Courgette and Mushroom Bread

I recently bought some bread flour and was keen to get baking. I found a recipe for courgette bread from the BBC Good Food Magazine. Most US 'zucchini' breads are sweetened with honey and sugar. This version is savoury and has great taste, thanks to the onion and garlic.

As I don't have a bread machine, I kneaded the dough by hand. This requires additional flour which I included in the ingredients list and nutritional information. As the dough was quite sticky, I needed extra flour, which the dough 'absorbed' so that it wouldn't stick to the work surface and my hands.

I was really impressed with how the bread turned out - a traditional loaf and really tasty! I often had a slice each morning with poached eggs, a spreading of nut butter, or simply plain.

Courgette and Mushroom Bread
Makes 12 slices

Ingredients:
- 420g / 15oz courgette, grated
- 140g / 5oz onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 100g / 3.5oz mushrooms
- 400g / 14oz bread flour (350g for bread and 50g for kneading)
- 7g / 0.25oz active dry yeast
- 1tsp salt
- 15ml / 1tbsp olive oil
- 2tbsp basil, fresh and chopped OR 1/2tsp dried
- 120ml / 4floz warm water

Method:

• Using a paper towel or clean tea towel, squeeze out as much water from the grated courgette as possible.
• In a food processor, chop the onion, garlic and mushrooms into small pieces.
• Then cook in a pan for 5 minutes, straining any liquid.
• Set aside and allow to cool
• In a large bowl, mix together 350g flour, yeast, salt, olive oil, basil and courgette mixture.
• Make a well in center and pour 60ml warm water - stirring to combine and adding another 60ml warm water to form a sticky dough.
• Using the remaining 50g flour, knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes.
• Place back in the bowl and cover loosely with oilied cling film.
• Let the dough rise for 30 minutes, at room temperature, so it doubles in size.
• Press the dough into a loaf tin, lined with parchement, and brush with a tablespoon water or milk.
• Bake in the oven 220C / 425F for 40 mins.
• Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
• Eat plain, top with a poached egg or spread on nut butter and ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Orange Chicken Noodles

After making my very tasty, tangy, chocolaty sweet treats last week - Chocolate Orange Squares - I had a spare orange in the fridge that needed using. Therefore, I decided to use it to make a quick stir fry. The tangy orange zest, when combined with the sweet orange juice and a little agave nectar or honey, gives the chicken and vegetables delicious flavour and taste.

I used loads of nutritious and low calorie vegetables (onion, celery, green peppers, mushrooms, broccoli) as well as courgette which I spiralized. This meant I only used 2 servings of brown rice noodles (4oz) instead of 4 which also resulted in the dish not being just a load of noodles (carbs) with a little bit of veg mixed in. The brown rice noodles are fibrous and very filling - check out my recent Curried Ginger Chicken Noodles dish for another fast and flavourful recipe.

It helps if the chicken breast is already cooked and shredded as it reduces the amount of prep and cooking time significantly. For a lighter lunch, just omit the noodles and add more sprialized courgette.

This dish is packed with vitamin C, not only from the orange but the broccoli and green peppers. I read more about this on the U,S. National Library of Medicine website. As it's a water soluble vitamin, and our bodies can't make vitamin C on its own, we need an ongoing supply in our diet. Vitamin C is needed for growth and repair, as well as the absorption of iron.

Lots of people associate vitamin C, particularly from citrus fruits, as a remedy for preventing colds. However, research doesn't really support this. It might slightly shorten the length of time people feel sick.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adult men is 90mg/day, and for adult women it's 75mg/day. Therefore it's best to eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, paying close attention to the Top 10 Foods with the Highest Amounts of Vitamin C.

This dish contains three of the top 10:
100g broccoli - 89.2mg
100g green peppers - 80.4mg
100g orange - 53.2mg

Orange Chicken Noodles
Makes 4

Ingredients:
- 112g / 4oz brown rice noodles
- 1 orange, zest and juiced
- 140g / 5oz onion, chopped
- 140g / 5oz mushroom, chopped
- 140g / 5oz pepper, chopped
- 56g / 2oz celery chopped
- 170g / 60z broccoli, chopped
- 8g / 1tbsp corn starch
- 30ml / 2tbsp water
- 170g / 6oz chicken breast, cooked and shredded
- 20g / 1tbsp agave nectar OR honey
- 280g / 10oz courgette, spiralized, julienne or grated

Method:

• Soak the noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes to soften, then rinse and drain. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, zest and juice the orange.
• In a wok, sprayed with cooking spray, cook the online, mushroom, pepper, celery and broccoli for 5 minutes, stirring to spread the heat evenly around the wok and adding a splash of water if the veg begins to stick.
• Whisk the 2tbsp water into the corn starch and then add it to the wok, along with the shredded chicken, orange zest, juice and agave nectar (or honey).
• Stir for 2-3 minutes and then add in the courgette noodles.
• Cook for another couple of minutes and then serve on top of the rice noodles. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Courgette and Sweetcorn Pancake and Waffle Mix

I love pancakes and waffles but store-bought boxed mixes and restaurant versions aren't necessarily the most nutritious, often containing plain white flour, butter/oil/eggs etc. I decided to get a few servings of fruit and veg with this recipe below.

