250 gms red beans
1/2 medium sized onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 chipotle, chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp tomato paste
Olive oil
Water

DIRECTIONS

Soak the beans for 8 hours, drain then boil until soft in pressure cooker with one bay leaf and vegetable cube – approximately 40 minutes. Remove water from beans and set it aside.

Heat olive oil and saute onion and garlic till soft. Add chopped chipotle, n fry for a while. Add the cumin and paprika, fry for 1/2 a minute. Add the tomato paste, and a little water then fry a bit mixing well. Add more water or water from the beans. Puree, then add the beans. Add the water from the beans till stewy consistency, taste for salt.

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken patties:
Chicken mince
1 egg
1/3 medium sized onion, chopped
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Cumin powder
Grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Breadcrumbs
Canola oil for frying

For the sauce:
1 box of button mushrooms, sliced
2/3 medium onion, chopped
6 – 7 garlic, minced
Stems of coriander leaves, chopped
Fresh basil leaves
Balsamic vinegar
1 can stewed chopped tomatoes
Chicken cube
Water
Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Beat the egg, add all the other ingredients except the chicken mince. Mix well and taste if desired. Add the chicken mince and mix well using your hands. Add a little flour if necessary.

Form into 40 gm rough balls then roll in breadcrumbs to form a round or square patty shape. Fry in shallow oil over medium heat until golden brown.

Prepare the sauce while the patties are cooking.

Heat olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic. When soft, add coriander stems then after a while add the mushrooms and cook till soft. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook through. Add the chopped tomatoes, basil, chicken cube  and the water. Cook until the liquid dries  and taste for salt. Add more water to get the desired amount of sauce, heat through and remove from heat.

To serve, pour sauce into a deep casserole dish, arrange patties on top. Great with a salad or some brown rice.

One pack long beans cut into 3” long pieces
1/4 large onion, minced
6-7 garlic, minced
Thumb-sized ginger, minced
3 tbsp chilli paste
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp thick soya sauce
1 tbsp Canola oil

DIRECTIONS

Boil some water and black the cut long beans. It should take no more than 5 minutes. Drain.

Heat the oil in a wok then fry the onions and garlic on medium heat. Add the ginger and lower the heat to let it sweat. When onions are transparent, add the chilli paste and fry a while. Add the water, mix well then add the soya sauce and salt to taste.

Add the blanched beans, mix well then remove from heat. Serve with rice or as a side dish with any meal.

500 gms squid rings
1/2 medium sized onion, minced
6 – 7 cloves garlic, mince
3 – 4 guindilla
2/3 pack tomato paste
1 cap Sherry vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS

Mix the tomato paste with 200 ml water. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small pan and slowly fry the tomato paste until it is reduced and you can see the oil. Cover or the tomato will splatter. This should take 20 – 30 minutes on a slow fire.

In a saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the minced onions and garlic, then cover and let it sweat on a low fire. When the onions are transparent and soft, add the guindilla and mix well. Once the tomato paste is reduced, add it to the saucepan with salt to taste and 1/2 cup water. Let simmer.

Boil some water and blanch the squid rings for exactly 45 seconds. Any more and they will become rubbery. Remove and let drain.

When the sauce is reduced, switch off the fire and add the squid rings, mixing through.

Serve hot with bread or rice.

NOTE: This sauce is pretty universal! Use this to cook clams (fry the clams first to remove all the fluid) or serve as a sauce for grilled fish or chicken.

I knew I wanted to marinade quartered chicken pieces and grill them so I was very patient as I did my search. I didn’t have much time if I was going to make this for dinner.

This recipe from Kimba’s Kitchen was perfect. My chicken pieces were already defrosted and drained so I had enough time to marinade it for around 2 hours. The result was amazing – the chicken was crisp on the outside and succulent and tasty on the inside, not dry at all. Next time though, I will marinade it overnight and it should be much more sumptuous!

INGREDIENTS
1 kg whole chicken cut into quarters, with skin and bone
3 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Nando’s Hot Peri Peri Sauce (optional, for that extra “kick”)
Spray Canola

I also added 1 tbsp of the amazing Lea & Perrins’s garlic sauce.

DIRECTIONS
To make the marinade, combine the garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. Stir to mix thoroughly. Add salt and taste.

Dry the chicken pieces using a couple of sheets of kitchen paper and place in a bowl. Prick them with a fork all over. Add the marinade and rub onto the chicken pieces generously. Cover the bowl and seal with glad wrap. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

When the chicken is ready to be cooked, preheat oven to 200C or 180C fan forced. Spray the surface of a baking dish with spray cooking oil, place the chicken pieces onto the baking dish, and lightly brush the surface of the chicken skin with Nando’s Hot Peri Peri Sauce if desired. Spray the surface of the chicken skin lightly with the spray cooking oil.

Place baking dish into the oven and cook for approx. 35-40 minutes. The chicken is done when a metal prick inserted reveals clear liquid. If desired to get a more crispy skin, place under a the grill for around 5 minutes.

Serve hot with chips and salad, grilled or steamed vegetables or a rice pilaf.

