Year: 2024

Back to exercise

flidfit Disability, Exercise, Pain

I’ve been exercising more or less every single day since before the COVID-19 pandemic.  My exercise regime involves bouncing vigorously sitting on a gym ball whilst swinging my arms for about an hour and a half.  This is great for increasing my heart rate as well as keeping me moving, flexible and pain-free.

However, whilst on holiday in January, I began to experience an excruciating shooting / burning pain in my right knee.  Anytime I needed to move from being seated to standing, I had to brace myself for the pain that this would cause.  I’d spent a lot of time on that holiday sat in my wheelchair and I believed this to be the cause.  Once I’d managed to get from having my knee bent to straight, the pain would subside.  But it didn’t really vanish.  At night time it was quite unbearable and would often wake me at night.  I’d then find it really difficult to get back to sleep.  By the start of May I was relying on Paracetamol to get me through the night.

My daily exercise regime had to stop.  It was just too painful.  I was really missing my exercise – not just the physical side of it, but the emotional escape too – time for myself. As there was no other non-weight-bearing exercise that I could do, I was planning to go back to swimming and see whether that would be a suitable alternative way to keep myself moving.  The difficulty with swimming is that I need support from another person to go swimming, in terms of getting myself changed and dried.  Plus it wouldn’t be something that I could do daily.

The thing I most love about my bouncing is that it is something that I can do alone, in the comfort of my home, and it doesn’t matter what the weather is doing.  I don’t have to worry about travelling to a venue and parking or getting my wheelchair in and out of the car.  Once the exercise is finished, I can just continue with my day.

X-rays arranged by my GP revealed “advanced osteoarthritis” – much to my surprise.  I’d not had any sort of pain in this knee before.  I was referred to a consultant specialising in knees.  I was reassured by the fact that he had seen and treated other Thalidomiders.

So on Tuesday 4th June, I travelled to the Spire Bushey Hospital, just over an hour’s drive from where I live.  The consultant showed me the x-ray and said that although a knee replacement would be needed at some point, this wasn’t something he’d want to do immediately.  I must admit I was pleased to hear that, as the thought of being immobile following the surgery isn’t something I’d relish – plus, of course, there is always the risk that the surgery isn’t a success.

One of his suggestions was an ultrasound-guided steroid injection (Hydrocortisone) into the joint.  I’ve had steroid injections before into my hip for bursitis.  The first was very successful, and I was pain-free for about six months.  But the following two didn’t seem to make any difference.

I was told that if I chose to go down this path, I could have the injection that day.  I quickly made up my mind to take this option.  The pain was increasing and starting to interfere with other aspects of my life and emotional well-being.

A lovely member of staff gave me the injection, and the pain was reduced almost immediately.  Mind you, I’d had local anaesthetic injected into the site at the same time.

Three days later, the pain was noticeably reduced.  In fact, I could feel pain in my other knee – which I’d never noticed before.

Five days later, I felt confident to try to get back to my exercise.

I’m pleased to report that I’ve been able to resume my exercise – I’m back to my daily 1.5 hours of bouncing!

Let’s hope that the steroid continues to do its job.  I am limited on how frequently these injections can be administered, and, from previous experience, follow-up injections may not be as effective.

But in the meantime, I’ll just enjoy my bouncing.

And getting a good night’s sleep….

Coconut, chicken and butternut Caribbean curry – 305 calories

flidfit Recipes

There are some flavours that just belong together and this curry, in my opinion – comprises of those flavours.  Creamy coconut milk, sweet roasted butternut squash, spicy jalapeno are meant to be together in the same dish…..

This is a relatively quick and easy curry to make.  Stunningly beautiful colours too!

