People either love or detest fennel. I am one of the former – just can’t get enough of the stuff!

The nutrients in fennel are reputed to be linked to a range of health benefits.

• Bone health – the vitamin and mineral content in fennel contributes to building and maintaining bone structure and strength.
• Blood pressure – a rich source of potassium which is a vasodilator – it relaxes the tension in blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure.
• Helps prevent anaemia – as it contains iron and histidine.
• Boosts immunity and assists with indigestion.
• Anti-flatulent – due to the the aspartic acid found in it
• Heart health – source of fibre but it also helps maintain healthy levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream. It can stimulate the elimination of damaging LDL or bad cholesterol
• Anti-inflammatory
• Assists with digestion and regularity

So if you think you don’t like it, perhaps you just need to try it in this recipe???

Just three ingredients, three minutes to prepare and 30 to roast.

Roasted Fennel with Parmesan – 166 calories

Preparation Time: 3 mins

Cooking Time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

Calories per serving: 166.7

Ingredients

Fennel, Bulb – 2 Medium Bulbs/600g

Olive Oil – 20ml

Parmesan Cheese, grated – 2 Tbsps/20g

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

2) Remove the fennel stems and slice the bulbs in half lengthwise. With the cut side down, slice each bulb vertically into 0.5cm thick slices, cutting right through the core. Spread the fennel slices on a baking sheet, coat with the olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss with your hands.

3) Roast the fennel slices for about 30 minutes, turning half way through – until the edges are crisp and brown. Remove from the oven and cover with Parmesan cheese shavings.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 166.7

Sugars (g) 5.3

Fat (g) 12.9

Fibre (g) 7.2

Fruit & Veg 4.0

Protein (g) 6.7

Carbohydrate (g) 5.6

This versatile and very healthy dish can be made up in a large batch and frozen and works well with accompaniments – fish, sausages, pork chop, chicken.

It is almost one quarter protein, contains over 8g of fibre per serving and plenty of vegetables.

Serve topped with either sliced and fried chorizo or crumbled feta. In fact all types of additional ingredients can be added!

Tonight we had it with roasted fennel topped with parmesan (I’m about to share the recipe for this) – the combination worked really well.

I make a large batch and freeze it.

Chickpea Casserole – 185 calories

Preparation Time:30 mins

Cooking Time:1 hr

Serves:6

Calories per serving:185.3

Olive Oil – 20ml

Garlic, Raw – 3 cloves/9g

Red Onions – 1 Med/180g

Red Wine Vinegar – 8ml

Tinned Chopped Tomatoes – 2 Cans/800g

Baby Spinach – 500g

Chick Peas, – one tin drained / 480g

Tomato Puree, Double Concentrate – 1 Tbsp/15g

Red Chilli Peppers – 1 Pepper/13g

Soft Brown Sugar – 1½ Tsps/6g

Paprika – 1½ Tsps/3g

Ground Cumin – 3 Tsps/15g

Celery – 2½ Sticks/100g

Carrots – 180g

Method

Preparation:

Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and finely chop the carrot. Trim and finely dice the celery. Peel and dice the garlic cloves.

(1) Heat the oil in a casserole dish with a lid. Add the onions, carrot and celery and cook over a medium heat until softened (not browned). Add the garlic and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.

(2) Add the herbs and spices, the brown sugar and vinegar, chilli pepper, tinned tomatoes and tomato puree.

(3) Add the tinned tomatoes and tomato puree – add a little water if necessary. Stir and bring to the boil. Lower heat, cover and continue to cook covered for a further 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.

(4) Add the chickpeas, stir through. Salt and pepper if required. Cover and continue to cook for 20-30 minutes.

(5) Finally add the spinach and stir through until wilted.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 185.3

Sugars (g) 10.2

Fat (g) 5.9

Fibre (g) 8.1

Fruit & Veg 5.0

Protein (g) 9.2

Carbohydrate (g) 21.7

I discovered a wonderful site lazycatkitchen.com full of delicious vegan recipes.  I’m going to try plenty them – lots caught my eye.

A very good meat free Bourguignon! Made it this evening and served with mashed potato (of course!) – 148 calories. Shredded leek and cabbage (stir-fried) – 74 calories… and mashed swede and carrot (43 calories).

This whole meal just 447 calories.