Courgette and Sweetcorn Pancake and Waffle Mix
Makes 4 pancakes OR 1-2 waffles

Ingredients:
- 225g / 8oz courgette
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 banana, mashed
- 90g flour (I use whole wheat)
- 1tsp baking powder
- 85g / 3oz sweetcorn, defrosted if frozen

Method:

• Grate the courgette and gently squeeze out any excess water.
• In a bowl stir together the banana and egg.
• Add the flour and the baking powder and mix altogether.
• Stir in the grated courgette and sweetcorn.
• Pour the batter into a frying pan to make 4 pancakes.
• Cook for 5 minutes and then flip the pancakes and cook the other side.
• If using a waffle iron, pour the batter into the iron and cook for up to 10 minutes.
• Depending on the size and heat settings of waffle irons, the cooking times and number of waffles will vary. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Pumpkin Courgette Brownies

Another mash up of two brownie recipes:
Pumpkin Brownies
Beetroot Courgette Brownies

Through experimentation - mostly as a result of discovering what's leftover in my fridge - I've learned that any of the following can be combined with basic ingredients to make healthier versions of traditional chocolate brownies:
beetroot, pumpkin, courgette, sweet potato (not tried yet).

The basic ingredients for the brownies are simply:
flour/oats, baking powder, cocoa powder, egg/flax egg, apple sauce/coconut oil, honey and some dark chocolate.

Pumpkin Courgette Brownies
Makes 8

Ingredients:
- 110g / 4oz courgette, grated
- 125g / 4.5oz pumpkin purée
- 120g / 4.5oz flour (I use whole wheat)
- 20g /4tbsp cocoa powder, natural unsweetened
- 1tsp baking powder
- 20g / 1tbsp honey
- 1 egg, beaten
- 30ml / 2tbsp coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 40g / 1.4oz dark chocolate chips or chopped

Method:

• In a bowl stir together the grated courgette and pumpkin purée.
• In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder).
• Add in the wet ingredients (honey, egg, coconut oil, vanilla extract).
• Stir in the beet courgette mixture.
• Finally, stir in the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into a loaf tin or 8x8 pan (lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray).
• Cook at 175C / 350F for 30 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack and cut into 8 squares. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Beetroot Courgette Brownies

This is a complete mash up of my two brownie recipes:
Beetroot Brownies
Chocolate Courgette / Zucchini Brownies

In the future, I think I'll be tempted to make this version if I can both beetroot and courgettes to hand. It's a perfect mix of gooey chocolaty sweetness, with each brownie giving modest amounts of fats (6.3g from coconut oil) and sugars (5g from honey and dark chocolate) in only 121 calories!

Beetroot Courgette Brownies
Makes 8

Ingredients:
- 85g / 3oz beetroot (I use no added salt canned beets)
- 120g / 4oz courgette, grated
- 40g / 1.4oz oat flour
- 40g / 1.4oz flour
- 20g /4tbsp cocoa powder, natural unsweetened
- 1.5tsp baking powder
- 20g / 1tbsp honey
- 1 egg, beaten
- 30ml / 2tbsp coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 40g / 1.4oz dark chocolate chips or chopped

Method:

• Blend the beetroot in a food processor to make a puree.
• Stir in the grated courgette.
• In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oat flour, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder).
• Add in the wet ingredients (honey, egg, coconut oil, vanilla extract).
• Stir in the beet courgette mixture.
• Finally, stir in the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into a loaf tin or 8x8 pan (lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray).
• Cook at 175C / 350F for 20-25 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack and cut into 8 squares. They should be a little gooey. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Chicken Burgers

The burger recipe below is different from previous recipes as it contains shredded chicken instead of red meat, beans or oats. It still has vegetables mixed into each patty. It also has a tasty strawberry jam sauce which makes a nice alternative to traditional ketchup or tomato paste.

Obviously, any of my home-made burgers aren't going to be as conventional (or perhaps as tasty!) as juicy beef burgers eaten in restaurants - as pictured below.