 

Coconut, chicken and butternut Caribbean curry 304.5 calories

 

530g                     Butternut Squash, Winter, Raw, Unprepared, Average

15ml                     Olive Oil

215g                     Chicken, Breast, Fillets, Skinless & Boneless

125g                     Onions

10g                       Garlic, Minced, Paste

400ml/1 can      Coconut milk

135g                      Red Peppers

25ml/ ½ Lime    Lime, fresh

40g                       Jalapenos, in Brine

10g                       Mild Caribbean Style Curry Powder

75g                      Petit Pois, Frozen

Preparation: 
Peel and chop butternut squash into 2cm cubes. Peel and dice onion. Core, de-seed red pepper and cut into bite sized pieces. Drain and roughly chop jalapeno peppers. Cut the chicken breast into bite sized chunks. Squeeze the juice from half a fresh lime

Method:
Use half the oil to coat and roast the butternut chunks – either on a baking sheet in a pre-heated oven (200 degrees) for about 30 minutes, or in an air fryer, 180 degrees for 15 minutes. Stir/turn halfway through to ensure even cooking and browning.  Set aside.

Put the remaining oil into a large work or frying pan and heat over a medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring to ensure even cooking. Add the chicken chunks and stir until the chicken is browned (but not cooked through). Remove the chicken pieces and set aside.

Add the Caribbean curry spice and garlic paste to the frying onions. Add the tin of coconut milk and lime juice and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Add the chopped red pepper and jalapeno. Add the chicken, cooked butternut squash and the peas. Bring to a boil, and turn down to a low simmer.  Leave to simmer for 20 minutes.

You may wish to sprinkle with some chopped fresh coriander before serving with rice.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal)       304.5

Protein (g)                18.8

Carbohydrate (g)    19.8

Fat (g)                       17.1

Fibre (g)                    4.0

Fruit & Veg               2.7

Korean spiced tofu stir-fry – 250 calories

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I have tried cooking with tofu on a number of occasions, but have never managed to crack the “flavouring” or cooking process for this rubbery white stuff!  Until now.  Not one to give up, I researched and combined various on-line recipes and came up with my own idea.

Stirring  soy sauce and a little cornflour (corn starch) over the cubed tofu ahead of cooking achieves a nice crispy coating.

So here is the resulting recipe – compiled it from several others I found on-line – I happened to have the Korean Hot pepper paste in my fridge waiting for me to find a use for it.

 

Korean tofu stir-fry – 250 calories

Preparation Time:           10 mins

Cooking Time:                    20 mins

Serves:                                     3

Calories per serving:    250

 

Ingredients

Tofu, Naked, Extra Firm 140g

Extra Virgin Olive Oil                                            – 35ml

Spring (green) onions                                           – 50g

Broccoli                                                                    – 120g

Aubergine                                                                 – 1 Med/375g

Red Pepper                                                             – 140g

Garlic Puree, with Ginger, Frozen, Taj              – 1 Piece/20g

Cornflour                                                                 – 1 Tsp/5g

Rice wine (Shaoxing) vinegar                              – 1 Tbsp/15ml

Dark Soy Sauce                                                       – 1½ Tbsps/22.5g

Mirin Rice Wine                                                      – 15ml

Spice Paste, Hot Pepper, Korean, Gochujang   – 4g

 

Method:

Step 1
Stir-fries are all about cooking quickly and over high heat, so the key to success is prepping your ingredients beforehand so you’re ready to go. Cut the broccoli into small bite sized pieces. Trim the onions and cut into 3cm lengths. De-seed the red pepper and cut into bite sized chunks. Defrost the ginger/garlic cube. You can use fresh, I use these cubes for convenience – 1 clove of garlic, 1 thumb nail sized piece of fresh ginger , both peeled and chopped finely.

Step 2
Cut the aubergine into 2cm cubes. Toss in 1 tbsp of the oil, some salt and pepper. Place into a pre-heated, lined air fryer at 180 degrees for 8-10 minutes, turning the cubes frequently until golden brown and soft.

Step 3
Cut tofu into 2cm cubes. Place pieces on a paper-towel lined plate and press a paper towel over top of pieces to absorb excess water. Toss tofu, cornflour, a pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp soy sauce in a medium bowl.

