Something Sweet Every Now and Then

         Sometimes it's hard to stay on a health kick-especially when it comes to the same old "desserts" of fruit salad or a glass of juice. I am personally kind of tired of an apple or fruit salad. My venture took me to Pintrerest, a wonderful place filled with foodie heaven recipes galore and a personal favorite go to when I need some new ideas. 

         I love ice cream, love it to death. In fact I would probably eat a whole gallon of chocolate ice cream with carmel sauce and marshmallows by myself in one sitting. With wanting to and making an genuine effort to eat healthier this year I came across a frozen yogurt recipe. Instantly I was determined to fit the ingredients into my shopping trip. It was simple-frozen strawberries, plain yogurt, lemon juice and honey. I was kind of skeptical about it at first but I ended up througoughly enjoying it. I had to make a couple of adjustments though. 

        You need 4 cups or 32oz's of frozen  strawberries, 3 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/2 a cup of plain yogurt.  Pop it into a blender and enjoy. Or so the recipe said. I had to add some water and extra yogurt to get the strawberries to blend into the ice cream constituency I needed it to be. It was kind of tart but very delicious!  

Some suggestions I could make would be to add some juice instead of water, or for a special treat some wine. Next time I make this treat I will definetly add some kiwis or bannas for a nice twist. 

I hope you  all enjoy his special health concious treat. 

Happy Eating!

Cooking With The Brit

Healthy and Delicious

Prost! 

     I debated wether to post just one meal a week or pick a couple of my favorites. I enjoyed this weeks meals so that made my decision. 

Meal 1: Spagehti Squah

   I was worried that it wouldn't be the same as regular spegethii but I was pleasantly disproved. Not only was it delicious but my roommates went back for seconds-which was quite shocking.

        I chop my squash in half, take out the seeds and lightly rub the inside with olive oil. Pop it in the oven at 425 for 45 minutes. About 30 minutes in start the meat. I prefer ground turkey-it's leaner for you. I cook it up with parsley, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning to taste. After I cook it up, I try to drain as much fat as I can from the pan. 

        Once I've cooked the meat I start with my sauce. I never buy store bought sauce, it's so much more expensive. A can of tomatoe paste as well as a thing of crushed tomatoes, a splash of water to make it as think or thin as you choose. Just add it to the meat. There ya go scrumptious and cheap meat sauce.

         Pull the squash out of the oven and use a spoon to make the squash stringy like Spagehti. Dust with Parmesan cheese. And enjoy!  

Meal 2: Quiche

   This dish has always been a favorite of mine. It doesn't look filling but oh boy it is scrumptious, down to the very last bite. This one is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. 

           Chop a bell pepper, onion, and small peeled potatoe. Also cut up salami into small squares as well as cutting the polish kebossa into cubes. Beat six to eight eggs. Then mix in some Mrs. Dash table salt, milk, chopped peppers, minced onion, potatoe, chopped kibassa and chop sliced salami. Spray a dish of your choice with Pam or rub it down with oil on a paper towel. Pour your mixture into the dish, sprinkle cheese on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked all the way through. Voila! Quick, simple, and filling. 

     

         I hope that you get inspired to try something a little different this week. Feel free to leave suggestions for next weeks meals!   Enjoy your week loves! 

-Cooking With The Brit

Let Me Introduce Myself

Hi there!

I thought I would introduce myself and why I started this blog. 

         CookingWithTheBrit is a name my best friend inspired. I'm half British, on my mum's side, and I have been helping her in the kitchen since I was five years old. She has taught me so much about cheap, cheerful, 30 minute meals; feeding a family of five, with incredibly busy schedule on a tight budget, she became a great mentor. In the 16 short years I spent learning from her, she taught me all I needed to know about substitutions, and inexpensive tricks to elegant and delicious breakfast, lunches and dinners.

         My Gramps, Mum's dad, is also a spectacular cook. He and I share a special bond when it comes to creating delicious miracles in the kitchen. He may be across the pond but we still share a great passion for food that I take great pride in. One of the greatest compliments he can give you is "I think you need more practice" it's his way of saying he really enjoyed it. 

           As for the purpose of this blog, I hope to keep this blog focused on food friendly for a college kids budget, but that can still be healthy and flavorful. 

           I typically feed 2-3 adults, 3-5 meals a week. Between working full time and going to school full time whilst trying to maintain a decent social calendar, who has time to spend hours in the kitchen making an extravagant yet tasty dish? Most of the meals I'll be sharing should only take 30-45 minutes to whip up from prep to setting it on the table. One of my roommates and I recently decided we needed to start to eat healthier so my focus will be towards a more health conscious agenda. I am also an avid baker and will share my sweet treats when I am particularly pleased with the results. After all, all work and no play makes for a grumpy chef!   I hope you enjoy this blog as it progresses. Happy eating all!

I shall leave you with a few meals from the last couple of months that I enjoyed making and eating.

Prescuto wrapped asparagus with cheesy potatoes and grilled chicken breast.

Mum's Shepards Pie with Cheesy potatoes. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pizza Soup is a great crockpot meal to come home to after a long day of work, and a treasured family recipe.