Clare’s Simple Summer Lettuces Cups

It officially summer! so what better way to start this season than with these light and tasty lettuces cups.

These make a perfect lunch or light dinner or you could served these as a starter when hosting a dinner party.

www.clarewiththehair.com

Makes: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Total Time:  25 minutes

Ingredients

• 200g 5% minced beef
• 100g button mushrooms
• 12-16 cucumber slices
• 12-16 tomatoes slices
• 40g red cheddar chees
• 4tbs Sweet chilli sauce
• 1tsp crushed garlic
• 1tss cracked black pepper
• pinch of salt
• 1/2tsp coconut oil
• 12-16 cos lettuces leaves

www.clarewiththehair.com

PREPARATION

1/ Put the coconut oil in a large frying pan, add the minced beef and cook for 2-3 minutes, add the crushed garlic, black pepper, salt and 1/2 the sweet chilli sauce and cook for a further 2-3 minutes

2/ Slice and cook the mushrooms in a saucepan with a pinch of salt, cook until water coming from the mushrooms has evaporated (2-4 minutes) . wash and dry the lettuces cups.

3/ Fill the lettuces cups with the cooked mushrooms, sliced tomato, minced beef, cheese and the remaining 1/2 of the chilli sauce.

Enjoy!

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Clare’s Beef & Mango Meatballs

Oh now this is comfort food at its best and who doesn’t love beef, pasta and tomato sauce 🙂 It warm, a hint of spice and heavy on the carbs . Sure what is not to love?

Clare’s Beef & Mango Meatballs

Makes: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Total Time:  35 minutes

Ingredients

• 450g extra lean minced beef
• 1 egg
• A bunch of chopped coriander
• A bunch of chopped parsley
• 1tbs Ground Black pepper
• 1 large onion Grated
• 2-3tbs of mango chutney
• 1 jar Pasata
• 2 shallots finely diced
• 1 large carrot finely diced
• A small bunch of chopped basil
• Black pepper
• 1tbs Coconut oil
• 250g Wholewheat pasta, any you like
• 30g of low fat cheddar cheese

PREPARATION

1/ Mix the beef , egg, mango chutney, coriander, parsley, pepper and onion and shape into golf ball sized balls, place on a tray and pop in the fridge to cool for a few minutes before cooking. Place in over for 15-18 minutes on a medium heat

2/ Melt the coconut oil in a sauce pan, add the chopped shallots, carrots until soft, 4-6 minutes, add the pepper , basil and top with pasata, carry on cooking on a low heat for 5-10 minutes

3/ Place the pasta into a pan of hot water, stir to separate the pasta and cook per packet instructions.

4/ Place: the cooked pasta on your plate, top with meatballs, sauce and cheese x Enjoy!

Top Tip: I love to over cook and these are especially lovely the following day in a pitta pocket, slice the meat balls in half, top with the sauce and place in a sandwich press for a few minutes and you have a super lunch, or eat cold with a salad.

Clare’s Satay Fake Away Skewers

Fancy a take away but want a slightly lighter version? then try my Fake Away Skewers. I love this  tasty, versatile peanut sauce not only as a dip for grilled satay skewers, but also for Stir Fried Rice or Noodles with Chicken and Peanut Sauce. The Satay sauce contains a little bit of heat, but you can cut back on this or eliminate it altogether if you wish. The sauce keeps for days in the fridge so make ahead of time for a simple go to sauce mid week. You also can thin the sauce with a little coconut milk, water, or chicken stock.

http://www.clarewiththehair.com

Makes: 4 servings (main meal) 8 (starter)

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Total Time:  50 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Skinless / Boneless Chicken Breast Fillets
• 1⁄2 cup  peanut butter ( I used Almond Butter, reasons in week 6 Food & Activity Dairy)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chilli paste / I clove of minced Garlic (Fresh can be unpredictable heat wise hence opting for the paste option)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh chopped  coriander
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice.

http://www.clarewiththehair.com

PREPARATION

1/ In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, chilli, garlic and coriander. Stir in the water. Heat the ingredients over medium heat, stirring to combine. Do not let the sauce boil or it will separate. The consistency of the sauce should be pourable, like double cream. When the peanut sauce is hot, stir in the lime juice. Taste the sauce and add a little more lime juice if you like more acidity. The sauce will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for about 1 week.

