Keeping my Men Fruity

This week, I tried out two recipes from the current edition of ESSENTIALS, which received not so warm reviews. Not so much because the food wasn't nice - in my opinion it was - but because my men are prejudiced when it comes to vegetables.

So, what, the gratin contained squash and sweet potato! It also contained parmesan, didn't it? It was creamy, wasn't it? (Though I replaced the cream with full fat yoghurt and 1 avocado - probably didn't lower the calories but the avocado fat is healthier) I even served them a meat skewer, didn't I?

Squash & Parmesan Gratin, p.119 -- takes 1 hour 20 though
(squash, potatoes, red onion, parmesan, double cream, chicken stock, garlic, parsley; cook covered for 50, then uncovered for 20 at 180)

I thought it was yummy at only 394 calories.

The next recipe didn't work so well because my grill isn't working, and baking the lamb cutlets just didn't do the trick. And can I please remember now that neither man nor boy like lemony things??!!

Meat & Two Veg with a Twist, p.109 -- 30 mins marinating, ready in 30 after that
(2 lamb cutlets per person; marinade made from zest of 1 lemon, garlic, parsley and chili flakes; 'sauce' made from capers, black olives, tinned artichokes & lemon juice; 3 small waxy pre-boiled potatoes each, threaded on to a skewer with asparagus spears; first put the marinated cutlets under the grill for 3-4 minutes per side, then add the skewers - brushed with some of the remains of the artichoke oil - for another 5 minutes; drizzle the 'sauce' over everything; serve. USE YOUR FINGERS)

As I love lemony things, I thought this was great; especially at only 409 calories!

I served both mealsa with a mixed salad. Unless there are steamed vegetables to go with a meal, I always serve a salad, and the men have not only come to expect it, they make their own when they're cooking. So, that's an enormous step towards the 5 a day.

And what's my way of keeping my men fruity? Keep a fruit bowl right next to where they're "working" and replenish with small, easy peel (or no peel!!) fruit, like clementines, plums, grapes etc. The more frugal my main meals get, the fruitier my men become - it's that easy!

Thyme and Thyme Again? BDD #16 Bread With Cheese

Parsnip & Parmesan Bread

(adapted from Delia Smith's recipe in HTC book 1 & her Vegetarian Collection)

for Bread Baking Day#16

(check out:

hoghigh.blogspot.com/)

I made this for our Burns supper (see last 2 posts), to go with the leek and potato soup, which was seasoned with rosemary and thyme.

Delia's recipe is with sage, a taste I'm not that keen on, so I used thyme (again) and parsley, and I also added garlic. The latter two mainly because I wanted them to feature in the look of the bread. I saw this on someone's blog and I thought it looked terrific.

Ingredients:
175g parsnips (peeled weight)
50g Parmesan (5 mm cubes)
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp parsley
1 clove of garlic
225g self-raising flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tbsp milk

topping:
parmesan shavings
1 clove of garlic
parsley
oil,
flour

You need: a small solid baking sheet
Pre-heat the oven to Gas mark 5, 375°F/190°C

Sift the flour, add the salt. Grate the parsnips coarsely, add to the flour together with the parmesan, thyme, parsley and finely cut garlic. Mix, then add the eggs and the milk. The dough should be rough, loose, sticky. Pat it on to the baking sheet into a 15 cm round, make a cross, scatter the Parmesan, sprinkle with some flour. Dip the parsley first into olive oil then into flour, arrange on top. Stick the whole garlic clove in the middle. Bake on a high shelf for 40 - 45 minutes.

Verdict: All in all, a success. It looked great and went reasonably well with the soup - a touch too sweet maybe. As I never tasted the original, I don’t know whether the sage tones the sweetness of the parsnips down, or whether thyme and garlic add even more. I would definitely bake it again, maybe to go with a more peppery, tomato based soup. The parmesan shavings on the outside were delicious.