Grahame N's Web Pages

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IDEAS FOR NON-FATTENING SNACKS!

Air-popped popcorn - served without butter, a cupfull has 30 calories and 15 grams of fibre.

Baked beans - high in protein & iron, a 200 gramme tin has 168 calories & about 7 grams of fibre.

Pickled gherkins - containing only 8 calories, a 50 gram gherkin can be a delightful snack.

Frozen yogurts - a satisfying way to end a meal, two scoops of vanilla has 110 calories.

Tomato soup - a bowl contains 145 calories and 1-2 grams of fibre - watch out for salt though!

White fish - packed with protein, a grilled 175 gram serving has 194 calories.

A FEW SIMPLE RECIPES!

TUNA, SWEETCORN & PASTA BAKE (serves 2 to 4 depending how hungry you are!)

What you need:
250gms of pasta - I use spirali tricolore - multi-coloured spirals
Tin of Campbell's (now Batchelors) condensed (295gram) Cream of Mushroon soup
Tin (200gram) of tuna chunks (less fat if in brine)
Tin (actually half a tin) of sweet corn (approx 150grams)
4 or 5 fresh chopped mushrooms
2 or 3 cherry tomatoes
50-100ccs of milk

First pre-cook the noodles or pasta of your choice, say 250 grams of pasta
Place in a 1.5 litre/2 pint oven casserole
Mix with one tin of Campbell's condensed (295gram) Cream of Mushroom soup
(Use perhaps 50 to 100ccs of milk to rinse out the soup can)
Add approx. 150grams/5ozs of sweet corn (half a can)
Add about 4/5 fresh chopped mushrooms
Add one tin (200gram) of tuna chunks (drained)
Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and garnish with halved tomatoes
Bake in the oven at Gas Mk 5 (375-400°F) for around 30 - 35 minutes
Serve with a side salad, French bagette, and maybe a glass or two of chilled white wine!

CHILLI CON CARNE
(Serves 2 - 4 depending how hungry you are)

What you need:
1lb/450gm (or 1/2lb mince & maybe 4ozs of soya mix)
1 large or two small onions - chopped
1 tin of kidney beans (15oz/400gm)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (15oz/400gm)
Chilli Con Carne sauce mix packet
2 to 3 teaspoonfulls of sunflower oil
Mixed herbs; lemon juice; chilli powder, garlic powder,
approx. 2 x glasses of red wine; two teaspoonfulls of drinking chocolate powder
Indian basmati long grain rice (around 2 or 3ozs per person)

First brown the mince & chopped onions in a deep frying pan with a little sunflower oil.
Drain off any surplus fat.
Add the tinned kidney beans and the tinned tomatoes (chop these if whole)
Mix the contents of the chilli con carne sauce mix with the red wine into the pan
Add about two teaspoonsfull of drinking chocolate powder (the secret ingredient!)
Add extra mixed herbs, chilli & garlic powder, mustard, and lemon juice to taste
(also add the soya mix if used)
Cover & simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding extra water (or wine!) as necessary
Boil the rice in a saucepan for around 10 minutes depending on type

Pour the chilli con carne sauce onto a bed of rice
Serve with side salad, garlic bread and the remains of the bottle of red wine!

SAUSAGE CASSEROLE
(Serves 2 - 4 depending how hungry you are)

What you need:-
Around 6 thick type pork (or beef) sausages (say 300grams / 12ozs)
1 large onion (or 2 smaller ones)
100grams / 4 ozs mushrooms
3 or 4 carrots
Tin chopped tomatoes
Packet traditional sausage casserole sauce mix (Lidl etc.)
Stock cube
About 150ml / 1/4pint red wine (or water for the boring version)

First chop the onion and fry gently in a shallow frying pan with a little sunflower oil
Add the sausages and turn for a few minutes to just brown slightly and allow surplus fat to drain
Chop the carrots & mushrooms and place in a large casserole dish with the tomatoes & sauce mix
Add the wine (or water) and the crumbled stock cube with some mixed herbs.
Add the drained part-fried chopped onion and sausages from the frying pan
Place the casserole in a pre-heated oven 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4 for around 40 minutes

Serve with baked beans and mashed potato, plus of course a glass or two of the red wine!

