No Cook Nut Bar

This recipe was cooked with Rennie and Ana on Healthy Living, broadcasted on ONE TV on the 27th January 2011.

These nut bars are not only easy to make, but they are the ideal source of protein for all those of you that are always on the move. A healthy alternative to the chocolate bar snack for your kids.

YOU WILL NEED:

Lamb Brand Hazelnuts 100g, toasted

Lamb Brand Blanched Almonds 100g, toasted

Lamb Brand Blanched Peanuts 50g, toasted

Lamb Brand Pine Nuts 50g, toasted

Lamb Brand Golden Raisins 100g

Lamb Brand Oat Flakes 50g

Lamb Brand Sesame Seeds 60g

Life Pumpkin Seeds 50g

Rice Krispies Cereal 45g

Peanut Butter 360g

Honey 295ml

Icam Melting Milk Chocolate (optional)

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO:

In a mixing bowl place all nuts, seeds, oats, cereal and raisins, roasted and roughly chopped. In a medium sized pan, melt the peanut butter and honey on a low heat. Pour the honey and peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well to coat. Press the mixture onto a baking sheet sized 11” x 13”, lined with parchment paper. Cover the top with parchment paper as well and place a heavy item on top to weigh it down. Chill in the refrigerator for not less than 2 hours or overnight.  Serve into 2 inch square portions. Alternatively these bars can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to a month.

Lentils Loaf

This recipe was cooked with Rennie and Ana on Healthy Living, broadcasted on ONE TV on the 20th January 2011.

This recipe brings an alternative to the traditional meatloaf. Packed with nutrients, it is ideal for those that prefer the healthier option and Vegetarians.

You will need:
Lamb Brand Mixed Lentils 200g
Lamb Brand Breadcrumbs 225g
Lamb Brand Chilli Flakes ½ tsp
Lamb Brand Fine Salt to taste
Lamb Brand Ground Black Pepper
to taste
Vegetable Stock 500ml
Olive Oil 1½ tbsp
Garlic Clove 1, minced
You will need:
Onion 1, sliced
Celery Stalks 2, finely chopped
Red Pepper 1, seeded and diced
Mushrooms 130g, finely chopped
Cheddar Cheese 150g, grated
Fresh Parsley 3 tbsp, chopped
Eggs 1 whole, 1 egg white, beaten

All you hav e to do is:
Rinse thoroughly the lentils under running water, place in a saucepan and add the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20
minutes.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and add onion. Cook for 3 minutes until softened. Add the celery, red pepper, garlic, chilli flakes and mushrooms. Cook stirring for 10 minutes. Add the fried vegetables to the lentils and stock, then stir in the cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley and eggs. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Grease and line the bottom of a loaf pan. Spoon the mixture into the pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 1 hour or until firm to the touch.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out. Cut into thick slices and serve over a bed of nutty steamed brown rice and a leafy green salad.

Chicken and Chickpea Soup

This recipe was cooked with Rennie and Ana on Healthy Living, broadcasted on ONE TV on the 13th January 2011

Trying to avoid having too many calories; this recipe brings you a hearty but healthy meal that is ideal as a light lunch or a starter.

YOU WILL NEED:

Lamb Brand Chickpeas 200g

Lamb Brand Chilli Flakes ½ tsp

Lamb Brand Cinnamon Stick 1

Lamb Brand Ground Black Pepper to taste

Lamb Brand Fine Salt to taste

Olive Oil 2 tbsp

Chicken Thighs 500g, chopped

Onion 1 large, chopped

Garlic Cloves 2, crushed

Carrots 2 large, diced

Tomato Paste 1 tbsp

Chicken Stock 1 ltr

Fresh Endive Head 1, medium

Jalapeno Peppers for garnish

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO:

Soak chickpeas for a minimum of 5 hours or overnight, rinse and cook for at least 30 minutes or until softened. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and add the chicken pieces and over high heat cook for 3 minutes or until chicken get brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, add the chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and the diced carrots and cook for another 2 minutes. Now add the tomato paste, chilli flakes and ½ cup of the stock and cook for another 1 minute.

Return chicken to the pan and add the rest of the stock and the cinnamon stick. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and continue to cook for about 15 minutes until chickpeas heat through. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick; season with salt and pepper. Finally, add the head of endive and mix well until greens wilt.

Garnish with some chopped jalapeno peppers for taste.

Barley Salad

This recipe was cooked with Rennie and Ana on Healthy Living, broadcasted on ONE TV on the 06th January 2011

YOU WILL NEED:

Lamb Brand Barley 200g

Lamb Brand Black Beans 200g

Vegetable Stock 1ltr

Red Sweet Pepper 1 large, diced

Spring Onions 3, finely chopped

Tomato Passata 160g

Greek Yoghurt 45g

Fresh Lime Juice 3tbsp

Fresh Parsley 80g, chopped

Fresh Garlic clove 1tsp, minced

For dressing:

Lamb Brand Dry Basil ½tsp

Lamb Brand Demerara Sugar ¼tsp

Lamb Brand Ground Black Pepper to taste

Lamb Brand Fine Salt to taste

Onion 1, small about 50g

Fresh Garlic clove 1

Olive Oil 1vtbsp

Tomato Polpa 200ml

Worcestershire Sauce ½tsp

Water 120ml

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO:

Soak the beans overnight or for a minimum of 5 hours. In a small pot cook the beans for approx 1 hour. Under cold running water rinse the barley. In the meantime place the stock in a medium pan. Bring to a boil and add the rinsed barley, cover and cook for about 40 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid has absorbed. Transfer to a serving bowl. Let it cool. Add the black beans, diced red pepper and the chopped spring onions and mix well.

To prepare the dressing:

In a small pot heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic for just about 3 minutes. Add the polpa, basil, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, water and salt and pepper to taste and bring to boil and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until liquid reduces by third and let cool.