Step 4
Stir 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp mirin wine, Korean paste and remaining soy sauce in a small bowl (to form a slurry).

Step 5
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large frying pan or wok, preferably nonstick, over medium-high. When oil is shimmering and slides quickly across surface of pan, add the broccoli, spring onions, red pepper and cook, tossing often, until vegetables are browned in spots and tender, 5 – 7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further minute. Season lightly with salt and transfer to another medium bowl.

Step 6
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in same pan over high. When oil is shimmering again, add tofu mixture and arrange in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, until tofu is browned on first side, about 2 minutes. Add a touch more oil if pan is very dry or tofu is sticking, then turn pieces and continue to cook, undisturbed again, until second side is browned, about a minute or two longer. If your pan isn’t non-stick, you might need to loosen the tofu by scraping pan with a spatula.

Step 7
Add slurry mixture and vegetables back to pan. Cook, tossing briskly, until sauce is thickened and all ingredients are coated, about 30 seconds. You may wish to add a little water if the mixture is too dry.
Remove from heat. Taste and season with salt, if needed.

Step 8
Serve stir-fry over rice. Sprinkle with toasted cashews.  NB.  Cashews aren’t included in the ingredients above, but can be added and add a lovely crunch and flavour.

 

Calories (kcal)          250

Protein (g)                11.8

Carbohydrate (g)    13.6

Fat (g)                       15.6

Fibre (g)                     5.4

Fruit & Veg                2.8

Alcohol                        1.4

Comte Cheese, Sweet Potato and Fig Tart, 460 calories

flidfit Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegeterian , , ,

Although this blog’s primary role is to chart my weight loss journey, I’ve also learned to appreciate and embrace my love of food and enjoy trying new recipes and flavours.

Part of why I ended up being 4 and a half stone (28.5kg) overweight was my love of food!

A large part of my journey has been accepting that I have to reduce my calorie intake to match my lack of mobility (and limbs…).

No food is off limits – but increasing my knowledge of the calories contained in various food stuffs has enabled me to make more informed and better choices about what I eat and how much.

Occasionally, a recipe arouses my interest.  I just feel I need to try it.  This was such a recipe.  Highly calorific for someone who’s daily calorie intake target is around 1300 calories.

It was SO worth it!

The ingredients are all pretty healthy and the fat content will ensure that you feel satiated after enjoying a slice of this tart.  The colour was stunning, the honey and nut flavours worked really well.  Not too sweet – but the slices of figs give an occasional burst of sweetness.

My advice is not to try and go low fat or fat free with this – fat is flavour.

Was a slice worth 460 calories – YES.

Comte Cheese, Sweet Potato and Fig Tart – 460 calories

Preparation Time:           30 mins

Cooking Time:                  35 mins

Serves:                                  8

Calories per serving:     460

 

Ingredients

Spelt Flour                           -200g

Salt                                     – ¼ Tsp/1g

Unsalted Butter                    -100g

Walnuts, Halves                   – 40g

Medium Free Range Eggs    – 5 Eggs/250g

Whole Milk                          – 100ml

Creme Fraiche                     – 175g

Dijon Mustard                      – 2 Tsps/10g

Sweet Potato, Raw              – 2 Potatoes/400g

Figs, Raw, Fresh                  – 3 Figs/105g

Comte Cheese                     – 125g

Thyme, Fresh                      –  2 Tsps/2g

Pepper, Black                      -1 Tsp/2g

Salt                                     – ¼ Tsp/1.25g

 

Preparation

Coarsely grate cheese, peel the sweet potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes and steam in a little water in a covered pan for 5 minutes. Slice figs.

To make the pastry:

Place the walnuts and half the flour in a food processor and blitz until fine.

