Salmon, Fennel, Parsnip and Coconut Stew

Looking for some winter goodness with a touch of spring? This creamy hot soup gives you a cosy winter feeling yet the beautiful combination of soft colors makes you look forward to the springtime. A perfect dish for this month since winter doesn't really seem to be over, yet spring does already appear to be creeping in every now and then.

What you need:
(Makes enough for 2 people)

1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 leek, washed and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 fennel bulb, diced
2 parsnips, scrubbed and diced
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
250gr salmon, cut into chiunks
Microgreens as garnish (optional)

What you do:
In a medium pan, heat the olive oil and cook the leek, garlic and fennel for about 5 minutes until tender. Do not let it get brown. Add the diced parsnips, vegetable broth, coconut milk, salt and pepper.

Cover the pot and let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes until parsnips are tender. Add the salmon, cover and let it simmer for another 3 minutes or so, until it turns light pink. Adjust seasoning.

Serve with microgreens, if desired.

what you get:
+/- 450 kcal/serving

tip: look for a light cocosmilk and save some calories!

Craving some Ice Cream?

two options:

1) Moderation
magnum bonbons: 30 kcal/bonbon

2) substitution

sorbet or frozen yogurt: 110 kcal/100gram (icecream 190kcal/100gram)

RECIPE

Frozen Yogurt Pops

What you need:

2 cups lowfat strawberry yogurt
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 Tbsp sugar, or to taste
2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries

What you do:
1. Have ready eight ice-pop molds and wooden ice-pop sticks. (+/-100ml)

2. Purée yogurt, lemon juice, corn syrup, sugar and 1 cup strawberries in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add remaining berries; pulse until mixture is puréed but still has tiny specks of strawberry.

3. Pour into molds, cover with tops and insert ice-pop sticks. Freeze 4 to 6 hours until hard.

4. To serve: Remove tops from molds. Dip molds briefly in warm, not hot, water. Gently pull pops out of mold.

96 kcal/serving

Breakfast Time: Home made granola

What you need:
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup good honey
1 cup small diced dried figs
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180°C

What you do:
Toss the oats, coconut, and almonds together in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil and honey in a small bowl. Pour the liquids over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even, golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Add the figs, cherries, cranberries, and cashews. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container

Calories/100g: 370 (20% from fat)

smart food

Because we all crave for greasy food and chocolate once in a while, here some low-calorie alternatives

Oven baked fries: 336 kcal ( 200g )
French fries: 686 kcal (200g)

caution! one tablespoon of mayonaise contains about 98 up to 150 kcal

Cancao: 110 kcal (200ml)
hot chocolat (cecemel): 168 kcal (200ml)

I've tried them both and I absolutly love the oven baked fries, in my opinion they taste better than frozen fries ( but I actually don't like the taste of frozen fries) yet I have to be honest and tell you they are not as good as fresh cut fries. (but look at the calories you'll save). The Cancoa powder is also great.. in my opinion it even tastes better than hot cecemel or hot milk with nesquick powder.

Martha Stewart's Stuffed Mushrooms

What you need
(Makes 4 dozen)
3 ounces day-old white bread (about 3 slices), crusts removed
2 scallions (spring onions), white and light-green parts only, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
75g fresh goat cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
25g Parmesan, grated on small holes of box grater
a pinch of salt
some freshly ground black pepper
48 little mushrooms, stems removed and caps cleaned

What you do
1.Pulse the bread in the bowl of a food processor until finely chopped or if you don't have a foodprocessor just chop it yourself. chop the scallions and the bell peper and mix it with the goatcheese. Add the bread and stir. Stir in the cilantro, half the grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
2.Heat oven to 180°C; position rack in the center of oven. Place mushroom caps, cups facing upward, on a large cookie sheet. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of stuffing mixture into each cap. Bake until mushrooms are tender and filling is hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove mushrooms, turn oven to broil, and position rack about 10cm from broiler. Sprinkle mushrooms with remaining grated cheese, and broil until cheese is golden, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

What you get
Per mushroom:
18 calories,
1 g fat,
2 mg cholesterol,
2 g carbs,
1 g protein,
0 g fiber

There's more to life than books, you know... but not much more

Here a selection of books you'll love!

Cooking for Mr. Latte

Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover's Courtship, with Recipes

It's the true story of the courtship between Amanda Hesser, a food writer for The New York Times and writer Tad Friend, the titular Mr. Latte. Most of the book was written in installments for the New York Times Magazine.
It's more than a cookbook, it's a story of romance, filled with recipes.


The girl can't cook
275 Fabulous No-Fail Recipes a Girl Can't Be Without

Don't be fooled by the title, this is not some dumbed-down version of a cookbook. The book has a lot of nice and good recipes and is easy to work with.

