Cauliflower Chicken Alfredo

 

(based on a  recipe from Diet Doctor)

Ingredients

140g bacon, diced

90og chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

200g baby spinach

200g cream cheese

35g shredded Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

560g cauliflower, cut into small florets

Method

Add the oil to a skillet, and heat. Fry the bacon until crispy and cooked through. Drain, and set aside.

Sauté the chicken. When it has almost done, add the garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Set aside.

Boil water for the cauliflower, and cook it for 5-7 minutes. 

Sauté the spinach until it shrinks, but no more. Set aside.

Add the cream cheese to the skillet. Add the parmesan cheese and mix well. Then add the drained cauliflower. 

Check the consistency of the sauce. If it is too thick, add some of the water the cauliflower was cooked in. Then add the bacon, chicken and spinach. If the sauce is too thin, simmer the dish until it is the right coating consistency.

Check seasoning, and serve.

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Today's walk: 950km
Accumulated total: 5.87km

Harcombe Planning

What a difference a day makes!  The sun is shining, and it's altogether glorious.

And, I'm struggling to think of anything to write about. ...

I have a plan, and it's about time I started thinking about bringing it to fruition. There's a load of extra me that I don't want, and don't need. It's time to declutter.

The plan is to return to the Harcombe Diet at the start of next month. At it's simplest, cook from scratch, steer clear of processed foods, and keep carbs and fats separate. 

What ever we are going to be eating needs to be planned. I'm far more likely to make good, healthy food then the thinking and food prep are separated.

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Today's walk: 800m
Accumulated total: 4.92km

Chicken Piccata

This is an incredibly tasty recipe. We are not fond of capers, so leave them out. But the lemon, garlic and butter sauce packs such a punch it stands without the capers.

Ingredients

4 chicken fillets

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp ground black pepper

2 Tsp olive oil 

3 Tsp butter

2 Tsp lemon juice

(3 Tsp capers)

1 lemon, sliced into wheels

chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Method
Preheat oven to 200C.

Season the chicken thighs generously on both sides with pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. 

Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the butter, lemon juice and sliced lemon.

Transfer to the oven, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and scrape up and mix in any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Plate the chicken and pour the sauce over top. Garnish with fresh parsley. 

Notes

This is wonderful served with steamed veggies and rice.

Pecorino Chicken

Ingredients

mini chicken breasts, cooked

pecorino (Italian sheep cheese)

asparagus or green beans

bacon or prosciutto

Method

Cut the pecorino into slices. Place a slice of cheese on the chicken breast, and then place asparagus spears (or green beans) on top. Wrap in prosciutto or bacon. 

Place in a pre-heated oven at 200C. Cook for 30 minutes.

Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto

600ml vegetable stock

225g brown rice 

2 Tsp olive oil

2 onions, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

225g frozen spinach, crumbled

100g sun-dried tomato paste

dried oregano

fresh basil

freshly ground black pepper

Heat the stock, and add the brown rice to the pot. Cook for 30 minutes.

In a large frying pan, fry the onions in the oil for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the cooked rice to the frying pan, along with the spinach, the sun-dried tomato paste and oregano.

Rip the basil into small pieces and toss through the risotto. Season. 

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 large cloves garlic, smashed

1 large bay leaf

1 kg passata

1 handful fresh basil, torn

black pepper

Method

Fry the onion in the oil over a medium heat until it begins to turn translucent (around 5-7 mins).

Add the garlic, and continue to fry for another couple of minutes, until the raw smell has gone.

Stir in the carrot and bay leaf, reduce the heat, and gently fry for about 20 minutes, until the onion becomes golden brown, and the carrots have softened.

Add the passata and bring to a gentle bubble. Turn the heat down very low and leave to gently simmer for another 20 mins or so, until it has reduced and thickened.

Stir in the basil and simmer for another five minutes.

Season with black pepper.

Chicken Kebabs

Last night was the first time I had cooked on a gas barbecue. It was an interesting experience. The vegetable kebabs were just about okay. They definitely need work. The chicken ones were great. I'll be making them again, and this time I'll pay attention to quantities of ingredients. So, here's the recipe sans quantities, but with ingredients and method.

Ingredients

chicken breasts

gluten-free soy sauce

gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

liquid smoke

diced garlic

diced ginger

onion powder

dried mixed herbs

lemon juice

vegetable oil

Method

Cut the chicken into cubes. If the chicken is thin, cut it into strips. The strips can be concertina-ed onto the skewers.

In a bowl mix the other ingredients, and then add the chicken. Work the chicken into the marinade, and put in the fridge for 4 hours.

Thread the chicken onto skewers. Drain the marinade into a saucepan and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Place the chicken kebab on the barbecue, and the marinade over the top. When the bottom the chicken is almost done, flip it, and put marinade on that side. When the new bottom has been cooked, flip again and cook for another few minutes.

Notes

These were served with fresh bread, vegetable kebabs, potato salad, and salad leaves with goat's cheese, tomatoes and basil.

Carrot Soup

Ingredients
1 Tsp vegetable oil
1 onion, slices
500g carrots, chopped
1 tsp garlic, chopped
1 tsp ginger, crushed
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1.5l vegetable stock

Method
Gently fry the onion in the vegetable oil until the onion begins to acquire a little colour. Add the carrot, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic, ginger and coriander seeds. Cook for a further minute. Add the vegetable stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat, and blend until smooth.


Serve with a sprinkling of chopped chives.


Notes
There were some parsnips in the fridge that needed to be used. I substituted some parsnips into the recipe.