Mini Turkey Koftes

These tasty Turkey Koftes are super easy to make and can be cooked under the grill or over a barbecue in less than 15 minutes, with five minutes to prepare. 

I'm following Slimming World at the moment, and this meal was completely syn free. So to go alongside the Mini Turkey Koftes, I made up a big Greek Salad and cut the feta into 45g wedges (Healthy Extra A choice), instead of olive oil which I would normally drizzle all over the salad, I sprayed with Fry Light Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray, and had a toasted wholemeal pitta bread (Healthy Extra B choice). I made syn free Tzatziki and syn free Spicy Tomato Salsa too, which I've included the instructions to below and which we've been having tons to add flavour to any barbecued meat

Syn Free Tzatziki

Combine 3 tbsp fat free natural yoghurt, 3-4cm long chunk of cucumber grated into the yoghurt, 1 garlic clove either grated into the yoghurt, or minced in, a pinch of salt and some roughly chopped fresh mint leaves or 1/2 tsp dried mint; mix it all together and that is it.

Syn Free Spicy Tomato Salsa 

You need fresh, ripe tomatoes, a red onion, a couple of green chillies, salt, pepper, garlic, coriander and the juice of a lime. You can either pop all of that into a mortar and grind with a pestle (if doing so I advise coarse sea salt as the abrasive texture helps to break down everything else, or throw it all into a food processor or Nutribullet and blitz if you prefer. This lasts for a week in the fridge if sealed. 

Mini Turkey Koftes

The below serves four. 

Here's how:

• 500g lean turkey thigh mince
• 1 red onion
• 2 green chillies
• Handful fresh coriander
• Handful fresh parsley
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp dried cumin
• 1 tbsp sumac
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp garlic granules
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1-2 drops of ice cold water
• Pinch salt and black pepper
• 1 lemon or lime

Put the turkey mince into a large bowl and season generously with salt and black pepper.

Now peel and finely dice the red onion, mince the garlic cloves and slice the green chillies and add to the bowl with the mince.

Roughly chop the parsley and coriander and add to the bowl too. 

Now add the spices; cumin, sumac, cayenne pepper, garlic granules and cinnamon.

Finally add to the bowl the tomato puree (or you could use harissa paste) and the drop of cold water. Now use your hands to mix together. You want to work the meat a little bit; like you would with a dough for a few minutes, which will help to tenderize the meat and help to bring it together. 

Break into 8-10 small patties, and then work each one into a little sausage shape. Place under the grill or onto the barbecue and allow to cook for 7 minutes, then turn over and cook for a further seven minutes or until the meat is cooked through and the outside has a little char. 

Add to a platter or plate with the pitta bread and dips, and before serving just squeeze over some juice from the lemon or lime. Enjoy!

Here are a few other Slimming World friendly recipes I've shared recently since starting the programme a few weeks back.

Chilli Crab Noodles
Slow Cooker Chinese Pork with Noodles 
Simple Fish Stew
Adana Kebabs

Reduced Calorie Bolognese

Spaghetti Bolognese is always a crowd-pleaser at our house and as I’m trying to get a few pounds off before the summer holiday season begins, I have tweaked the more traditional version to reduce the calories and this is pretty good even if I say so myself.

Using turkey thigh mince instead of the usual steak or beef mince immediately shaves off approximately 60 calories, and by taking out the red wine and adding instead a touch of balsamic vinegar, again takes out around 160 calories overall. I would usually use a generous amount of olive oil when making a bolognese sauce, but have reduced this too just three sprays of Fry Light Olive Oil at only 3 calories.

I serve with 150g cooked wholemeal spaghetti too - which is easier to digest and has half the amount of sugar to white spaghetti. The below gives x4 portions and one with the 150g pasta and a tiny 6g Grana Padana grated over too comes in at 515 calories.

I add cinnamon to the mince as it cooks, which gives a great flavour and is more of a nod towards the Greek flavours of a meaty ragu, rather than Italian, but trust me it works beautifully.

Reduced Calorie Bolognese

Here’s how:

• 250g turkey thigh mince
• 1 large white onion
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 large carrot
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Water
• 3x sprays of Fry Light Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Firstly spray the pan with the Fry Light and place on a low heat.

Peel and finely dice the onion and add to the pan.

Peel and mince the garlic and also add to the pan.

Now peel the carrot and finely dice, and cut the celery into small slithers too. Add both to the pan.

Once the vegetables are softened, add the turkey mince and season well.

