Bolognaise

Serves 4-6 depending on appetite (leftover bolognaise minus the pasta freezes well)

Ingredients:

500g Mince
1 Onion
A few Garlic Cloves
3-4 Medium Sized Carrots
1 Beef Stock Cube
1 Tin Plum Tomatoes
2 Tin Tomato Puree (or 700-800grams)
1 Tin Tomato Paste
Oil (I use Coconut) or Olive
Handfuls of Fresh Basil, Flat leaf Parsley and Oreganum
Salt/Pepper
1 Bottle good quality Merlot

Heat oil
Gently fry onion/garlic (if you want a stronger garlic flavour add some more closer to the end of the cooking time)
Toss the mince in and brown that nicely - if you're using lean mince (90%beef/10%fat) you shouldn't need to drain any fat off, if your mince is swimming in oil/fat, drain it off and chuck it out - your thighs don't need it.
Use a big spoon/wooden spoon/egg lifter to bash the mince up so that it doesn't cook in big clumps
Once the mince has a nice brown colour, add your tomatoes and puree and paste. (you might need to add some water) and 1/2 - full glass of wine.
Drink a glass of wine
While this is on the go chop all your fresh herbs and toss that in along with the stock cube and season with salt and pepper.
Lastly, peel and grate the carrots, chuck that in the pot and give it a good stir.
Let it simmer on a low temperature for about 1-1.5 hrs, keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn, you'll need to add water as you go along.
Have the rest of the wine
The carrots will mostly cook away leaving you with a nice thick sauce.
If you want chunkier carrots, cut them Julienne
*you don't need to add sugar, the carrots have enough sugar in them
* If you don't want to drink the rest of the wine, put it in a ice tray to make wine ice cubes for when you cook with wine again

Calories
(per serving based on 5 serving recipe)
 +-330Cals
Pasta is about 200Cals per 50g uncooked.
If you're a small eater and watching your calorie intake 50g is enough, if like me you have a big appetite and have enough over of your daily calorie intake, 100g will do. :)

Notes:

The secret to a good bolognaise is letting it cook slowly at a low temperature. Reason being, you need the flavours to mix nicely. Taste a bit as it starts cooking and taste again when it's done, you'll clearly notice the difference. Especially for the fresh herbs, all that nice flavour needs to extract and mix with the other ingredients, it simply won't taste the same with dried herbs.

Wine - It must be a good quality wine, if the wine is shit, your bolognaise will taste just as bad

For the Italian Plum Tomatoes (I use the LaBelinda brand from fruit and veg)  The reason for plum tomatoes is that they're naturally sweeter and not as acidic as regular tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes is of course a better choice as it doesn't have the BPA that comes along with canned foods, but the plum variety is not always available and also takes longer to cook. If using fresh plum tomatoes, you may also need to add some extra tomato puree for extra flavour and colour. The type of tomato you use can either make or break your sauce. I've been through most of the brands, for colour, flavour and texture, LaBelinda does it for me. (I also use LaBelinda or other Italian import Puree)

Flat leaf parsley has a more desireable texture and has a stronger flavour than curly leaf parsley. For this reason, I only use curly leaf parsley for garnish

Choice of pasta brand - Thanks to an italian friend educating me about this a few years ago, I only use imported italian pasta. Why? You can simply cook and drain, then swish around a little olive so it doesn't stick together after cooking. Locally made pasta is left with way too much starch that you must rinse off - and then still reheat. This is my experience anyway, it just tastes nicer. I use Barilla, it's most commonly available. Fruit and Veg imported stock is also good.  For a gluten free variety, Glutagon rice based pasta is the way to go.


Don't forget to cook the pasta :)
 Here's a good link about how to cook pasta properly.
http://www.cookingindex.com/info/18/features/how-to-cook-pasta-properly.htm 

Easy Peazy Tomato Pasta Sauce

This is super easy and deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelish!