Add the butter, cut into cubes and pulse until you achieve a breadcrumb texture. If required, add a little splash of cold water to make the mixture come together to form a firm dough. Wrap dough in cling film and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Generously butter a 25cm/10 inch well-buttered tart dish – ideally with a loose base.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and line a 22cm/8 ½ inch well-buttered tart dish – ideally with a loose base.

Place the pastry gently into the dish and chill in the fridge for a further 20 minutes whilst you preheat the oven to 180 degrees/Gas 4.

Remove the pastry case from the fridge and line the base of the pastry with baking parchment. Fill with baking beans. Place the dish on a baking tray and bake blind for 20 minutes.

Remove the beans and parchment and return to the oven for another five minutes to cook the base.

For the filling:

Once the base of the tart is cooked, place the (grated) cheese on the bottom first, then the sweet potato cubes. Whisk together the creme fraiche, milk, eggs, thyme leaves and mustard.

Season generously with a couple of pinches of sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper.

Pour the egg mixture into the flan case to cover the cheese and potato. Slice the figs into quarters and place on the top. Return the tart to the oven.

Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is just set. Leave to cool slightly, for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal)          – 460

Protein (g)                – 14.4

Carbohydrate (g)    – 29.8

Fat (g)                       – 31.8

Fibre (g)                   – 4.2

Fruit & Veg              – 0.8

Fennel and Lemon Risotto – 307 calories

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Served on its own, this can be a vegetarian meal, or you can add as a side.  Here alongside a roast chicken breast and green beans.

There is something quite relaxing about cooking a risotto – you have to be patient and it’s not a dish to cook when you are rushed.  But the end result is worth it.  I’m going to be cooking more risottos!

Fennel and Lemon Risotto

Preparation Time:       10 mins

Cooking Time:             40 mins

Serves:                           3

Calories per serving:  307

Ingredients

Fennel bulb                      – 200g

Butter, Salted                  – 15g

Onions                              – 135g

Garlic                                – 1 Clove/3g

Arborio Rice                    – 140g

White Wine, Dry            – 175ml

Stock Pot, Vegetable     – 1 Pot/28g

Water                               – 550ml

Lemon, Zest                   – 1 Av Lemon/5g

Parmesan Cheese         – 25g

Method

Chop any green leafy fennel fronds and set aside.

Cut off the stalk-like fennel top and finely chop. Heat the butter in a lidded pan over a medium heat and cook the onion, garlic and chopped fennel until soft but not coloured.

Add the rice and stir for 1 minute. Pour over the wine and simmer, stirring, until evaporated. Make up the stock with the stock pot and boiling water. Add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring between each addition until it is absorbed each time.

When the rice is cooked, stir in the lemon zest, Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Take off the heat and set aside, covered, for 2 mins.

Serve topped with the fennel fronds.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal)        307

Protein (g)               7.8

Carbohydrate (g)  43.2

Fat (g)                        6.3

Fruit & Veg               1.5

Fibre (g)                   3.0

Alcohol                     6.1

Moroccan carrot and orange salad – 188 calories

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Moroccan carrot and orange salad. Served with celeriac, apple and carrot coleslaw, salad with apple, beetroot and olives, balsamic vinegar drizzle and cheese and onion quiche.

In the hope that the weather might start to get a little warmer, I’ve been trying to find a few more salad recipes that are a little unusual, flavoursome and can be prepared in a batch to enjoy over several days.  This was a GREAT find!  The image shown is a portion of the salad on my lunchtime plate, but later today I’m going to mix in some tinned chickpeas – and add the toasted flaked almonds.

It’s the fresh herbs and spices that make this a super tasty and colourful salad dish.

