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What I made:
- Perfect Porridge Bars, Nuts, Seeds, Fruits & Spices
What I thought:
There were two major reasons why this recipe caught my eye in the book. Firstly, I am always on the look-out for healthy alternatives to the sugary, processed, shop-bought snacks I often find myself giving the kids when they bound out of school at 3.30pm, desperate for food. And secondly, I know how easily I give in to the 4pm chocolate bar temptation at work. I NEED a healthier alternative to get me through the pre-evening meal hours.
The porridge bars were super-easy to make and filled my house with a gorgeous scent while they were in the oven. I had been worrying about the lack of a fat to stop them sticking to the tin, but they tipped out beautifully and were easy to slice thanks to the pre-bake scoring. I loved the taste and texture; rich with fruit and more cakey than the crunchy bars I had been expecting. They are a perfect mid-afternoon snack to enjoy with a cup of tea at work. The kids also tried them after school, with mixed results. Tricky younger daughter proved tricky again, refusing more than a single bite. Older daughter, meanwhile, absolutely loved them and asked for a second to top her up just before her after-school club. Result!
One extra benefit – making them reminded me how much I love porridge for breakfast, so that’s what we had this morning, keeping a careful eye on what we added to it so as not to fuel the sugar addiction.
What I made:
- Super Squash Lasagne
- Raw Vegan Flapjack Snacks
What I thought:
Thanks to my day 1 batch-cooking, I had less to do on day 2. For breakfast I had a second Chia Seed Fruit Pot, this time with blueberries, and then a rather generous portion of leftover Feijoada for lunch. Both things were just as tasty the second time around and eating leftovers saved me a lot of time. I’ve decided that I need to do this more often.
For dinner I made Jamie’s Super Squash Lasagne with chilli, garlic and tomato sauce, spinach and a cottage cheese topping. This was probably not the best midweek meal choice as it look me over an hour and a half to prepare but, boy, was it good! Definitely the best thing I’ve made so far – the cottage cheese topping is genius!
I also had a go at making the Flapjack Snacks to keep me going until bedtime. I normally avoid recipes with the word ‘raw’ or ‘vegan’ in it but my housemate made a special request for these. They were really quick and easy to make – another of Jamie’s classic whiz-up-in-the-food-processor recipes – and surprisingly good (though they may have been helped by the fact that I ‘slipped’ when adding the maple syrup)! Sorry Jamie.
What I made:
- Chia Seed Fruit Pots with mango and blueberry
- Grilled Corn and Quinoa Salad with Mango, Tomatoes, Herbs, Avocado and Feta
- Harissa Roasted Aubergine with Pomegranate, Pistachios, Olives and Brown Rice
What I thought:
The chia seed pudding was pretty good after an extra day in the fridge. The flavour of the fruit purée on top had intensified nicely.
Lunch was excellent. It was vibrant and colourful, and made up for having to sit at my desk to escape the rain. Fruit in salads can be a little hit and miss, but this was perfect. The lime juice stopped it from getting too sweet and kept everything just the right side of fresh. Another one to add to my permanent recipe roster.
Dinner was a mixed bag, and was our first unfinished plate of the week so far (I don’t anticipate many more). The rice was great, really warm and comforting, having been slow cooked in vegetable stock in the oven, but the addition of rose water to the aubergine marinade leant the dish a richness that sat a little oddly. The garnish of chopped pistachios, coriander and pomegranate was delicious and helped to tie things together. Just a little tweak, and this will be a perfect dish. I’ll definitely be experimenting with it again.
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