When we are content to live with ourselves, without the need for someone or something else to complete our self; then our path to happiness is no longer influenced by our fears and insecurities.
Where’s the sun gone? It’s foggy this morning but hopefully that’ll burn away. I’m on a go slow but I need to speed up because I’ve got lots to do, hey ho we’ll get there.
If you remember about a month ago I went to a dinner party and we had Jamie Olivers Sticky Chicken, which was delicious, unfortunately when I did the maths it was quite high in points so couldn’t go on my diet recipe list. I’m glad to say I’ve just found a recipe which seems a little similar and not so many points so might be giving it a go, recipe below.
I’ve also put a couple of recipes for chocolate fixes! Mmm something to do with the kids this weekend maybe? They’ll go great in their lunchboxes and with your cuppa.
Sticky marmalade chicken with roasties
This chicken meal costs less than a £1 a portion and takes under an hour to cook! And only 6½ points a portion.
4 large potatoes
2 onions, quartered
2tbsp vegetable oil
pinch of chilli powder (optional)
1 pack chicken drumsticks (contains 6-8)
2tbsp marmalade
freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
frozen mixed vegetables, to serve
Preheat oven to Gas 7, 220ºC, 425ºF. Cut the potato into 1cm (½in) cubes and the onions into 8 wedges. Heat the oil in a large roasting tin. Add potatoes, sprinkle with chilli if using, and roast for 10 minutes.
Score the chicken drumsticks with a sharp knife. Warm the marmalade in a pan until it almost melts, then add the chicken pieces and roll in the marmalade to coat.
Remove potatoes from the oven, add the chicken, season well and roast for 25 minutes more. Add peppers and cook for 10-15 minutes until chicken is golden, and cooked through.
Beacon hill cookies
Most biscuits are full of fat, but that's not the way this cookie crumbles. They may be 1½ points each, but they’re so rich you only need 1 or 2 to hit the spot, plus the nuts will give you a protein hit too which will help to fill you up.
Ingredients - makes 15
100g 70 per cent dark chocolate
2 egg whites
½ tsp cream of tartar
50g fruit sugar
50g cocoa powder
50g chopped hazelnuts
½ tsp vanilla extract
Heat the oven to 180°C. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water or in the microwave. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Tablespoon by tablespoon add in the cream of tartar and sugar.
Fold the cooled chocolate, nuts and vanilla and cocoa powder into the mixture.
Onto parchment lined baking sheets drop teaspoons full of the mixture onto the parchment leaving 4cm around each dollop. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly cracked on top. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Mmm tasty chocolate fix and these cookies will keep for a week in a jar so you don’t need to eat them all at once ;-)
Mini Chocolate Brownies
Serves 16 at 2 points per portion
Preparation Time: 15 min Cooking Time: 30 min
Using pureed prunes means you can cut the fat in these yummy chocolate brownies.
Ingredients
150 g dried prunes, ready to eat, pitted
5 spray low-fat cooking spray
100 g chocolate, plain, broken into pieces
1 large egg(s), beaten
150 g light brown sugar, or muscovado
60 g cocoa powder, 3 tbspns
75 g flour, plain
1 pinch salt
2 portion egg white
1 heaped teaspoon cocoa powder, for dusting
Put the prunes into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for about 2 hours, or overnight.
Put the prunes into a saucepan with 50ml of their soaking liquid. Heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until just a little liquid remains (about 2 tbsp). Puree with a stick blender or in a liquidizer until smooth. Cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / fan oven 160°C / Gas Mark 4. Spray a 20cm (8 inch) square cake tin with low fat cooking spray, then line with greaseproof paper.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, positioned over a saucepan of simmering water.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the prunes, whole egg and muscovado sugar. Sift in the cocoa powder, flour and salt and fold in with a metal spoon. Add the melted chocolate and stir in gently.
In a large grease-free bowl, whip the egg whites until they hold their shape. Tip them into the chocolate mixture and fold in gently. Transfer to the prepared tin and level the surface.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until firm to the touch. Cool, then cut into 16 squares. Serve, dusted with a little cocoa powder.
Remember life starts now.
Are you living yet?
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