Family Recipes

Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.  What have you been up to?

After all of that mild weather the cold snap hit the Midlands this weekend.  I actually had to defrost my car on Saturday morning before driving to work, which I’ve only had to do twice last year.  Since it hasn’t been a regular thing this season it was quite a shock to see my very blue car sparkling white with frost.  I made sure that I wrapped up all nice and warm for the trip to work though.  I had a lovely flask of hot green tea to help me tackle the cold too.

My workout out week has been pretty good, but I think I could have perhaps pushed myself a little more…

Monday: Hunting for wedding venues…very taxing on the ol’ energy level! ;P

Tuesday: 15 minutes of speed intervals on the cross trainer and 1 hour of Body Pump

Wednesday: 3 mile treadmill interval run and 20 minutes of intervals on the bike and step machine

Thursday: 15 minutes of intervals on the cross trainer, strength workout 1, 5 minute cool down on the bike

Friday: 30 minute cross country intervals on the cross trainer, 20 minute of intervals on the bike and step machine, ab workout.

Sunday: MTV Yoga DVD and an ab workout. 

I think my body has finally recovered from those body pump DOMs from Tuesday’s class.  Hopefully this upcoming weeks class won’t be as painful and I can increase my weights back to my normal intensity.  I’m all set for a mega session of cardio and strength session tomorrow…bring it!

This weekend I have been tucking in to some very tasty eats and doing a bit of cooking in the kitchen too, which I always love on a Sunday afternoon.  Some of my favourite  eats of the weekend have included these…

Pumpkin oats with Homemade Pumpkin Butter, vanilla stevia, shredded coconut, dried cranberries and mixed nuts

Banana and frozen strawberry smoothie with some toasted rye bread and Sunbutter

Snack plate: organic hummus, carrots, red peppers, apples and red grapes

Vega chocolate protein powder, a banana, desiccated coconut, spinach, honey and water

Kamut pasta spirals with organic passata, vegetables, spinach and Linda McCartney red onion and rosemary sausages

Whilst in the kitchen I whipped up a huge batch of a tomato sauce using a recipe that I stole and adapted slightly from Alfie’s cousin, which I thought I would share. We had it at her house over the Christmas holidays and we both loved it.  I’m trying to learn to cook lots of Ghanaian dishes at the moment and so far I have mastered two rice dishes, plantain and now this sauce.  The sauce is a basic all rounder really but it’s totally yummy and can be used on meat, pasta and vegetables.

Basic Tomato Sauce

• 800g of tomatoes

• 1 clove of garlic minced

• 1 medium onion diced

• 2 tubes of tomato puree

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• 2 tsps of dried mixed herbs or fresh basil (optional)

• 1 tsp of ground chilli powder (optional)

• seasonings to taste

Heat a small amount of oil in a large pan and add the onion on a medium heat until softened.  Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.  Transfer the onions and the garlic to a blender and add the tomatoes, tomato puree, stock cube, herbs and chilli powder and combine all of the ingredients until well mixed. Return the sauce to the pan and cook on a low heat for a further 45 minutes, stirring often.  Season to taste. Enjoy!

I’ve just had this on some roasted aubergines, broccoli and mushrooms and it was delicious!

Well here’s to a great start to a new week!   Have a lovely evening!

Do you have any family recipes that you have learnt how to cook over the years? 

Are you allowed to share them or would your life not be worth living if you did?

Tagged as: Basic Tomato Sauce, fitness, Green Smoothie, homemade pumpkin butter, kanut pasta