Use a wooden spatula or spoon to gently break up the meat to avoid it all clumping together.

Once it has begun to brown, mix it around and allow it to cook all over. At this point add the dried cinnamon and stir.

Once the meat has all coloured, add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, oregano, sugar and rosemary and mix well. Now fill the empty tomato can up with water straight from the tap and pour over the meat.

Now simply allow to cook for at least thirty minutes until the sauce has reduced down and thickened up a little. The longer you cook the sauce for, the more intense the flavour will be so if you're not in a rush leave it to cook down for as long as you can.

Serve over spaghetti with a small smattering of Grana Padana and enjoy!

Turkey Meatball Bake

This is a lovely family recipe for all the family getting stuck into one central dish. It's also a recipe that lends itself well to 'cooking with children' which is an absolute passion here, and my Bridget who's 3 and a half, loves nothing better than putting her apron on and helping in the kitchen.

I served here with a Mediterranean loaf (Tesco bakery, thank you very much), but any fresh bread would work, as would fresh pasta or even rice or couscous. There's just something more fun about dipping in the bread and mopping up all of the sauce.

I use turkey as it's incredibly lean, but you could any minced meat here, and the herbs I've included were as I had them in stock, again you can experiment or use dried if you prefer. It really is worth making your own meatballs, you don't need to pad them out with breadcrumbs or egg or anything, they're just pure meat and seasonings - no nasties.

The below serves us four (two adults, and two under 3's).

Turkey Meatball Bake

Here's how:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 celery sticks
• 1 carrot
• 1 jar passata
• 1 tin cannellini beans
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 glass red wine
• 3 bayleafs
• Handful basil leafs

For the meatballs:

• 450g turkey mince
• 3 spring onions
• Drizzle of garlic oil
• Handful each of: parsley, tarragon, chives

For the bake:

• 1 ball of half fat mozzarella

Firstly make the tomato sauce. Start by pouring in the olive oil to a saucepan and placing on a low heat.

Peel and dice the onion and crush the garlic and add to the pan. Finely slice the celery sticks and add to the pan.

Once they're all softened, add the passata, red wine, bayleafs and oregano as well as seasoning generously with sea salt and black pepper.

Grate the carrot and add to the sauce, and finally add the cannellini beans then give a good stir through and allow to cook for 20-30 minutes. Remove from the heat and throw a few basil leaves in, give a good stir then set aside.

The tomato sauce with beans

In the meantime, make the meatballs. Place the mince into a bowl.

Finely slice the spring onions, and chop the herbs and add to the bowl with the garlic oil and give a good mix. There's only hands to be used here, a spoon won't cut it. Mix really well, trying to get the herbs distributed well throughout the meat, but be careful not to overwork the meat.

Now pull off a small piece, about 1 tbsp of the meat, and roll around in your hands to make a meatball then set aside. Repeat until all of the meat has been transformed into rounds.

Turkey Meatballs

Now remove the bayleafs from the tomato sauce and pour into an oven-proof dish. Place each meatball into the sauce, with a little space in between.

Finally tear the mozzarella up into slithers and place all around the top of the dish, so to evenly distribute the cheese.

Give one final seasoning over the top of the dish and it's ready to go into the oven.

Cook in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through, and the cheese is melted and gooey all over the top. Serve with your choice of accompaniments. Enjoy!

Here are some other makeover recipes I make using turkey mince:
Turkey and Hidden Vegetable Bolognese
Turkey and Vegetable Parsnip Topped Pie
Turkey and Charred Vegetable Ragu Pasta Bake

Turkey and Vegetable Parsnip Topped Pie

This is a great dish for kids, a slightly healthier, reduced calorie and fats version of a cottage pie, using turkey mince instead of beef (or lamb in a shepherd’s pie) and topped with mashed parsnip instead of potato, for an extra helping of their five-a-day. 

I know many parents say how fussy their kids are and that they detect a hidden vegetable from a five-mile radius, luckily not so much at our house, mine both readily tuck into most vegetables but I’m always looking to offer more and ensure they have a well balanced diet. 

You can top this pie up with any number of vegetables, I use diced carrots, frozen peas and sweetcorn, sliced celery and of course the mashed parsnip topping. You could top up with lentils, sweet potato, courgettes, squash, aubergine - the list is endless, just include your kids’ favourites. 

The below makes enough for 4-6 ramekins of the Turkey & Veggie Parsnip Topped Pie or one large dish, and it freezes well too so is great for batch cooking for busy parents, and let’s face it whether you work or are at home with your kids all the time, we’re all busy!