The what would Jesus eat cook book

This book goes back to the time of Jesus to show us how our eating habbits are bad for us and than claims to give us an healthy alternative by providing recipes that go back to the time of Christ.. thing is... al lot of the recipes would never have been consumed by Christ.

for example:
- Pasta
- Bread crumbs
- Confectioners sugar
- Maple syrup
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Peanut butter
- Tabasco
- Heavy cream
- Canned fruit, vegetables and beans

the 'What would Jesus eat' book though is very nice to read if you're into food, history and religion. The author examines America's alarming addiction to fast food, explores Old Testament Jewish dietary laws, and takes a comprehensive look at foods mentioned in the Bible, from herbs to bread to meat. To this information he adds a healthy serving of Scripture references, mixes in a few anecdotes, and finishes the book with an easy-to-follow weekly eating guide. The author also tackles the subject of drinking red wine as part of a healthy lifestyle.

The sopranos Family Cookbook

The Sopranos Family Cookbook: As Compiled by Artie Bucco

Featuring fabulous Southern Italian recipes, photos, and lore from the hit show, this book will have millions of fans eating like their favourite family. Featuring mouthwatering recipes and family food stories straight from the kitchens of The Sopranos and their friends, The Sopranos Family Cookbook is sure to satisfy readers' hunger and craving for more of The Sopranos. Including the histoory of Neapolitan cuisine and 100 recipes created with the characters in mind, plus luscious pictures of the savory dishes, readers will be baking ziti as good as Carmela's in no time. These are the dishes that the first generation Sopranos brought over from Naples and Avellino and the fourth generation still enjoys. In addition, the book has colour photos of Tony, his family, and his 'family' eating and cooking beautiful Italian meals. Whether it's creating sumptuous Italian pastries or traditional Neapolitan feasts, The Sopranos Family Cookbook lets fans enjoy their favourite show at the table.

Ruby Ann's Down Home Trailer Park Cookbook

Ruby Ann's Down Home Trailer Park Cookbook is very funny, and though some of the dishes are just awful and may contain a bit too much Cheez Whiz and marshmallow fluff, who couldn't love a cookbook with a recipe for 'Slut Puppies'?


Help, my apartment has a kitchen


Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen Cookbook: 100 + Great Recipes with Foolproof Instructions

When Kevin Mills moved into his first apartment, he soon realized he couldn't live on just take-out food alone, so he called his mother, Nancy. She taught him to cook, and now the two of them have put together a collection of easy recipes for inexperienced cooks, along with lots of "Mom tips" and "Mom warnings." (Because Kevin's girlfriend is a vegetarian, more than half the recipes are vegetarian.)

Nice book if you're looking for something simple... not really a book for the more confident cook.

Weight Watcher's Goat cheese salad

I just love Goat cheese, I enjoy cooking with it as often as I can. This Jummy Baked Goat Cheese Spring Salad Recipe, with Dijon Vinaigrette, is truly one of the most delicious Weight Watchers Salad Recipes. You can enjoy the recipe as is, or use your favorite fat-free salad dressing instead of the Dijon Vinaigrette and save on the calories.

What you need
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 medium shallot, or 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 4 oz soft-type goat cheese, cut crosswise into 4 pieces
- 1 large egg white, whisked
- lettuce, torn
- 1 1/2 cups radicchio leaves
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes), about 10, sliced in half
- 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
- 1 medium yellow pepper, sliced
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

What you do

To make vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, white vinegar, shallots, garlic, Dijon mustard, parsley and oil; set aside.
Preheat oven to 175°C. Roll goat cheese into balls and then flatten into patties. Place egg whites and bread crumbs in separate small bowls. Dip goat cheese pieces into egg white, then dredge in bread crumbs; transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
While goat cheese is baking, in a large bowl toss lettuce, radicchio, peppers and tomatoes with vinaigrette.
Divide salad among 4 plates and arrange goat cheese on top. Serve immediately.

One serving is about 1 cup salad and 1 piece goat cheese
Each serving = 4 Weight Watchers Points


what you get

How many points can I have?

Male: 15
Femal: 7

+

Age:
18-20 --> 5
21-35 --> 4
36-50 --> 3
51-65 --> 2
65 + --> 1

+

Weight:
50 kg - 59 kg = 5
60 kg - 69 kg = 6
70 kg - 79 kg = 7
and so on

+

Lenght:
< 60 =" 1">

1,60 < = 2

+

activity level:

I mostly sit on my ass = 0

I have to move around now and then = 2

I'm quite active = 4

intense fysical activity = 6

+

I want to loose weight = 0

I want to keep my weight = 4

= you points!