Getting my mojo back one day at a time

Thursday 2nd January 2019
Keep taking time for you until you're you again

Another day done, I ended on 27SP and earned 11 Fit Points thanks to two long dog walks and being back at work.

I spent a few hours messing about in the kitchen, I cooked a crustless quiche and it was delicious, 

I roasted the butternut squash first and fried the onions in spray light.  Use a silicon baking dish or I use a baking sheet to stop it sticking.  The beauty of this is you can use any veggies in it you fancy.  I'd probably add more protein cheese if I did it again, this Arla protein cheese is much better than any I've tried before. 

Crustless Quiche - total 3SP on blue or purple (32SP on green)

100g low fat quark
100g Arla protein cheese grated 3SP
6 eggs
Butternut squash cubes (roasted for about 20 mins) sorry I didn't weigh it.
1 sliced large onion fried in spray light

Approx 450g salmon fillet cut into cubes

Whisk together eggs and quark then stir in other ingredients and cook on fan oven 180 (gas mark 4) for approx 30 mins.

You could grate another 100g of protein cheese on top for an extra 3SP. It's huge so you can spare the points!

I also made some soup to use up my parsnips.  

Curried Parsnip Soup  

2 teaspoon curry powder

1 large onion

250 g chopped small parsnips (6sp or zero on blue/purple)

25g rice (2sp)

1 pinch salt

1 litre vegetable stock (use oxo cubes) 

  

Chop & put the onion in a pan, with 3 tablespoons of twater and the curry powder. 

Cover and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes.

Add the remaining stock, the parsnips and the rice. 

Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes, or until the parsnips and rice are tender.

Pop in food processor and blend to make a smooth soup.

Then I made a lentil bake but it was missing something, https://bakingqueen74.co.uk/courgette-butternut-squash-lentil-bake/ there wasn't enough flavour in it for me, I think if I bothered to do it again I'd roast some cloves of garlic first and dice them up in it maybe.  I prefer the curry lentil bake I've done in the past. 

Zero Curried Lentil Bake –  YES 0SP on Blue or Purple! 21SP on green (it is a large tray of food though)

Spray light

1 large onion (finely chopped)

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 celery stalk (finely chopped)

 2 medium carrots (finely chopped)

1 tbsp curry powder

175g red split lentils

 580ml vegetable stock (I used 2 cubes

240g butternut squash (cut into approx. 1 cm cubes)  

100g frozen peas

3 eggs (lightly beaten)

1. Pre heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas4
2. Spray light a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots then reduce the heat to low and cook for approx. 10 mins (until softened) add a splash of water if needed to stop it sticking and don't be afraid to add a few more sprays of spray light. 
3. Meanwhile, put the butternut squash cubes on a baking tray and spray light them, then pop in oven for about 15 minutes, keep your eye on them, you want them cooked but firm. 
4. Add the curry powder to the frying pan and cook for a further minute
5. Add the lentils & stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer until cooked, soft and stock absorbed (approx. 20 mins)
6. Once lentils are cooked, allow to cool slightly and then add the butternut squash, egg and peas. Stir until combined.
7. Place the mixture in a greased, ovenproof dish (roughly 10" x 7.5")
8. Bake in the oven for 30-40 mins or until set and golden, timings will vary with ovens.
9. Slice and serve.

It's delicious warm or cold, great to take in your sandwich box for work, a filling, healthy meal for lunch, dinner or breakfast if you're a bit weird like me.

Now I need to work on eating for two!  I bought fries from Co-op reduced on the morning because they were use by that day. 

They are delicious, only 6SP for half the packet or 13SP for the whole tray, they fill a baking tray as you can see. Half a pack really is plenty, well it would've been for me yesterday with everything else I'd eaten but I was greedy and ate the lot, thankfully it didn't take me crazily over my allowance, but if I hadn't had them all, I'd have rolled over a couple of points for the weekend.   

6SP on the left, 13SP on the right on Blue or Purple, (9SP or 16SP on Green)

Going forward when I buy stuff fresh that can be frozen and won't keep, I'll split the pack and freeze the rest, I did that yesterday with pork chops, they were reduced too so I split the pack, froze two and Alfie got the other two as his New Years day dinner, they were as cheap as dog food! 

Today's my busy, busy day, not planned meals which isn't good, but I have some leftover quiche in the fridge I could have for breakfast or lunch.  I've already eaten a pear and an apple, this is going to be my new ritual, eat some fruit with my water in the morning whilst writing my blog.  Actually, I might have a fruit bowl on my desk - perfect!  All about those tiny tweaks, they will all add up and make a big difference.

Remember amazing things happen when you try!

Mwah, luv ya 


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