2/ Then take the  chicken fillets and slice  into finger size lengths.  Thread onto skewers ( you can buy these in your supermarket or pick them up in your butchers.) then smother the chicken in your satay sauce, leave to sit for 30 minutes, place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and grill, turning after 6-8 minutes and brushing with remaining sauce as you go.

http://www.clarewiththehair.com

Tip: Soak the Skewer Sticks in water while you prepar all the other bits, this will help them not to burn under the grill

I served these with some sweet chilli Prawn Skewers and Brown rice for our Saturday Night ‘Fake Away’ I will add these recipes next week.

http://www.clarewiththehair.com

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair  ❤

Clare’s Prawn Fried Rice

I am a big fan of Fried Rice and this is one of my favourites, it is simple, like seriously simple to create but packs a real flavor punch and so much better than opting for the take out version, if you are not much of a cook, you will be able to create this and if you are a whiz in the kitchen you may tweak to create a whole different flavor. If you are not a fan of Prawn’s then add chicken,beef etc and for a fab veggie option add tofu, broccoli and or mushrooms.

www.newtecservices.com

Makes: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

www.clarewiththehair.com

Ingredients

250g of Brown Rice (I used the boil in the bag type, feel free to use the 2 minute micro version)

400g of Fresh water jumbo prawns

150g Baby Spinich

1 med white onion Peeled and diced

100g button mushroom sliced

3-4tbs coconut oil

1bs Chilli paste

1tbs Garlic paste

1/4tbs Cracked black pepper

2tbs Mirin

1/4tbs sugar

2tbs light Soya Sauce

www.clarewiththehair.com

PREPARATION

1/ Place the rice in a pan of hot water and bring to the boil and cook per packet instructions, or as per microwave instructions. Once cooked set to one side.

2/ Cook the onion and mushroom in the coconut oil until soft 3-5 minutes, remove from the pan and set to one side.

3/ Garlic, Chilli, Mirin, Pepper, Sugar and soya sauce in the pan and add the prawns, cook for 1 minute, add the spinach, mushrooms, onions and rice and mix well, cook for 2-3 minutes and plate up.

4/ Fry eggs in 2-3tbs coconut oil and place o top of your Prawn fried rice.

Enjoy!

http://www.clarewiththehair.com

Thank you for reading your FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Clare’s Family Favourite Chicken Curry

This is a real winner of a dish and the perfect food to tweak by adding your choice of meat, vegetables and fish, use Chicken, Lamb, Beef , Tofu, Mushrooms, Vegetables , whatever you like, once you have the curry base and you can tweak this to your own personal taste you have a great base for a variety of curry’s .

This curry never fails to satisfy my family

Clare’s Family Favourite Curry / http://www.clarewiththehair.com

PS(you don’t have to have a beer but for me beer and curry is a match made in heaven)

Today it is the turn of the Chicken Curry and I sampled a Vegetable one with the same base and both were super tasty and very moorish.

Give Clare’s Tasty Chicken Curry a go and let me know how you get on making this x

Clare’s family favourite Curry / www.clarewiththehair.com

Makes: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Total Time:  60 minutes

Ingredients 

• 1 tablespoon ground coriander 
• 1 tablespoon ground tumeric 
• 1 tablespoon paprika 
• 1 teaspoon funugeek leaves 
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons light oil (I use coconut, other light oils would work)
• 1 large onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic  finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger 
• I jar of pasata
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom powder 
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 600g Chicken breasts
• 2 cups of Brown rice

