Frugal dieting - super scrummy spicy soup

I just made such a scrummy lunch, I had to share it! It was SO tasty! So tasty, in fact, that I forgot to take a photo! I'll be making it again this week so I'll try and remember then!

Ok, you could definitely serve this to 2 people. Especially if you serve bread with it. I'm greedy though and am calorie counting and knew I was allowed all of it!

Total calorie count is approx 355 so you can indulge yourself and scoff the lot or share it (grudgingly) and only use 177 calories! 

I chopped the veg in the food processor so it was super speedy. 

Ingredients 

A little olive oil

1 onion, slices

2 celery sticks, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1/2 a yellow pepper, finely chopped

1 tsp of each: ground cumin, ground coriander, mild chilli powder, mild curry powder, dried thyme 

1/2 a tsp ground cinnamon, turmeric, crushed chillies

400g tin of tomatoes

Salt and pepper

1 heaped tsp coconut milk powder 

100g mixed bean salad 

1 tsp balsamic vinegar 

Method 

Fry the onion in the oil until softened. Add the chopped veg and all the herbs and spices. Cook over a medium heat for a couple of minutes, keeping it moving. Add the tomatoes and about half a tin of water. Add the salt and pepper and the coconut milk powder and stir. Add the bean salad and balsamic, bring to the boil and reduced to a simmer for about 5 mins. 

Scoff!

Speedy coleslaw to save your sad veggies!

A seriously speedy way to save your sad-looking vegetables from the bin!

Make coleslaw with pretty much any veg. 

I had a handful of brussel sprouts that desperately needed used so I chucked them in the food processor with a carrot on the grater setting. I added 2 tbsps mayonnaise, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and some salt and pepper. Mix it all up and pop it in a tub. It almost filled a butter tub. This is how many brussels I used... 

And the yield was this... About 2/3 of a tub. 

It took me less than 5 mins but it would only take you another 5 mins or so if you grated it all by hand. 

Happy baked potatoes or sandwiches to follow! 

Baked risotto - the easiest meal you'll make!

I've never made a baked risotto before but I went to a pampered chef night at my friend's house on Friday and they made one there. It took minutes to put together and then the oven did the rest. 

I've been in the veg garden all day and came in absolutely shattered and desperate for a bath so I literally chopped a few things up and chucked it all in an oven dish and stuck it in the oven while I had my bath. It was ready when I got out and was the perfect comfort food, which I troughed while I caught up on Call The Midwife! 

Ingredients

1 mug of risotto rice. I used arborio. 

1 pack of dried porcini mushrooms

A couple of inches of chorizo, sliced 

1 leek, sliced ( I just had small leeks, from the garden, so used 3)

A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

A couple of knobs of butter

A good grating of hard cheese. I used grana padano. Any cheese, even cheddar, would be nice. 

Method

Cover the mushrooms in boiling water and let them hydrate. 

Put the leek, rice, tomatoes and chorizo in an oven dish. 

When the mushrooms are ready, add them to the dish. 

Put the mushroom liquor into the mug that you measured the rice in. You'll need  2.5 mugs full so if you haven't got enough, top up with hot water. 

Give it a stir and put the butter on the top. I used some of the wild garlic butter that i made last week. 

Put it in the oven at gas mark 5 for about 45 minutes. Do check it after 30 mins though. If it needs more water, feel free to add. 

Grate cheese over and stir it in. Grate some more over the top. Pop it back in the oven for a couple of mins. 

Serve with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar over it.