Moroccan carrot and carrot salad – 188 calories

 

Preparation Time:        10 minutes

Cooking Time:               N/A

Serves:                            4

Calories per serving:   188

 

Ingredients

Carrots, raw                                                                       –   330g

Oranges                                                                              –   2 Oranges/280g

Extra Virgin Olive Oil                                                     –   2 Servings/30ml

Orange Juice, Freshly Squeezed (see recipe detail) –   30ml

Cinnamon, Ground                                                         –   ¼ Tsp/0.75g

Cumin, Ground                                                               –   ¼ Tsp/1.25g

Maple Syrup                                                                    –   1 Tbsp/20g

Pepper, Black, Freshly Ground                                   –   ½ Tsp/1g

Salt                                                                                    –   ¼ Tsp/1.25g

Coriander, Leaves, Fresh, Average                            –   1 Bunch/20g

Mint, Fresh, Average                                                    –   1 Tbsp/1.6g

Ginger, Ground                                                             –   ¼ Tsp/0.5g

Allspice, Ground                                                           –   ¼ Tsp/0.75g

Almonds, Flaked                                                           –   1oz/28g

 

Preparation:

Peel and grate the carrots using a course grater. Toast the almonds in a frying pan, being careful not to burn.

Cut the oranges into segments, using a paring knife to slice off the top and bottom of the orange. Then cut away the peel and white pith.  Hold the orange over a bowl and slice between the membranes to release the individual segments.  Reserve the juice that comes out of the orange when you are cutting it into segments and use it in the dressing.

Finely chop the mint and coriander.

Add the carrot, orange segments and fresh herb into a medium bowl.

Combine the spices, oil and orange juice and maple syrup for the dressing in a small jar and shake well.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Just ahead of serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat.

Sprinkle the toasted almonds on the top.

Keep in a sealed dish in a refrigerator for up to three days.

 

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal)     188

Protein (g)                3.1

Carbohydrate (g)   19.8

Fat (g)                       11.2

Fibre (g)                    4.4

Fruit & Veg               2.0

Making salads interesting and varied – using left-overs for flavour and crunch

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Our lunches are usually a salad or soup (depending on the weather!), but my salads are rarely replicated in terms of what they contain or what I serve alongside them.  I have heard people refer to salads as “boring”, but they’ve clearly not eaten one of mine!

We are off for the weekend, so my challenge is using up lots of bits and pieces from the fridge.  Usually I add things like celery, red pepper, radish, beetroot, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, apple… but examining the contents of my salad drawer today I realised I was going to have to be inventive.

I was limited to using what I found laying on my half empty fridge shelves – half an apple, a tiny scrap of celery, lettuce and some sprouted seeds…. but also a few gems left from meals earlier in the week – half a buffalo mozzarella, a blood orange, a single slice of Torchon ham and a couple of Lidl stuffed vine leaves with dill and mint.

Mozzarella definitely lacks flavour, and we had a tiny portion each (30g) so I decided to zing it up using the chopped blood orange, a few chopped pecans and walnuts and some balsamic glaze.  It’s amazing what these few ingredients did for the Mozzarella and for the salad as a whole!  A 20g portion of  walnuts and pecans provided a lot of extra flavour and crunch for just 140 calories and the orange balanced the balsamic glaze beautifully.

Total of 351 calories for this plate of flavour, colour and crunch!

Air fryer corned beef hash – 634 calories

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Served with peas and sweet chilli sauce

Who doesn’t enjoy a corned beef hash!  Easy to make with standard store cupboard ingredients, filling and nutritious.  Comfort food.

I’ve taken my version of this recipe to the next level by the addition of a crispy cheesy topping.

Preparation in the air fryer is both quick and easy, just one dish required.  You can also prepare this as far as adding the topping – then just finish off in under 20 minutes in the air fryer.

Preparation Time:        10 mins

Cooking Time:               20 mins

Serves:                              2

Calories per serving:     634

Ingredients:

Potatoes, red, peeled                             –      450g

Corned beef, Princes                             –      207g

Spring onions, washed and
chopped into short lengths                  –      100g

Olive Oil                                                  –      7ml

Parmesan cheese, finely grated          –      2 Tbsps/20g

Onions, peeled and finely diced         –      ½ Med/90g

Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated        –      40g

Breadcrumbs, dry white or panko     –      20g

Sweetcorn, tinned, drained                 –      75g

 

Method:

Peel and cut potatoes into small cubes (about 1.5cm).  Peel and dice an onion. Put both into a shallow dish that can be used and fits into the air fryer.  Add the  olive oil to the potatoes and chopped onion, some salt and pepper and mix well to ensure that the potatoes are coated in the oil.

