Erm's Photo Diary

[ermintrude]

Sunday 11th Mar Green

Breakfast: Coffee & toast 1.2 HEXA, 1 HEXB
Lunch: Spicy spaghetti & almond and lemon polenta cake too many syns
Tea: Chicken Katsu 1 HEXB & 1.5 syns for chicken, 2.5 syns for cornflake coating. 7 syns for katsu sauce (coconut, almonds, honey, ketchup, cornflour)
Snacks: Muller with cherry underlay 1.5 syns

Welll... we went off for a walk and intended to go for a coffee at this place we haunt. Then the OH decides he's hungry. So I think Ohhhhh one pasta wont hurt, given that I took yesterday off anyway. So I picked this dish that used to be my fave, spicy spaghetti. And theeeeeeen well the cake was looking at me. Well they all were. So I picked the Almond, Lemon & Polenta cake. Then I changed my mind and swapped it for the Lemon Cheesecake. Then I changed it back again and got the Polenta cake. Well I was actually pretty damn pleased with myself for not just buying both

And I was bummed cos my spicy spaghetti was cr@ppe! Nothing like it used to be, it was like a tin of CrappieStuffe :cry:

But the cake made up for it! Nom! :drool:

(We actually had the cake as starter as it took 'em an hour to cook some cold crappetti )

After that we was soooo stuffed I didnt think I was gonna want any tea, but we walked for miiiiiles! Then came home and made my Chicken Katsu - which was fabtastic!!! :drool:

The crust is cornflakes! Fab idea! You could probably make a HEX version if you tried but it was only a coupla syns. The sauce was nice and went sooooooo well with the rice & soya beans! I made my own korma paste from a Jamie Oliver recipe and included coconut & almonds, which you could also HEX if you tried I think. I think you could use tomato puree and add a bit of Splenda instead of ketchup if you want? And omit or sub the cornflour. Its definitely editable to make it low syn/HEXes but tbh it's well worth the syns anyway Definitely on the Make Again list.

 

[ermintrude]

Monday 12th Mar Green

Breakfast: Coffee 1 HEXA
Lunch: Quorn tagine 1.5 syns with caesar salad 4.5 syns SPEEEWWWWWtastic!
Tea: Roast squash & shallots with merguez chickpeas 0.5 HEXB for oil
Snacks: Snap peas, baby corn, tomatoes, Quorn slices, Muller light

Not as exciting as it looks. And definitely not worth all the faff It's supposed to be a mezze but I did it as a main When I was making it there hardly looked any of it so I served the lot between 2 of us even though its supposed to serve 4 - baaaaaaaaaad mistake. VERY filling Also very sweet once you've eaten quite a bit, with the caramelised, sweet onions & squash Definitely not meant to be a main! Shoulda served 4 and done it with a salad lik wot it sez on da tin

 

[icklerockchick]

Cheese fest looks amazing mmm!

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[ThatBubbs]

How have I never spotted your thread before? I'm drooling like a madwoman! Subscribing to this so I can have a good nosey through everything when I get home

 

[dirtydancing]

am so jealous of the cheese feast. Glad you had a great time.

 

[JackieN]

OMG Erm cheese fest looks fab though :giggle: hope you enjoyed it silly thing to say really as know you and cheese

Hope all is well in your world my lovely :bighug: xxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[TtMummy]

What I like about your diary is that you own up to the syns, all the syns! Maybe I should try a diary. My week has been a synfest but not in a good way. Reading your last few posts reminds me that if you're gonna go off piste then make sure it's a proper one day black run and not a 4 day unspectacular but VERY unhealthy faff about on the nursery slopes. Thanks Erm. Chick peas looks nice. Chicken looks yum yum. Have you already posted a recip? X

 

[Candygirl69uk]

Hiya, hope you don't mind, I had a quick nosey through your diary and your food looks amazing. I love the idea of keeping photo diary, good inspiration for those days when you don't know what to make Just ordered some yogurt to make some of you cheese. Thanks for sharing with everyone.
Anna x

 

[ermintrude]

OMG Erm cheese fest looks fab though :giggle: hope you enjoyed it silly thing to say really as know you and cheese

Hope all is well in your world my lovely :bighug: xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hellloooo Jackiieeeee, how is you? I havent been keeping track, hope all is OK in your world?