Vegan Bourguignon – 182 calories per portion

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 45 mins

Serves: 4

Calories per serving: 182.0

Ingredients

Mushrooms, Porcini, Dried – 10g

Olive Oil – 2 Tbsps/30ml

Onions, Raw – 80g

Garlic, Raw – 4 Cloves/12g

Tomato Puree – 1 Tbsp/15g

Celery – 2 sticks / 130g

Carrots, Raw – 145g

Red Peppers – 1 medium pepper/130g

Stock Cubes, Vegetable – 1 Cube/50ml

Wine, Red, Merlot – 190ml

Rosemary – 1 Tsp/0.7g

Thyme, Fresh – 3 Average Sprigs/15g

Bay Leaves, Dried – 2 Leaves/1.8g

Sauce, Hickory Liquid Smoke – 2 Tsps/10g

Mushrooms, Chestnut – 1 Pack/250g

Mushrooms, Flat, Large – 2 Mushrooms/100g

Cornflour – 2 Tsps/10g

Cabbage, Cavolo Nero – 25g

Balsamic Vinegar – 2 Tsps/10ml

Parsley – 1 Tbsp/3.8g

Method

Preparation: Peel and dice onion. Peel and finely dice garlic. Cut celery into chunks. Peel and cut carrots into chunks. De-seed pepper and chop into bite sized pieces.

Method: Place rinsed porcini mushrooms (they often have grit in them) in a small bowl and cover with (about 300 ml / 1½ cups) of boiling water to create a potent porcini stock. Set aside to let it infuse.

Chop large flat mushrooms into thick slices and the chestnut mushrooms into quarters.

Heat up olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add diced onion and saute on a low heat until slightly caramelised. Add chopped garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes.

Add carrots and celery sticks and saute on a low heat until slightly caramelised (around 20 minutes). Then add mushrooms, red pepper and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes. If the pan gets too dry, add a couple of tablespoons of porcini stock you prepared earlier.

Add tomato puree, a crumbled stock cube, wine, the rest of porcini stock (about 300 ml / 1½ cups in total), fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary and bay leaves), liquid smoke (if using) and salt.

Chop the rehydrated porcini mushrooms finely and add to the stew if you wish.

Cover the pot with a lid and allow the stew to cook on low heat for about 30-40 minutes or so until all the veggies are cooked through and the flavours have had a change to mingle.

In a small bowl, mix 4 tsp of cornflour with 2 tbsp of water to create a slurry to thicken up the stew.

Add cornflour slurry to the stew and allow the stew to bubble gently for 5 more minutes for the stew to thicken. If the stew is too thick add a splash more water.

Add chopped kale leaves in the final minutes of cooking, put the lid back on for a few more (2-3) minutes for the kale to cook in the stews steam.

Adjust the seasoning to your taste. I added some freshly ground pepper and two teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 182.0

Sugars (g) 3.4

Fat (g) 8.2

Fibre (g) 4.2

Fruit & Veg 3.0

Protein (g) 4.1

Carbohydrate (g) 14.7

….and very nice indeed. I’m not a fan of low fat sausages, as they usually lack taste. My husband is not a fan of sausages at all – but these Asda Butcher’s Selection sausages were delicious!

Served with home-made ratatouille (81 cals) and mashed potato (148 cals). Total 374 calories.

 

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This recipe was really easy. The mayonnaise on top of the fish fillet sounds rather weird, but… bear with it – it works (and it also helps to keep the crumb topping in place)

Cod Loin with an Italian Crumb Topping

Preparation Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 18 mins

Serves: 2

Calories per serving: 285.9

Ingredients

Cod, Loins – 255g

Breadcrumbs, Panko – 15g

Corn Meal, Fine – 10g

Dried Mixed Herbs – ½ Tsp/2.5g

Pepper, Black, Freshly Ground – 2 Pinches/0.4g

Butter, Salted, Average – 18g

Mayonnaise – 1 Tbsp/15ml

Parmesan Cheese – 1 Tbsp/10g

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

Finely grate the Parmesan cheese.

In a small shallow bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs, grated cheese, cornmeal, oil, herbs and pepper; set aside.

Cut the loin into 2 equal sized pieces. Place the cod onto baking parchment on a baking tray. Spread the mayonnaise equally over the two loins, spreading until the top (exposed) side of the fish is evenly covered.

Melt the butter for 30 seconds in a microwave and add to the crumb mixture. Stir through until thoroughly mixed. Spoon the crumb mixture evenly on top of the fish, pushing down with the back of a spoon. The mayonnaise should facilitate this. Ensure that the fish is covered with the crumb mixture.

Bake in the oven for 14 to 18 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and is opaque all the way through.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 285.9

Protein (g) 26.7

Sugars (g) 0.4

Fat (g) 15.7

Carbohydrate (g) 10.0

Fibre (g) 0.5