Turkey and Vegetable Parsnip Topped Pie

Here’s how;

• 300g turkey mince
• 1 onion
• 2 sticks celery
• 1 large carrot
• 2 handfuls frozen peas
• 2 handfuls frozen sweetcorn kernels
• 1 Knorr Beef Stock Pot
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 large parsnips
• 1 tbsp Grana Padana or other hard cheese 
• Couple of drizzles olive oil

Firstly peel and dice the parsnip and bring to the boil in a pan of water. Once boiled, you’ll need to cook for another 10-15 minutes, test with a fork to see if it’s soft enough to mash. Mash with a little drizzle of olive oil and set aside for the moment.

Now pre-heat the oven to 180.

In the meantime add another drizzle of olive oil to a pan and place on a low heat. 

Peel and dice the onion and finely slice the celery, add to the pan to gently saute. 

Peel and dice the carrot and add to the pan.

Once softened, add the mince and allow to brown. Break up gently with a spatula to avoid it all clumping together. Once it has started to brown, add the black pepper and cinnamon.

Now add the peas and sweetcorn and any other vegetables you’re adding. 

Make up the Knorr Beef Stock Pot or alternative stock, to about 50-75ml. Pour it over the meat and allow to simmer for ten minutes. 

Remove from the heat and spoon the meat into ramekins or a larger pie dish. 

Now spoon over the top the parsnip mash and smooth down flat with the back of a spoon.

Finally scatter over the Grana Padana and place into the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. 

Ensure to remove from the ramekin for serving to allow it to cool quicker for children. Enjoy!

Turkey and Hidden Vegetable Bolognese

Like most parents I speak to, we sometimes have a hard time encouraging Bridget to eat her vegetables. Gone is the foodie baby that barely turned her nose up at anything, and in her place is an opinionated, strong-willed, almost three-year old young lady who refuses point blank to eat carrots. Except of course when Mummy has cleverly disguised them in a number of different ways. Pasta sauces are the easiest, as the carrot can simply be grated into the sauce and this turkey Bolognese has become a family favourite over the past few months.

I've been favouring turkey over my usual steak or pork mince as it's got a much lower fat and calorie content, which has been key in me still having delicious, homemade food, but with tweaks, such as these to slowly but surely reduce the baby weight gain!

This is a fantastic, cheap and healthy family meal that freezes well too. I have been enjoying this alone or with some courgette but I serve with pasta for Glen and Bridget - I'm sure it won't be too long till Beatrice enjoys some Bolognese too.

I very finely chop or dice the rest of the vegetables so they aren't detected by Bridget and have done the same for friends' children too - one of which is almost a teenager and has no idea so this is a parenting trick I'm sure I'll be using for years to come.

Turkey and Hidden Vegetable Bolognese

 

Here's how:

• 1 white onion
• 450g turkey mince (I prefer thigh as it's less dry but breast is fine too)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 sticks celery
• 1 courgette
• 2 carrots
• 2 tomatoes
• Handful mushrooms
• 1 jar or carton passata
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Black pepper
• Salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Glug of good olive oil

Firstly pour the olive oil into a non-stick pan and place onto a low heat. Really finely dice the onion and mince the garlic and place into the pan. Once softened add the turkey mince and slowly brown, using a wooden spatula to break up as you cook and avoid it all sticking together in one big lump.

Add the cinnamon, black pepper and salt to taste.

Finely dice the celery and roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the mince mix.

Peel and grate or very finely dice the carrot and add to the mix.

Finely dice the courgette and slice the mushroom (or if also hiding that, dice too) and add to the mince with the passata, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, red wine and tomato puree.

Finally make up the chicken stock and add to the Bolognese. Stir thoroughly and keep on a low heat to cook through for as long as you can. An hour to two hours makes for a really richly intense flavour, but if you are short on time, 30 minutes will do it. Taste during cooking and add additional seasoning if need be.

Serve alone, or with some pasta of your choice and a little Parmigianna or other hard cheese of your choice. Enjoy!

A couple of delicious things in 2014

If you've read the previous post, you'll know why there has been a six-month gap, I am with child. Excitingly due in September and the past few months have been a little manic to say the least. I have managed to eat several rather delicious things during this time and here is a little round up that never quite made it as full posts.

Insanely good beef ribs were had at Beard to Tail recently - in what felt like a woman versus food challenge due to the sheet size and deliciousness of the meat - little else was needed. Mocktails were good here also (I'm told also the cocktails!).