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
(serves 2-4 depending how hungry you are!)

What you need:
1lb (or 1/2lb mince & maybe 4ozs of soya mix)
1 large or two small onions - chopped
4 or 5 mushrooms - sliced
1 tin (15ox/450gm) of tomatoes (chopped or whole)
Spaghetti Bolognese sauce mix packet (or extra herbs etc.)
Mixed herbs; lemon juice; 2 glasses of red wine; 2 or 3 teaspoonfulls of sunflower oil
Spaghetti (around 2 or 3ozs per person)

First brown the mince & onions in a deep frying pan with a little sunflowwer oil.
Drain off any surplus fat.
Add the sliced mushrooms and the tinned tomatoes (chop these if whole)
Mix the contents of the bolognese sauce mix with the red wine into the pan
Add extra mixed herbs, mustard, and lemon juice to taste (also add the soya mix if used)
Cover & simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding extra water (or wine!) as necessary
Boil the spaghetti in a saucepan for around 10 minutes depending on type

Pour the bolognese sauce onto a bed of spaghetti & sprinkle with parmesan cheese
Serve with side salad, garlic bread and the remains of the bottle of red wine!

BEEF BOURGINONNE
(Serves 2)

What you need:
Tin Plumrose (or similar) stewed steak & gravy
Tin new potatoes
About 4 carrots
3 or 4 plum/cherry tomatoes
A good sized onion
About 4 or 5 small button mushrooms
A beef Oxo cube, Bisto gravy powder, mustard and mixed herbs

First fry the onion in a little sunflower oil
Add the tin of stewed steak
Add extra fluid as necessary - red wine is recommended!
Mix up the Bisto for thickening and add with the beef Oxo cube and mixed herbs.
plus maybe a little mustard to bring out the flavour
Add the potatoes, sliced carrots, mushrooms and chopped tomatoes
Simmer gently for about 20 minutes
Serve with crusty rolls or garlic bread and of course - the red wine!

COQ AU VIN
(Chicken in wine
serves 2/3 people)

What you need:
4 chicken portions (I use Lidl's 500g chicken breast fillets - 1 pack for two people)
A 2 pint (1 litre) casserole dish and lid
About 4 medium size closed cup mushrooms
1 large or 2 small onions
6 small plum tomatoes
About 3 carrots
Packet of Chicken Chasseur sauce mix (Lidl)
A chicken Oxo cube, mixed herbs and a clove of garlic (or equiv. in garlic paste)

What you do:
First fry the chopped onion in a little sunflower oil
While the onion is frying, slice the carrots, mushrooms and tomatoes
Place the chicken portions (defrosted if frozen, & washed in hot water) in the casserole dish
Add the fried onions, mushrooms, carrots and tomatoes
Empty chasseur sauce packet mix into the casserole
Add the crumbled Oxo cube, a few mixed herbs and the garlic
Add about half a pint/litre of red wine and ensure the powder is dissolved
Add a few squirts of lemon juice, dashes of HP sauce and Soy sauce for extra colour & flavouring
Top up with about an extra 1/4 pint / 250ml of water
Place the casserole in ready heated oven at 190C or 375F for about 1 hour and a quarter
Serve with new potatoes and of course - the red wine!