Clare’s family favourite  Curry using vegetables / www.clarewiththehair.com

Directions

1. Measure out the 8 spices into a bowl (first 8 ingredients). warm up a large pan and bring to med-high heat. Gently roast the spices in the dry pan, watching the spices doesn’t burn, keep stirring. After about a minute it will become fragrant and begin to get dark at this point take it off the heat and pour back into the bowl,  set aside.
2. Put the pan back on the heat, add in the oil and bring back to medium high heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook thru until translucent. Once the onion is cooked, add in the ginger and garlic and mix well, watching the garlic doesn’t burn. Next add the spice mixture back in, followed by the sieved tomatoes. Pasata
3. Mix in about 1 cup of water , you want a thick sauce, but not too paste-like. Add in the salt, bay leaves and cardamom seeds.
4. Grate the zest off of the lemon, add to the pot, along with the juice from of the lemon. . Let it all simmer on medium-low for 10-15 minutes.
5. Poach your chicken and add to the curry, carry on cooking for min 30 minutes.
6. Cook brown rice as per packet instruction.

Clare’s family favourite Curry /www.clarewiththehair.com

Serve the curry on top of the rice and enjoy!

Top Tip: Make double and freeze for day’s you only have time to re heat a meal.

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Clare’s Tasty Chicken Curry

This is a real winner of a dish and the perfect food to end these cold dark days ,  add Chicken, Lamb, Beef , Tofu, Mushrooms, Vegetables , whatever you like, once you have the curry base and you can tweak this to your own personal taste you have a great base for a variety of curry’s .

This curry made its way to Clare FM this week and was thoroughly enjoyed by all 🙂

Clare’s Tasty Chicken Curry

PS(you don’t have to have a beer but for me beer and curry is a match made in heaven)

Today it is the turn of the Chicken Curry and I sampled a Vegetable one with the same base and both were super tasty and very moorish.

Give Clare’s Tasty Chicken Curry a go and let me know how you get on making this x

Clare’s Tasty Chicken Curry

Makes: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Total Time:  60 minutes

Ingredients 

• 1 tablespoon ground coriander 
• 1 tablespoon ground tumeric 
• 1 tablespoon paprika 
• 1 teaspoon funugeek leaves 
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons light oil (I use coconut, other light oils would work)
• 1 large onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic  finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger 
• I jar of pasata
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom powder 
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 600g Chicken breasts
• 2 cups of Brown rice

Clare’s Tasty Vegetable Curry

Directions

1. Measure out the 8 spices into a bowl (first 8 ingredients). warm up a large pan and bring to med-high heat. Gently roast the spices in the dry pan, watching the spices doesn’t burn, keep stirring. After about a minute it will become fragrant and begin to get dark at this point take it off the heat and pour back into the bowl,  set aside.
2. Put the pan back on the heat, add in the oil and bring back to medium high heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook thru until translucent. Once the onion is cooked, add in the ginger and garlic and mix well, watching the garlic doesn’t burn. Next add the spice mixture back in, followed by the sieved tomatoes. Pasata
3. Mix in about 1 cup of water , you want a thick sauce, but not too paste-like. Add in the salt, bay leaves and cardamom seeds.
4. Grate the zest off of the lemon, add to the pot, along with the juice from of the lemon. . Let it all simmer on medium-low for 10-15 minutes.
5. Poach your chicken and add to the curry, carry on cooking for min 30 minutes.
6. Cook brown rice as per packet instruction.

Clare’s Tasty Vegetable Curry

Serve the curry on top of the rice and enjoy!

Top Tip: Make double and freeze for day’s you only have time to re heat a meal.

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Clare’s Super Quick Prawn Stir Fry

We are just beginning week two and we start with a nice easy meal that is quick to make but super tasty, this is one I go back to time and time again.  Here we have my Super Quick Prawn Stir Fry (again I am still not 100% so any details missing will be updated when I have the energy to do so)

Have you gone for your fast 40 minute walk yet? Do you like to exercise in the morning or the evening ? Monday is a great day to begin your weeks activity, if you start on Monday it drives you to move more for the rest of the week and you begin with a better quality of sleep at the start of the week.