Place into the air fryer on the air fry setting at 160 degrees for about 15 – 20 minutes – until the potatoes are softened.  Stir occasionally and don’t allow to burn – a golden colour is fine.

Open the can of corned beef (best to chill in the fridge overnight to make this part easy!). Allow 100g of corned beef per person.

Cut the corned beef into large (2cm) chunks.  Stir the cubes into the potato/onion mixture ensuring that they are evenly combined.  Add about the drained (tinned) sweetcorn kernels. Stir through.

In a small bowl, mix 40g of grated mature Cheddar, 20g of finely grated Parmesan and 20g of Panko or other white dried breadcrumbs.  Mix until combined and sprinkle over the corned beef and vegetables in the dish to ensure complete coverage.

IMPORTANT FOR NEXT STAGE: Cover dish with a lid or with foil… placing in an air fryer will cause the breadcrumbs to fly about all over the place – this ensures they stay in the dish! I speak from experience!

Place the covered dish back into the air fryer, 160 degrees for about 7 minutes, then remove cover / lid, raise the temperature to 200 degrees and continue to cook for a further 5/6 minutes until the cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are toasted to a nice golden colour.

I served mine with peas and a generous dollop of sweet chilli sauce…..

 

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal)               633.5

Protein (g)                       42.5

Carbohydrate (g)           54.0

Fat (g)                             28.2

Fibre (g)                            5.5

Fruit & Veg                       1.8

 

Crispy cheese and breadcrumb topping

Air fryer recipe – Red cabbage, carrot and apple stir-fry with honey, mustard and apple cider vinegar dressing (118 calories)

flidfit Air Fryer , ,

I have to say – like many others, my purchase of an air fryer at the end of last year has revolutionised how I cook and shaved hours off my time spent cooking!  My fan oven sits there sad, cold and very, very clean!

It wasn’t a considered purchase, the air fryer “craze” hadn’t really taken off – but it happened that the model and design of the air fryer I settled upon was perfect for me to use – as a disabled woman with limited reach and dexterity.

I bought the Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 ClearCook 5.7L Air Fryer at the bargain price of £70 and it’s been worth every single penny.  I love the clear window and interior light which enable me to peek at the food and check on progress as it cooks without the need to open the drawer every time.

Experimenting with using my air fryer in a slightly different way, I tried this vegetable accompaniment for tonights dinner.  It was quick and easy – the most time was spent in prepping the vegetables, and I have to admit that I delegated this responsibility to the wonderful Sam who works for me.  After all, I can’t really afford to lose any more fingers….

These long thin strips of colourful vegetables are cooked “al dente” in the air fryer to retain some crunch, and dressed with a lovely sharp dressing – best eaten warm, rather than hot.

Once cooked, it provides a colourful accompaniment to any dish  – I had mine with a ready-made shop bought chicken steak – which rather brought the whole meal down a notch.

Still, we live and learn….

If I made this again, I’d probably add half a red onion, finely sliced – and another apple.  Oh, and increase the quantity of dressing.  Clearly, the chicken steak won’t feature on my plate any time soon….

My julienne peeler was used to cut the carrot into long thin strips – and my super sharp santoku knife to achieve the strips of apple and finely shredded red cabbage.