Serves 4-6  (If you're not 4, it's ok, leftovers freeze well)

2 x Tins Italian plum tomatoes
1 xMed/Lrg Onion
1 x Green pepper
As much garlic as you like
Salt (preferably not regular table salt)
ground pepper
3-4 teaspoons of sugar (depending on how sweet you want it) - you can substitute with agave nectar but with this dish it doesn't have the same effect as sugar)
Big handful fresh flat leaf pasley
Big handful fresh basil
Oil (I use coconut) - or Olive

Method:
Chop onion and green pepper
Heat oil and fry the chopped onion and pepper until it has a nice colour (this adds to flavour)
You can add the garlic at this point, if you want a stronger garlic taste, add it closer to the end of your cooking time
While the above is getting nice and brown, chop your fresh herbs
Chuck the canned tomatoes and fresh herbs in
use a big spoon/wooden spoon/egg lifter to bash the tomatoes up
and let it cook til the cows come home (approximately 2 hours)
If it tastes a little bland, you need to add more salt

Calories? A whopping 80cals per humungous serving.
Pasta is about 200Cals per 50g uncooked.
If you're a small eater and watching your calorie intake 50g is enough, if like me you have a big appetite and have enough over of your daily calorie intake, 100g will do. :)


Notes:

The secret to a good pasta sauce is letting it cook slowly at a low temperature. Reason being, you need the flavours to mix nicely. Taste a bit as it starts cooking and taste again when it's done, you'll clearly notice the difference. Especially for the fresh herbs, all that nice flavour needs to extract and mix with the other ingredients, it simply won't taste the same with dried herbs. If the mixture starts getting too thick and you're concerned about it burning, just add a little water. Give it a stir every 20min or so. If you want a smoother/finer sauce, chuck the lot in a blender.

For the Italian Plum Tomatoes (I use the LaBelinda brand from fruit and veg)  The reason for plum tomatoes is that they're naturally sweeter and not as acidic as regular tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes is of course a better choice as it doesn't have the BPA that comes along with canned foods, but the plum variety is not always available and also takes longer to cook. If using fresh plum tomatoes, you may also need to add some tomato puree for extra flavour and colour. The type of tomato you use can either make or break your sauce. I've been through most of the brands, for colour, flavour and texture, LaBelinda does it for me.

Flat leaf parsley has a more desireable texture and has a stronger flavour than curly leaf parsley. For this reason, I only use curly leaf parsley for garnish

Choice of pasta brand - Thanks to an italian friend educating me about this a few years ago, I only use imported italian pasta. Why? You can simply cook and drain, then swish around a little olive so it doesn't stick together after cooking. Locally made pasta is left with way too much starch that you must rinse off - and then still reheat. This is my experience anyway, it just tastes nicer. I use Barilla, it's most commonly available. Fruit and Veg imported stock is also good.

This sauce doesn't need meat, it's busting with enough flavour. If you must have your meat fix, add mince meat while browning the onion etc. If you add around 500grams, you'll be able to feed a lot more than 4 people.

If there's a vegetarian at the table and the rest of the party want meat.. a good alternative is to coat chicken strips with thick soy sauce. Let that fry nicely until the soy sauce is close to burning - if that makes sense? Only turn it once, when you see the strips are more white than pink, flip them over. If you turn them too soon you might have bits of chicken sticking to the bottom of the pan. (spray and cook helps) Scoop some of the tomato sauce into the pan, mix it all up and voila.

Don't forget to cook the pasta :)
 Here's a good link about how to cook pasta properly.
http://www.cookingindex.com/info/18/features/how-to-cook-pasta-properly.htm

Baked Stuffed Butternet

This is adapted from a Knorr recipe

2 Servings

1 Medium Butternut (400g once flesh is removed) 160cals
1 pack lean bacon cubes (250g) 370cals
1 Onion 44Cals
1 Red Pepper 37cals
1/2  Punnet Mushrooms 54cals
30ml Coconut Oil 108cals (or use olive oil)
Chives 1cal
1Pk Knorr Veggie Bake 148cals
350ml Milk 220cals
50g Cheese grated for topping 200Cals
Feta Topping (1/2 Arista) 190Cals


Method:
Parboil whole butternut
Once cooled cut out cubes of butternut and put in a bowl
Heat coconut oil
Fry onion, peppers, mushrooms, bacon
then add cubed butternut and chives
add pepper (enough salt in veggie bake mix)
Make veggie bake mixture according to the packet and add to the mixture

Stuff the butternut halves and pack 3rd portion away
 (2 Servings are to stuff Butternut Shells, 3rd serving is to pack in porcelain bowl in the freezer for baking another day when you need a meal filler)

Add your cheese toppings

Bake until the butternut is soft and VOILA!