Nevertheless, the burgers on my blog provide variety:
Black Bean Oat Burgers
Veggie Bean Burgers
Lean Ground Beef Burgers

Chicken Burgers
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
For the sauce
- 56g / 2oz onion, chopped
- 34g / 2tbsp strawberry jam (I use sugar free)
- 7ml / 1/2tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ground black pepper

For the burgers
- 56g / 2oz onion, chopped
- 85g / 3oz carrot, grated
- 150g / 5.5oz courgette, grated
- 225g / 8oz chicken breast, cooked and shredded
- 40g / 1.5oz bread crumbs
- 10ml / 2tsp soy sauce, light
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1tbsp parsley, dried

Method:
Using a food processor, chop the onion and then half into two.

For the sauce, in a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the jam, vinegar and black pepper and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.

For the burgers, in a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together.

Squeeze any excess liquid from the mixture and form into 4 patties.

Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven at 175C / 350F for 15 minutes, then flipping and cooking for another 10 minutes. Top burgers with strawberry sauce. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

On-the-Go Snacks - Savoury

Further to my On-the-Go Snacks sweet blog post, below are 10 savoury recipes.

These snacks or light lunch options can be easily prepared in advance, divided into portions and stored in the fridge until needed. They can be enjoyed cold so there's no need to reheat and eaten right out of the container. Perfect for when I'm on-the-go. Just remember a spoon or fork!

A full list of snacks can be found here.

On-the-Go Snacks - Savoury

Avocado and Tuna Salad

Cauliflower and Courgette Bake

Cauliflower Omelette

Kale Crisps

Low Calorie Coleslaw

Miso Black Bean Rice Mix

Quinoa Kale Kidney Bean Salad

Roasted Chickpeas

Simple Trail Mix

Vegetable and Quinoa Stir Fry

Ratatouille with Poached Eggs

In addition to the 2007 Disney movie about a rat who can cook, Ratatouille is a traditional French stewed vegetable dish, originating from Nice.

Whilst ratatouille is usually served as a side dish, my version below includes poached eggs that make a more substantial meal if accompanied with rice or pasta. Key ingredients are tomatoes, aubergine/eggplant and green vegetables - such as peppers, celery and courgette/zucchini - not to mention onion, garlic and herbs.

I cooked my veg in one large pot, but ratatouille can be baked in the oven, like a casserole. I also added a little cornstarch to thicken the liquid just before poaching the eggs. Some versions strain the liquid with a colander and then add one or two tablespoons back into the vegetables. In order not to over cook the veg, I did this. It's an extra step in the cooking process but I thought it best to reduce the tomato liquid - keeping the flavour - without ending up with soggy veg!

With all the chopped vegetables, this dish gave me an excuse to use my fruit and veg chopper. It reminds me of the French guillotine - quite appropriate when making this French dish!

Ratatouille with Poached Eggs
Makes 4

Ingredients:

- 180g / 6.5oz onion, chopped

- 160g / 6oz pepper, sliced

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 150g / 5.5oz / 3 stalks celery

- 1tsp rosemary, dried

- 325g / 11.5oz aubergine, chopped

- 400g / 14.5oz / courgette, chopped

- 800g  / 29oz diced tomatoes, no salt added

- 480ml / 16floz water

- 15ml / 1tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 8g / 1tbsp corn starch

- 4 eggs
- ground black pepper

- sprinkle basil, dried or fresh

Method:

• In a large pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onion, pepper, garlic, celery and rosemary for 5 minutes, adding a splash of water to stop the veg sticking.
• Add the aubergine, courgettes and tomatoes, along with 2 cups (480ml) water.
• Bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
• Strain the veg then place the tomato liquid back on the stove top and boil for 5 minutes, allowing the liquid to reduce.
• Add the corn starch to thicken liquid and stir in the vinegar.
• Transfer the veg back to the pan.
• Make a small space for each of the eggs. 
• Crack an egg into each hole and season with black pepper. Cover and cook for 2-5 minutes.
• Scatter basil over the top and serve. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

On-the-Go Snacks - Sweet

I am always eating! One of the difficult things about this fact is planning ahead and ensuring I have sufficient, appropriate and healthy foods (and drinks) throughout the day. It does take time, effort and preparation. If I didn't do this, I'd end up wasting money - and making poor nutritional choices - at supermarkets and cafes grabbing snacks to keep me going when I'm out and about.

Below are my top 10 recipes for 'sweet' on-the-go snacks. Another blog post coming soon will feature 'savoury' snacks.

A full list of snacks on my blog can be found here.

On-the-Go Snacks - Sweet

Apricot Oat Slice

Banana Oat Energy Bars

Banana Walnut Bran Bread

Beetroot Brownies OR Courgette Brownies

 

Black Almond Fudge

Chia or Flaxseed Lemon Bread

Chocolate Chickpea Dough Ball Cookies

Oatmeal Energy Bars

Peppermint Chocolate Squares

Sunshine Muffins