In need of a crunch. Jool's 'Thai' Salad

Ingredients for 6 people – Prep time 10 min – No cooking

• 1 huge bunch coriander 
• 1 small bunch mint
• 1 lettuce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp finely chopped red chilli – more or less depending on heat desired
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• 1 tbsp finely chopped peanuts – can be skipped

1. Wash lettuce, coriander and mint.
2. Tear lettuce leaves in a bowl.
3. Roughly chop coriander. Add to bowl.
4. Separate mint leaves from stalks. Roughly chop leaves. Add to bowl.
5. Mix in an other small bowl all other ingredients.
6. Pour sauce when ready to serve, add peanuts and mix.

Sweet roasted potatoes

Unbelievably easy and so much healthier than fries.

Ingredients for 6 people – Prep time 10 min – Cooking Time 20 to 30 min.

• I calculate ½ potato for a woman and a whole one for a guy
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger.
• 1 tbsp finely chopped red chilli - more or less depending on heat desired
• 1 tsp grated garlic
• Salt
• Good olive oil

1. Cut potatoes lengthwise in order to get about 8 wedges, depending on size
2. Put in oven roasting pan
3. Add ginger, chilli, garlic, salt and some olive oil – just enough to coat the potatoes.
4. Mix with your hands making sure all the potatoes are evenly coated.
5. Stick in the oven for about 20 to 30 min – depending on size.

Goes fantastically well with the chicken burgers.

I smell BBQ. Chicken burgers with lemongrass and lime

I saw Bill Granger on TV making these burgers and I knew right there I had to make them. They have become a classic especially when it's hot as they are so much lighter than conventional burgers.

And for once I haven't changed anything. They are just perfect. I, now, have a craving for them.

I serve them with roasted sweet potato and a 'thai salad'.

Ingredients  for 6 people - Prep time 15 min. Cooking about 10 mins.

• 600 g  minced chicken 
• 1 onion, finely grated 
• 85 g fresh white breadcrumbs 
• 1 garlic clove 
• 1 lemongrass stalk white part only, finely chopped 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest 
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce 
• 2 teaspoons palm sugar 

To Serve 

• Soft rolls 
• Lettuce leaves 
• Fresh mint and coriander leaves 
• Chilli sauce 

1. Put the chicken mince, onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, lemongrass, coriander, lime zest, fish sauce and sugar in a large bowl and mix together well with your hands.
2. Shape into 6 patties, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat a barbeque or chargrill pan and brush with a little light flavoured oil such as grapeseed or canola.
4. Cook the patties for 4 minutes each side or until cooked through.
5. Serve on soft rolls with lettuce, mint, coriander leaves and chilli sauce.

Mad for the berry but not the muffin top? Blueberry muffins makeover.

Blueberry Muffins.

When it comes to muffins you have to give it to the Americans. They know their stuff. This recipe is a lighter version of the calorie loaded muffin that you might buy in a Starbuck. It’s so easy to make that you will think that there is something wrong. You will find that the dough is a little dry but do not worry as the blueberries make them as moist as can be.

Although I keep coming back to the blueberries, I have done these muffins with raspberries, fresh peaches and apricots, cut into pieces. Peeps you get it! As always you can adapt it to your mood.

Enjoy and as they are so light you can have two of them!

Ingredients are in cups this time round... Everybody should have a set of cups in their drawers. Buy them on Amazon or in your local supermarket.

• 1 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour.
• Slightly less than a ¼ cup agave syrup or ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup quick-cooking oats not instant
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup buttermilk plus 2 tbsp buttermilk – for the Brits 1 pot from the supermarket.
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp canola/rapeseed – it’s the same. If you don’t have you can use sunflower or olive oil.
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 ¼ cup blueberries washed and dried or any other fruit.

For the topping

• ¼ cup sugar free blueberry jam or any sugar free jam that goes with your fruit.
• 24 blueberries washed and dried.

Preheat oven to 190 C

1. Combine all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, that includes the sugar if not using the agave syrup.
2. In another bowl whisk all the wet ingredients together, that includes the agave syrup if using.
3. Toss fruit in the flour mix.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir gently.
5. Line a 12 count muffin pan with paper cups.
6. Divide batter evenly – great tip from the Barefoot Contessa use an ice cream scoop. All the same size.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 min or until tops are just set.
8. Remove pan from the oven; top each muffin with a tsp of jam and 2 blueberries.
9. Bake 3 to 5 min or until golden.
10. Cool in pan for 10 min and serve.
11. Now, try not to eat all of them!! 

• Recipe based on the one in Shape mag.

Cold turkey or why I quit the sugar crave. Barking mad I hear you say!

After a long hiatus I am finally back online.

I have never been a big sugar eater. The sugar quantities in my recipes are always at the lowest they can be. But at the beginning of the year I decided to ditch it totally.

I read somewhere that sugar eats your cells and makes you look older – oh vanity you will say! Big, big times. Who doesn’t like to be told they look younger than they are? Ladies??

Going under the knife freaks the hell out of me so I’m going down the natural way of keeping my youth. Well, one can hope.

I also found that ditching the sugar kept my own sugar levels in check. No more slump afternoons for me. I really like being on the go.

So ‘you don’t eat sweet things anymore?’ I hear you ask. I still do but even less than before. I have replaced the stuff with palm sugar, agave syrup, fructose and freedom sweet. All low GI. (You can find them in your local health store, supermarket or the internet depending on where you are on this planet.)

For those who still want to eat the stuff – though you really should think about quitting – I will now put both in my recipes so you can choose which one you want. But do give the sugar alternative a go as you will feel so much better after and your conscious will thank you for it as your waist. J

Hope you enjoy these new recipes.