Cheese fest is over now Put a pound on this week, but thats really not bad considering! Cheese lust outta my system now! Shall tootle over in a bit when Ive done today's foodies x

 

[ermintrude]

What I like about your diary is that you own up to the syns, all the syns! Maybe I should try a diary. My week has been a synfest but not in a good way. Reading your last few posts reminds me that if you're gonna go off piste then make sure it's a proper one day black run and not a 4 day unspectacular but VERY unhealthy faff about on the nursery slopes. Thanks Erm. Chick peas looks nice. Chicken looks yum yum. Have you already posted a recip? X

Yeah thats what I thought with the cheese thing, I've got to make it a one-night only otherwise Ill just snack every day So I did the big blow out then sent most of the leftovers to work with the OH to feed his workmates! :8855: I kept most of the cheese in the house cos I do mostly Green and can HEX that for with my lumnch/snacks etc and half of it is already mouldy so it doesnt really matter of a few more blue hairs start coming out of it... But I sent nearly all the crackers, bread, chutneys etc with the OH so they're outta temptation's way

Which chicken's that lovely? The Katsu? I got that outta the BBC mag, Ill post it in a bit when I find it x

 

[ermintrude]

Hiya, hope you don't mind, I had a quick nosey through your diary and your food looks amazing. I love the idea of keeping photo diary, good inspiration for those days when you don't know what to make Just ordered some yogurt to make some of you cheese. Thanks for sharing with everyone.
Anna x

tbh I *need* the photos as just keeping a food diary I can look back and its a meaningless mess of nonsenese that I cant even be bothered to read How the hell am I gonna remember what North African Chickpea Wotsistry even was in three weeks never mind three months! So I just photo it, stick it on flickr and write a note underneath of whether it was any good and if I changed anything in it. Then anything that was worth making again I email myself the recipe and stick it in my foodie-faves folder so I can dig it out at a later date

 

[ermintrude]

Tuesday 13th Mar Green

Breakfast: Coffee & fruit 1 HEXA
Lunch: Veggie chilli 0.5 syns for chocolate
Tea: Black bean soup with chocolate & chilli 2 syns for chocolate
Snacks: Snap peas, baby corn, tomatoes, carrots, Quorn slices, 3 Babybel 1 HEXB, Muller light

 

[ermintrude]

Righty, Chicken Katsu

I got this from the Good Food mag, April 2012

Chicken Katsu

Ingredients:
- 1 chicken breast per person
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp crushed cornflakes (about 14g) per person

For the Katsu sauce:
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2-3 tbsp korma paste (I made my own from the Jamie Oliver recipe, see below. You might want to use less than this, I like mine hot)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp cornflour

To serve:
- 1 red chilli, deseeded & very finely sliced
- fresh coriander
- basmati rice
- soya beans

Method:
- Heat oven to 180C
- Crush the cornflakes down to a fine crumb eg in a pestle & mortar
- Dip the chicken in the egg, coat in the cornflake crumbs and bake for 15-20min or until done
- Meanwhile put all the sauce ingredients in a pan, add 500ml water and heat, stirring, until thickened. Cover and simmer for 5 min.
- Cook the rice and soya beans

When cooked, put the rice/soya bean mix in a bowl, pour some sauce next to it, slice the chicken and place on top. Scatter with chillies and coriander. Done!

Like I say it worked out about 9.5 syns but was well, well worth it. :drool:

You could probably substitute quite a lot of it for SW-friendly stuff if you tried.
- 2 syns for the cornflakes - might be able to substitute a HEX-able cereal?
- 1.5 syns for ketchup - maybe could try tomato puree and Splenda?
- 1 syn for conrnflour - you could reduce/omit or sub with Smash or something?
- Korma paste - I made my own which worked out 3 syns for coconut and almonds but you could use an alternative one without nuts in, or HEX some it and/or use a bit less (mine was hot)
- and 1.5 syns for honey

But like I say, this sort of stuff is what I *like* to spend my syns on!