In another bowl combine dressing, greek yoghurt, lime juice and the chopped parsley. Season if necessary with salt and pepper. Add the dressing with the barley mixture salad and serve at room temperature.

You may complement this salad with some canned tuna or salmon.

Pear Fruit Compote

This recipe was cooked with Rennie and Ana on Healthy Living, broadcasted on ONE TV on the 30th December 2011

Served hot or cold, and topped with some prepared whip cream and some chopped toasted almonds and hazelnuts. This recipe serves a whole crowd due to its richness. Great for New Year’s Eve Dinner.

YOU WILL NEED:

Lamb Brand Topping Mix 200g

Lamb Brand Brown Sugar 25g

Lamb Brand Cinnamon 1 tsp

Lamb Brand Vanilla Extract 1 tsp

Life Soft Apricots 250g, roughly chopped

Life Pitted Prunes 150g, roughly chopped

Life Crushed Hazelnuts 100g

Turvasa Figs 250g, roughly chopped

Fresh Pears 1kg

Water 120ml

Skimmed Milk 300ml

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO:

Place water and pears in a pot. Add the brown sugar and the cinnamon and cook gently for about 6 minutes.

Add the chopped apricots, figs and prunes and the vanilla extract, cook and simmer for another 20 minutes or until pears turn soft.

Meanwhile prepare the whip cream by adding the skimmed milk to the topping mix and whisk until light, fluffy and double the size.

Put the fruits mixture in a serving bowl, cover the top with the topping mix cream and sprinkle the crushed hazelnuts on top. Serve warm or cold.

Almond Bites

This recipe was cooked with Rennie and Ana on Healthy Living, broadcasted on ONE TV on the 30th December 2011

YOU WILL NEED:

Lamb Brand Blanched Almonds 200g, toasted

Lamb Brand Icing Sugar 150g + some for rolling

Lamb Brand Candied Peel 100g

Lamb Brand Vanilla Extract ¼ tsp

Hello Orange Juice 2 tbsp

Icam Dark/Milk Chocolate 50g, shredded

Lemon Zest 1 tsp

Orange Zest 1 tsp

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO:

Place almonds in a food processor or grinder and process until finely ground.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the chopped ground almonds, 150g icing sugar, candied peel and the lemon and orange zest and mix well. Add the orange juice and the vanilla extract and stir well. Shape mixture into balls using about 2 tsp of the mixture for each ball. In a separate bowl mix the shredded chocolate with some icing sugar and roll the balls in the mixture to coat them. Store them in a cool place, in an airtight container.

Dates and Honey Balls

This recipe was cooked with Rennie and Ana on Healthy Living, broadcasted on ONE TV on the 30th December 2011

YOU WILL NEED:

Lamb Brand Blanched Almonds 200g, toasted

Goldstar Pitted Dates 500g

Honey 60ml

Peanut Oil (or Sunflower Oil) a drizzle

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO:

To toast almonds:

Preheat oven on 350°C. Place blanched almonds on a baking sheet and toast for about 5-7 minutes, shaking almonds half way through cooking time. Let them cool.

To form balls:

Chop and pulse dates in a food processor and chop the toasted almonds. Mix both chopped dates and 140g chopped almonds in a mixing bowl adding the honey and a drizzle of oil and mix well.

Shape mixture into balls by rolling in the remaining chopped almonds.

Serve these delicious bites with some toasted nuts and dried apricots.

Red Lentils Soup with Fish

This recipe was cooked with Rennie and Ana on Healthy Living, broadcasted on ONE TV on the 23rd December 2011

This recipe brings you a fusion of mediterranean and arabic culture; originated from Egypt. Soups are one of the most popular meals to keep yourself warm in these cold months, and this recipe is sure to be on the top of your list

YOU WILL NEED:

Lamb Brand Red Lentils 200g

Lamb Brand Ground Black Pepper to taste

Lamb Brand Fine Salt to taste

Lamb Brand Cayenne Pepper (or Chili Powder) ¼ tsp

Onion 1, large and chopped

Celery Sticks 2, diced

Carrot 1, large and diced

Olive Oil 4 tbsp

Fish Stock 1ltr / 4½ cups

Fish Sauce 4 tsp

Bouquet Garni 1 * (or 2 tbsp Mixed Herbs)

White Cod Fillets ½kg, cut into 1” cube

Medium Shrimp ½kg, peeled

Goat cheese some, for garnish

Croutons for serving

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO:

In a medium to large pot heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and add the diced onion, chopped celery sticks and the diced carrot. Sauté for about 10 minutes. In the meantime rinse the red lentils under running water and add it to the pot. Add the fish stock, followed with 2 tsp of fish sauce. Stir well and then add the bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until lentils are tender.

In a fry pan heat again another 2 tbsp of olive oil and fry the fish from both sides, remove from pan and cook the shrimp well, adding the rest 2 tsp fish sauce, until shrimps come pink in colour. Pat fish with a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

Meanwhile process the cooked soup in a food processor and return to pot, adding the fish and shrimps and heat through for another 5 minutes. You can add some more fish stock if soup is too thick.

Serve this nice fish soup, topped with some goat cheese and some croutons.

* The bouquet garni  French for “garnished bouquet”) is a bundle of herbs usually tied together with a string. The bouquet is cooked with the other ingredients, but is removed before serving.

There is no generic recipe for bouquet garni, but mostly will include parsley, thyme and bay leaf, sometimes may also include basil, rosemary, peppercorns, savory and tarragon. Vegetables such as carrot, celery (leaves or stem), celeriac, leek, onion and parsley root are sometimes included in the bouquet.

The bouquet garni can also be bought in form of small sachet, a net, or even like a tea strainer.