

Pancakes are always a winner, a variety of tasty options for the fillings, I went for the healthy option for once.

Ingredients

• Self-raising flour (8oz)
• Milk (7 floz)
• Sugar (3oz)
• eggs (2)
• pinch of salt
• olive oil
• lemon (squeezed)
• sugar (4tsps)
• Strawberries (handful, Chopped)

Method

1. Mix flour, milk, sugar, eggs and salt well and leave to settle
2. Add oil to pan and pour in batter mix
3. Leave on a medium heat and flip once bubbles appear on the surface
4. Cook until brown
5. Do this until all the mix is finished
6. mix lemon, strawberries and sugar and add to pancakes
7. Enjoy

Photographs

In the frying pan 

 Flower shaped case (not ideal for cooking)

 All the pancakes

NomNomNom

Ease:       (8/10)

Taste:      (8/10)

Look:      (8/10)

Overall:    (24/30)

Other options for fillings could include, cream, nutella, other fruits or ice cream yum.

Laura xo

21st - Thai Style Chicken Stir Fry

This was very quick and easy but I had a little cheat with a pre made sauce as it was cheaper in ASDA. 


Ingredients

• 1 bag of egg noodles
• Chicken breast (2 - diced)
• large red chilli (chopped into slices)
• ASDA Thai Sauce
• Mixed vegetables - butternut squash, carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts, mange tout
• Olive Oil (splash)

Method

• Mix the chicken and chilli and cook in a large frying pan until chicken is fully cooked
• add mixed vegetables and cook for a further 3 minutes
• add noodles and cook for another 2 minutes
• add thai sauce and cook for another 2 minutes stirring well.
• Plate up

Photographs

Chilli Chicken

Noodles

My Wee Cheat

All the ingredients without the sauce

Heating in the pan

Finished product

This was a good meal, yet another chicken dish, what can I say I'm a lover. The crunchy vegetables made a good texture change from the noodles.

Ease       (9/10)

Taste       (8/10)

Look        (6/10)

Overall:    (23/30)

Laura xo