INGREDIENTS

150 gms chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 vegetable cube

1 eggplant (approx 200 gms)
1 green pepper (100 gms)
1 tomato (approx 120 gms)
1/2 onion (approx 100 gms)
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
2 guindillas
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Boil the chickpeas in a pressure cooker with 1 litre of water for 20 – 25 minutes until soft.

Cube all the vegetables and mince the garlic.

In a wok or frying pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic. Add the guindilla and continue frying on medium heat. Throw in the green pepper, aubergine and tomatoes and mix well.

Season with the spices and add salt to taste. Add the tomato paste, mix well then add the chickpeas. Save the liquid and add as needed until it is the thickness you like.

Serve hot. If not on the South Beach Diet, serve with couscous!

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces almond flour, 1 cup
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs, separated
2/3 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Grease a 11×17" baking sheet and line with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner. Grease the parchment, if using, as well as the sides of the pan.

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a large metal bowl, beat the egg whites to firm peaks. In a separate large bowl, using the same beaters, beat the yolks and Splenda on high speed until thick and lemon colored, 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Gently fold in the dry ingredients.

Fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the batter. Fold 1/2 of the remaining whites into the batter until barely combined, then fold in the remaining egg whites until well combined.

Be careful not to over mix and deflate the meringue. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake at 350º 20-25 minutes or until golden brown, firm and the top springs back when pressed lightly. Cool and cut into 32 pieces.

Makes 32 servings
Can be frozen

With granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 37 Calories; 3g Fat; 2g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs
Per Batch: 1184 Calories; 87g Fat; 62g Protein; 44g Carbohydrate; 13g Dietary Fiber; 31g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 35 Calories; 3g Fat; 2g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; .5g Net Carbs
Per Batch: 1120 Calories; 87g Fat; 62g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 13g Dietary Fiber; 15g Net Carbs

Serves: 4
South Beach Phase 1

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups 1 % milk
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons sugar substitute
2 teaspoons espresso powder or instant decaffeinated coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon, for garnish
Lemon twists, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar substitute, espresso powder or coffee, and vanilla extract until well-blended. Pour into four 6-ounce custard cups or ramekins and place in a 10" skillet.

Fill the skillet with water to 1/2" from the tops of the custard cups. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cups from the skillet, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the pudding, and refrigerate for 3 hours, or until chilled. Garnish with the cinnamon and lemon twists.

Nutritional Information:
110 calories
3 1/2 g fat (1 1/2 g sat)
13 g carbohydrate
6 g protein
0 g dietary fiber
80 mg sodium
110 mg cholesterol

Anyhow, the chicken cooked this way not only smells good, it tastes really good. Now I need to figure out how to keep the chicken from getting dry. There must be a way…

By the way, the best Caesar Salad of all time is at the Terrace Grill in the Marriott Hotel in Kuwait. They make it right in front of you and it is simply sumptuous!

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4 

400 gms Romaine lettuce, cleaned and cut
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
Fresh Parmesan cheese, sliced

Cajun Chicken Marinade:
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Drizzle olive oil
Salt to taste

Combine everything in a bowl and taste for salt. Make some cuts across the chicken breasts so the marinade penetrates. Mix chicken breasts with the marinade and place in an airtight bag overnight for extra spicy flavour. Otherwise at least an hour will be fine.

Grill 15 minutes each side then remove to cool. Slice and put aside.

Caesar Dressing:

4 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp anchovy paste (comes in a tube) or 4 – 5 anchovies without the oil
Salt to taste

To prepare the dressing, mix everything using a fork. Taste for salt. Add 2 – 3 tbsp water and mix well.

To serve the salad:

Mix the salad with dressing and put in individual plates. Arrange Parmesan and chicken slices. And serve!

Since we started the South Beach Diet, we’ve discovered that we could eat really interesting stuff AND lose weight. Well, I still can’t eat pasta but I’m getting there.

We discovered Kalyn’s Kitchen when we Googled for South Beach meal plans and recipes…she has an exhaustive collection of recipes. The most interesting of which was her egg muffins which she has revisited over and over again.

I knew I had to try it because I hated fried eggs or omelettes for breakfast and there were only a few things I could do with hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. Her egg muffins seemed easy to make and could be kept in the fridge for up to a week, or even frozen. They can be re-heated in the microwave or eaten cold. Its something you make in batches, stick them in the fridge, eat for breakfast, eat as a snack and best still, hubby could take it to work for snack or lunch!

So last weekend we bought a ton of eggs and a muffin pan. Tonight I have made it and it turned out great.

INGREDIENTS

9 large eggs
1/2 medium-sized red pepper
1/2 medium-sized yellow pepper
20 gms onion
20 gms spring onions
Shredded mozarella or cheddar cheese
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 180C.

Mince the red and yellow peppers and onion in a food processor or chop them finely. Slice the spring onions finely. Beat the eggs well in a spouted container. Add salt to taste.

Distribute the cheese in each muffin segment just enough to cover the base. Next add 1 – 1.5 teaspoon of the minced vegetables and sprinkle the spring onions.

Pour the beaten egg in – try to distribute evenly up to around 2/3 of each segment. Bake in preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.