Each serving once stuffed is 380Cals EXCLUDING the cheese's.
Adding the cheeses as toppings increases the serving amount to 575 Cals.

Why coconut oil you ask? Simply put, it's a healthy fat even when heated. Just remember that it's not calorie free.

Fresh Meaty Garden Salad for Picky Saladers

Ingredients (4 Servings)
1 Bag Lettuce of choice
Punnet baby plum tomatoes (nice and sweet)
1 Cucumber
400g Fat trimmed meaty bits
1 tub Feta Cheese (I use Arista Danish Style Feta, VERY creamy, 180g drained per tub)
Grated Parmesan
Ina Paarman's dressing
Balsamic Vinegar

 A 'hard to believe' under 400 Calorie Meal

Now this just seems WAY too good to be true doesn't it? The trick is PORTION CONTROL! This is a big salad and will definately fill the tummy.  You don't need mountains of cheese and oceans of dressing. You DON'T NEED MAYO! Why? There is 100 Calories in 15grams of Mayo. I'll say that again, 100 Calories in 3 teensy (not heaped) teaspoon of mayo.

The Calorie breakdown:
Mixed lettuce, tomato and cucumber (80cals)
50g Danish Feta (95cals) Much nicer than 3 measly teaspoons of mayo
Fat trimmed Meaty bits 100g (120cals) I used left over gammon that I had frozen
30ml Ina Paarman Salad Dressing (30cals) I use honey/mustard
Splash of Balsamic Vinegar (5Cals)
Grated Parmesan 10g (40Cals)

And there you have it! 370Cals of delisciousness.

Add a few more cals for safe measure depending on how you decide to flavour those meaty bits ;)

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts

Couldn't get any simpler than this!
This meal can easily feed 2 when including side veg/salad (I only realized this once I dished up)

Including a garden salad, each serving is approximately 500 Calories.

Ingredients (4 servings)
Pack of chicken breasts fillets (4)
250ml Cream (Reduced calorie alternative is Milk)
1 Tablespoon Flour (DELICIOUS Gluten free alternative is Chickpea Flour)
1/2 Onion
1 Green Pepper (I chose green for the colour)
1/2 Punnet Mushrooms
Chunky Breadcrumbs (Woolies has a nice chiabatta variety)
Fresh grated Parmesan (powdery one won't do)
Fresh Chives (if you don't have them growing in your windowsill, it's a good idea)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Ingredients (2 servings)
1/2 Pack of chicken breasts fillets (Put the rest in the freezer for later use)
125ml Cream (Reduced calorie alternative is Milk) If you can't find a small container in the shop, you can    freeze the balance to use in a sauce later)
1/2 Tablespoon Flour (DELICIOUS Gluten free alternative is Chickpea Flour)
1/4 Onion
1/2 Green Pepper (save the rest for a fresh salad)
1/2 Punnet Mushrooms (nothing wrong with a lot of mushrooms)
Chunky Breadcrumbs (Woolies has a nice chiabatta variety)
Fresh grated Parmesan (powdery one won't do)
Fresh Chives (if you don't have them growing in your windowsill, it's a good idea)
Salt and pepper to taste

Now for the super easy fun part, putting it all together!
 Spray and cook an oven dish (It's a good idea to use a size that the chicken won't swim in)
lay the chicken breasts down (in the oven dish of course)
top with chopped peppers, onion, chives and mushrooms (keep some chive aside for garnish)
Whisk the flour and cream together, just so that there are no lumps (I usually add the seasoning to this mixture.)
Pour this mixture over the packed yumness, save about a 1/4 of it until after the next step
Chuck chunky breadcrumbs over this concoction, then finally the grated parmesan
With the remainder of the flour/cream mixture, gently spoon over the crumbs/cheese to coat it. We don't want it to run off the other ingredients but don't want it to dry out either.

Pop it in the oven for about 30min.

Every ten minutes take the dish out, slant it a bit to scoop out saucy mixture with a spoon and recoat the top. This will ensure you have a heavenly crusted topping and that the sauce is well distributed through the dish.

If it hasn't crusted enough you can always put the grill on for a few minutes.

Once it's done, garnish with left over chives and VOILA! This is quite rich so serve with either a garden salad or steamed veg.