In March I headed to my favourite restaurant in Essex, Smiths for my friend Jemma's 30th birthday. Famed for their seafood and fresh fish they have an exceptionally good value set lunch menu - £26.50 for 3 courses and with quite a good selection too. I really enjoyed their version if rollmops - pickled herrings with pickled onions and vegetables, a little salad and a lemon crème fraiche to start. My main was their famed fish pie filled with beautifully cooled salmon, prawns, cod and a rich velvety creamy sauce and topped with buttery and perfectly crisped mash - divine. I completed my meal with roasted pineapple with coconut ice cream, a caramel sauce and some raspberries. As usual for Smiths, every course was delicious and the service was impeccable. 

On Mother's Day we headed out for fish and chips at the seaside (good old Southend) followed by a walk along the front and ice cream. Afterwards we headed back to my Mum's for a traditional 'high tea' that looked so beautiful I had to share. Our high tea included fresh prawns, brown shrimps, cockles, winkles, fresh crab meat sandwiches and a selection of homemade cake - always a winner. 

Last month I enjoyed a week in beautiful Kusadasi in Turkey with my friend Jade and on our last evening we enjoyed a fantastic seafood meze. Alongside all of the usual salads and vegetable dishes as well as fresh dips we enjoyed a whole cooked sea bream, crispy fresh calamari and a casserole of spicy, garlicy prawns that were to die for. Since I've been back I've been utterly obsessed with Mediterranean food! 

A Belated Thanksgiving Post

Before I begin, an apology for the 6-month delay on this and any other posts. As it tends to do, life has simply got the way a tad. December was the usual whirlwind of parties and then in January I found out I was expecting and my life just seemed to get even crazier hectic than usual. I've tried to fit in a little writing this week and as I'll be finishing working duties in a matter of a month or so, I'm hoping not to be so slack.

I was invited by the lovely Food Urchin, way back in November to a Thanksgiving soiree at his home, close to where I live in Essex. This was part of a project he was taking part in with Great British Chefs. On the evening in question I arrived to be greeted by a glass of fizz, Danny (Mr Food Urchin) Gary of Big Spud, Danny's lovely wife and a couple of his friends - a nice start to the festivities.

We sat down to our first course - a tagliatelle with chestnuts, bacon, a sage black butter and a pumpkin velouté. Poor Danny had had a slight nightmare - this was supposed to be tortellini - however as with many wonderful things, the result of this 'mistake' was very pleasing indeed. A light and flavourful sweet note from the pumpkin was set off beautifully by the delicate crunch of the chestnuts and as Danny pointed out, almost everything is improved by bacon. I might add that as well as being an enjoyable dish it was also a rather attractive plate of food too. Bonus. 

By the main event the wine was flowing nicely and conversation was lively - we were ready for the star of the show, the turkey. Happily Danny had used Great British Chef's bank of recipes and came up with an inventive ballotine of soft, moist, melt in the mouth turkey wrapped in Parma ham and with soft, buttery spinach running through it. Wonderful, and a refreshing change from roasted bird. The accompaniments too were fantastic - baby carrots and braised baby gems (a dish I'd never tried but have since recreated at home) and an utterly gorgeous potato rosti. Being the slave to carbs that I am I do love potatoes in all their glorious formats but there is something special and slightly naughty about a rosti and Danny pulled it off perfectly. Soft, well-seasoned potato was encased in a crispy exterior for that all important crunch-factor. The whole dish was prettily dressed with a red wine and thyme jus that tasted as good as it looked. Hat's off to the chef for this as it was a truly gorgeous plate of food prepared in front of us with the minimum of fuss. 

Our final course was an unusual treat - a spiced apple crumble slice, or a hybrid of crumble and pie - for me the perfect pudding. With an old-school hearty stodginess about it (as all crumbles and pies should), it still managed to appear refined. Expertly spiced with soft, juicy cooked apples, the delicious crunch of the crumble and a little vanilla ice cream made for a marvellous mouthful.

I must mention this evening was put on in association with one of Great British Chef's wine partners' - Corney & Barrow and each course was well matched with a different plonk. The dessert wine was my favourite, not least for its comedic name - Sticky Micky Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. It was absolutely delicious, sweet but with an acidic tang that worked well the apple crumble pie. 

I had a wonderful evening with great company and even better food. Thanks again to Food Urchin and apologies for the incredibly tardy post!