Breakfast looks like this:

Lunch like this:

Dinner like this:

Clare’s Super Quick Prawn Stir Fry

Top tip: Again this is so versatile on the main meat, veg you add, this is super with beef, pork, chicken or tofu.

Please share with me how you are finding these meal’s, are they easy for you to make? Do you over cook for your lunch the next day? or to pop into the freezer for day’s time is not on your side.

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Join me on my 28 day Kick Start 2015 Food and Activity plan

Here were are, the very beginning of 2015 and if you are anything like me, you have probably had one glass of wine too many over the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations and eaten more than your own body weight in Turkey, Ham, Mince Pie’s and Chocolate , It was great fun while it lasted but I am now more than ready to clean out the body of this with my 28 day kick start 2015.

x Clare With The Hair x

This begins on Monday the 5th of January and each day I will share the food’s I eat, the exercise I do and share with you the reason’s why I am doing this, motivational tips and many reason’s why you should keep going till day 28!

Claire’s 1/2 baked potato 1/2 roasted Butternut squash Taco

Each day will include some form of exercise, this might be a walk, an ab’s workout, cardio , legs and lots in between, these can all be done at home and all links for you to do these will be shared with the food post every day.

Claire’s Clean Green’s with Crunchy Pears

There will be no take out’s, no chocolate, no sweets, no added sugar, no crisps, no frozen ready meals, no wine, beer etc and if you know you have a busy day/week ahead then we will over cook on the day’s we have time and we will freeze for those day’s you just don’t have time.

Claire’s Beef and Mango Meat Ball Salad

I have always found the hardest part of eating well, is knowing what to eat and the same goes for exercise, I will do this all for you, so no excuses. I will guide you through and you can email me any questions you have or any additional questions you have at any time, I will answer all email’s within 24 hours.

Claire’s Baked Chicken Pieces

Please feel free to join in and lets Kick Start 2015 together .

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare With The Hair ❤

Chicken Satay Skewers ‘Fake Away’

 ‘Fake Away’ Chicken Satay Skewers 

I use this tasty, versatile peanut sauce not only as a dip for grilled satay skewers, but also  for Stir Fried Rice or Noodles with Chicken and Peanut Sauce.. The sauce contains a little bit of heat, but you can cut back on it or eliminate it altogether if you wish. The sauce keeps for days in the fridge so make ahead of time for a simple go to sauce mid week. You also can thin the sauce with a little coconut milk, water, or chicken stock.

Makes: 4 servings (main meal) 8 (starter)

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Total Time:  minutes

Ingredients

4 Skinless / Boneless Chicken Breast Fillets

1⁄2 cup  peanut butter ( I used Almond Butter, reasons in week 6 Food & Activity Dairy)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon chilli paste / I clove of minced Garlic (Fresh can be unpredictable heat wise hence opting for the paste option)      1⁄2 teaspoon fresh chopped  coriander
1 cup water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice.

PREPARATION

In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, chilli, garlic and coriander. Stir in the water. Heat the ingredients over medium heat, stirring to combine. Do not let the sauce boil or it will separate. The consistency of the sauce should be pourable, like double cream. When the peanut sauce is hot, stir in the lime juice. Taste the sauce and add a little more lime juice if you like more acidity. The sauce will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for about 1 week. Then take the  chicken fillets and slice  into finger size lengths.  Thread onto skewers ( you can buy these in your supermarket or pick them up in your butchers.) then smother the chicken in your satay sauce, leave to sit for 30 minutes, place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and grill, turning after 6-8 minutes and brushing with remaining sauce as you go.

Tip: Soak the Skewer Sticks in water while you prepar all the other bits, this will help them not to burn under the grill

I served these with some sweet chilli Prawn Skewers and Brown rice for our Saturday Night ‘Fake Away’ (I will add full details for both.

If you have a favourite Take away and would like me to create a ‘Fake Away’ version then please get in touch 🙂

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Claire with the hair McCarthy ❤