SAVOURY PANCAKES
with Tuna and Prawns
(serves 4 people)

What you need:
1 large green pepper; 1oz butter; 1oz flour; salt & pepper
7oz can flaked tuna fish; 4oz prawns, peeled
4/5oz commercial soured cream; 3 tablesp. single fresh cream

Batter: 4oz flour; 1 egg; 1/2pt milk; salt & pepper
Make the batter:- Mix flour, egg, milk, salt & pepper into a smooth batter - stand for 1/2 hour

Meantime: Remove stalk & seeds from the pepper. Cut into 1/4inch pieces & blanch in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain.
Melt the butter, add the flour and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes.
Blend in the flaked tuna, prawns, blanched pepper, soured & single cream.
Stir over gentle heat until warm but not boiling. Season to taste,

Make the pancakes: Heat a little oil in a frying pan, pour in enough batter to coat the bottom and shake. Cook until brown, turn and brown the second side.
Spread the pancakes with the filling, roll or fold them and serve while hot.

CHOCOLATE
DESERT SURPRISE

What you need:
Chocolate flavour dessert mix (Lidl supermarkets etc.)
A banana
Approx. half pint of semi-skimmed milk
One tot glass of Gran Marnier or Cointreau liqueur

Slice the banana into two suitable dessert dishes
Whisk up the chocolate dessert mix as directed but substitute liqueur for a little of the milk
Pour the mix over the sliced bananas and put in the fridge for 10 minutes or more to set
Sprinkle the top with chocolate topping or buttons just before serving.

Just taste the result and experience the surprise!

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THE

COOKERY

PAGE

IDEAS FOR NON-FATTENING SNACKS!

Air-popped popcorn - served without butter, a cupfull has 30 calories and 15 grams of fibre.

Baked beans - high in protein & iron, a 200 gramme tin has 168 calories & about 7 grams of fibre.

Pickled gherkins - containing only 8 calories, a 50 gram gherkin can be a delightful snack.

Frozen yogurts - a satisfying way to end a meal, two scoops of vanilla has 110 calories.

Tomato soup - a bowl contains 145 calories and 1-2 grams of fibre - watch out for salt though!

White fish - packed with protein, a grilled 175 gram serving has 194 calories.

A FEW SIMPLE RECIPES!

TUNA, SWEETCORN & PASTA BAKE (serves 2 to 4 depending how hungry you are!)

Pour the chilli con carne sauce onto a bed of rice Serve with side salad, garlic bread and the remains of the bottle of red wine!

SAUSAGE CASSEROLE (Serves 2 - 4 depending how hungry you are)

Serve with baked beans and mashed potato, plus of course a glass or two of the red wine!

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE (serves 2-4 depending how hungry you are!)

Pour the bolognese sauce onto a bed of spaghetti & sprinkle with parmesan cheese Serve with side salad, garlic bread and the remains of the bottle of red wine!

BEEF BOURGINONNE (Serves 2)

What you need: Tin Plumrose (or similar) stewed steak & gravy Tin new potatoes About 4 carrots 3 or 4 plum/cherry tomatoes A good sized onion About 4 or 5 small button mushrooms A beef Oxo cube, Bisto gravy powder, mustard and mixed herbs

COQ AU VIN (Chicken in wine serves 2/3 people)

SAVOURY PANCAKES with Tuna and Prawns (serves 4 people)

What you need: 1 large green pepper; 1oz butter; 1oz flour; salt & pepper 7oz can flaked tuna fish; 4oz prawns, peeled 4/5oz commercial soured cream; 3 tablesp. single fresh cream

Batter: 4oz flour; 1 egg; 1/2pt milk; salt & pepper Make the batter:- Mix flour, egg, milk, salt & pepper into a smooth batter - stand for 1/2 hour

Make the pancakes: Heat a little oil in a frying pan, pour in enough batter to coat the bottom and shake. Cook until brown, turn and brown the second side. Spread the pancakes with the filling, roll or fold them and serve while hot.

CHOCOLATE DESERT SURPRISE

What you need: Chocolate flavour dessert mix (Lidl supermarkets etc.) A banana Approx. half pint of semi-skimmed milk One tot glass of Gran Marnier or Cointreau liqueur