Red cabbage, carrot and apple stir-fry with honey, mustard and apple cider vinegar dressing

Preparation Time:        20 mins

Cooking Time:               10 mins

Serves:                              3

Calories per serving:     118

Ingredients

Carrots, Raw, Peeled                         –   3 Carrots/225g

Red Cabbage                                       –   3 Servings/300g

Apples, Jazz,                                       –   1 Apple /120g

Olive Oil, Extra Virgin                      –   10ml

Vinegar, Cider                                    –   1 Tbsp/15ml

Honey, Clear, Runny                        –   1 Tbsp/15g

Mustard, Dijon                                  –   1 Tsp/10g

Method

Finely slice/shred half a red cabbage. Peel and julienne the carrots. Chop the apple into matchsticks (no need to peel).

Toss the shredded vegs and fruit in a large bowl with the olive oil.

Pre-heat the air fryer – 160 degrees air frying mode.

Place the mixture into the pan of the air fryer (remove the bottom grate first). Cook for 10 minutes. stirring half way through.

Make the dressing by whisking together the mustard, apple cider vinegar and honey – adding salt and pepper as required.

This should be served warm, rather than cold and can be enjoyed alongside any main course dish.

Add a sprinkling of nuts on top – but don’t forget to add the calories – they are not included in this recipe!

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal)      117.3

Protein (g)                2.1

Carbohydrate (g)   19.1

Fat (g)                       4.0

Fibre (g)                   4.8

Fruit & Veg              2.9

 

Sliced vegetables ready to go!
Cooked vegetables which have retained their vibrant colours and a good amount of “crunch”

 

Creamy fish pie, 496 calories

flidfit Recipes , , ,

This may seem like a lot of work, but it only uses one pan and a saucepan for the mashed potato.  And believe me, it is REALLY worth it!

 

Creamy Fish Pie

Calories                       496 per portion

Serves                         4

Preparation Time        45 minutes

Cooking time               40 minutes

 

Ingredients

200g     Leeks, trimmed and washed

25g      Flour, Plain

350ml   Skimmed milk

150g     Petit pois (frozen)

25g      Flour, Plain

130g     Haddock fillets, smoked, skinless & boneless

140g     Cod, Fillets, skinless & boneless

45g      Butter, salted

180g     Prawns, king, peeled & cooked

 

For the mashed potato topping

700g     Potatoes, Maris Piper

70ml     Skimmed milk

20g      Butter, salted

20g      Parmesan cheese

20g      Mature Cheddar cheese

20g      Panko breadcrumbs, natural

 

(1) Peel and chop potatoes into uniformed sized pieces, put into a pan of water and bring to the boil.

(2) Lower to simmer, continue cooking for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain and mash with 70ml of the milk, 20g of butter. Season with salt and pepper.

(3) Whilst the potatoes are cooking, finely slice and wash the leeks.

(4) Heat a large oven and flame-proof casserole on a medium heat on the hob and melt the 45g of butter.  Add the sliced leeks, and fry over a low heat with the lid on until soft (but not browned).

(5) Place the fish fillets together in a large lidded microwave dish. Add 50ml of the milk, and cook on full power for 4 minutes until fish is cooked. Once cooked, being careful not to burn your fingers, remove any skin or bones from the fillets. Reserve the milk for later.

(6) Add the flour to the frying leeks and stir until butter has been absorbed by the flour.

(7) Add the milk from the poached fish a little at a time, keeping the heat low and avoiding lumps.

(8) Once all the poached fish milk is added, add the remainder of the milk to the leek sauce, stirring all the time to avoid lumps.

(9) Switch off the heat. Add the peas and fish to the mixture, flaking the fish fillets into large pieces. Stir until fish is mixed uniformly.

(10) Add the prawns and stir. Transfer to a suitable shallow oven proof container if necessary.

(11) Cover the fish mixture with the mashed potato, level the surface with a fork,

(12)  Cover with the breadcrumbs and two cheeses, mixing these together beforehand.

(13) Place in the hot oven and cook for 35 – 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

(14) Serve with green vegetables – savoy cabbage is perfect!

Crunchy topped creamy fish pie with spring greens and carrot and swede mash

I often double up on the creamy fish mixture and place the second batch into the freezer ready to add the potato topping and enjoy another day.