 

[WelshJojo]

Tuesday 13th Mar Green

Breakfast: Coffee & fruit 1 HEXA
Lunch: Veggie chilli 0.5 syns for chocolate
Tea: Black bean soup with chocolate & chilli 2 syns for chocolate
Snacks: Snap peas, baby corn, tomatoes, carrots, Quorn slices, 3 Babybel 1 HEXB, Muller light

That soup looks amazing is the recipe on this thread somewhere? x

 

[ermintrude]

Korma paste:
edited from a Jamie Oliver recipe:

Ingredients:
- 2-3 tsp cumin seeds
- 1-2 tsp coriander seeds
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 fresh green chillies
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut (20g = 6 syns)
- 2 tbsp flaked almonds (15g = 5 syns)

Method:
- Dry fry the coriander & cumin seeds in a pan for a few minutes until browning & aromatic. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- Crush the seeds in a P&M or spice blender
- Put all ingerdients in a food processor along with 2-3 tbsp water and whizz to a paste

Makes about 6 tbsp. I used 3 in the Katsu curry, which served 3-4 people so worked out about 2 syns per person.

 

[TtMummy]

Thanks Erm for the recips. I have been invaded by family this week and it's all fairly stressful. But I'm determined to get a food plan together for next week so going to scroll back through your thread for more inspiration!

Am I reading correctly that somewhere there's a cheese recip?!!

However mothering Sunday will be off piste, and I'm going for the one day black run version! He he x

 

[ermintrude]

That soup looks amazing is the recipe on this thread somewhere? x

Black bean soup with chocolate & chillies

I adapted this from the Dennis Cotter book For the Love of Food

Ingredients:
- 2 red onions, finely chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 chilli, desseded & finely chopped
- 1 chipotle chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
- 500g black beans, soaked overnight & drained
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 litre veg stock
- 3 squares dark chocolate, chopped (about 8 syns)
- juice of 1 lime
- spring onions, finely sliced
- fresh coriander

Method:

- fry onion in Fry Light for 5 min or until softening
- Add garlic, chillies, oregano, spices, pepper & celery & cook on a medium heat for 8 min until softening
- Add beans, tomato puree and stock and simmer for 40 min
- When done whizz 1/3 of the mix in a processor to thicken up. Return to pan and reheat
- Add the chocolate and stir in to melt
- Stir in the lime juice and a large pinch of salt (to taste)
- Serve in bowls with spring onion & coriander scattered on top

It was very nice but it could have done with a little more flavour IMO. DEFINITELY goes wonderfully with the spring onions & coriander on top though, don't serve it on its own ommm :drool: The original was meant to have avocado and stuff in too but we wont go there

 

[ermintrude]

Thanks Erm for the recips. I have been invaded by family this week and it's all fairly stressful. But I'm determined to get a food plan together for next week so going to scroll back through your thread for more inspiration!

Am I reading correctly that somewhere there's a cheese recip?!!

However mothering Sunday will be off piste, and I'm going for the one day black run version! He he x

Ah the cheese recipe is here, its labne - more a soft-cheese thing, a bit like Boursin.

 

[Shirleen]

Black bean soup with chocolate & chillies

I adapted this from the Dennis Cotter book For the Love of Food

Ingredients:
- 2 red onions, finely chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 chilli, desseded & finely chopped
- 1 chipotle chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
- 500g black beans, soaked overnight & drained
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 litre veg stock
- 3 squares dark chocolate (about 8 syns)
- juice of 1 lime
- spring onions, finely sliced
- fresh coriander

Method:

- fry onion in Fry Light for 5 min or until softening
- Add garlic, chillies, oregano, spices, pepper & celery & cook on a medium heat for 8 min until softening
- Add beans, tomato puree and stock and simmer for 40 min
- When done whizz 1/3 of the mix in a processor to thicken up. Return to pan and reheat
- Stir in the lime juice and a large pinch of salt (to taste)
- Serve in bowls with spring onion & coriander scattered on top

It was very nice but it could have done with a little more flavour IMO. DEFINITELY goes wonderfully with the spring onions & coriander on top though, don't serve it on its own ommm :drool: The original was meant to have avocado and stuff in too but we wont go there

When does the chocolate go in? x

 

[Applekath]

Love your cheese fest. My idea of heaven!