I threw together this delicious salad at the weekend, using some fruit which I had left in the refrigerator, a bit of pasta and some leftover chicken and a few other odds and sodds.  Spring has me craving salad.  This was light and flavourful and yet hearty enough to make a meal.  The lemon and poppyseed dressing is a dressing that goes well on a lot of salads, but it especially went well on this.

One of my favourite things to get when we are eating out is a Chicken Sandwich or Burger.   Yes, I know  . . .  we eat chicken all the time at home, and dollars to donuts I eat it again when we are out and about.  I am just a boring person I guess!  Chicken Sandwiches or Burgers can often be very high in fat and calories however and so today I created one which is delicious and a little bit healthier than normal, well certainly healthier than those breaded deep fried ones you get in the restaurants . . .  and not only that, but it is pretty economical as well.

One of my favourite soups has to be broccoli and cheese soup.  I just love it.  I love broccoli anyways, and when you combine it with cheese, well  . . . that is just a match made in heaven.  This delicious casserole today had very similar ingredients as broccoli cheese soup, except it's not soup, it's a fabulous casserole that will have your family scrambling for seconds!

I have been taking a  Cooking for Diabetes Class thru the NHS on Thursday afternoons for the past month.  Today is my last class.  I really wasn't sure if I would learn anything by taking the course, but I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised and I have really learned an awful lot.  Plus everything we have cooked has been healthy, low in fat, high in fibre and quite surprisingly delicious!

 

After all the comforts of the Christmas period, the thought of a detox can be daunting. But what if you could still eat foods packed with flavour AND be healthier at the same time? The ‘Mediterranean diet’ is exactly this, having been at the forefront of the media in recent years due to its appealing balance of delicious food and enormous health benefits. The tomato is a key ingredient in many Mediterranean dishes and tinned tomatoes are used just as frequently as fresh produce, with Cirio’s authentic tinned tomatoes being the best loved in Italy!

Back to healthy eating here in my house.  We've had enough of over-indulgence.  Time to get back on the horse and moving forward.   You see a lot of these slider type of sandwiches about.  They are very popular with families and for footie games.   I thought I would try to create a somewhat healthier version by using ground turkey, and by jove I think I cracked it!

I know what you are thinking  . . .  skinny mac and cheese?  Can it be possible.  Well, in all truth, there is no such thing as truly skinny mac and cheese, and a better name would probably be skinnier mac and cheese, but hey!  If you can cut the calories in a dish like this and not lose any of the flavour, and end up with a dish that still tastes somewhat indulgent, then I would say job well done!

It's not surprising when you start to add up all of the calories in all of the dishes, mains and sides, that people in the UK and other Western countries take in by eating Christmas lunch alone we are talking at a massive amount of caloric intake, for just one meal, not to mention the whole day through . . .  as the feasting begins in the morning and continues on up into the night!   I have tried to come up with a few sides this year that won't break the calorie bank, and yet are still delicious and which feel luxurious.  This Skinny Sprout and Carrot Gratin I am showing you today is one of them.

Finding a dessert during the holidays that is diabetic friendly and good for those who are slimming can be a real challenge.  I think I have come up with the perfect solution.  It is diet friendly, light, sugar free and it actually tastes delicious.  It will never quite replace cake or pie . . .  but it's nice nevertheless.

In my quest for eating healthier I baked us some delious Mini Turkey Loaves  for supper the other night.  These are FAB ulous!  Moist and filled with lovely flavours.

We had a Missionary Meeting in Manchester on Monday for all of the Senior Couples.  We were asked to bring pot luck.  I thought about making something hot to take, but was concerned that I wouldn't be able to keep it warm until we got there.  I also thought about making Deviled Eggs, but then I was concerned that they wouldn't travel well, so in the end I decided to make my Spaghetti Salad!

One of my favourite salads is Tabouleh.   I first ate it at a party my brother was having.  I fell in love with it . . .  it's that beautiful colaberation of flavours . . .  lemon, mint, parsley, spring onions, tomatoes . .  cucumbers . . .  and then the bulgar wheat.  It's a perfect combination of flavours and textures!  Chewy, crunchy, tart, herby.  I love it all!