Letting Go

Oftentimes the words “letting go” hold an air of despondence…but, new year, new liberating inspirations!! Letting go of negativity is never easy…an oxymoron in itself (but that’s a discussion for a blog that ain’t mine!) What if you can still have the inferior…and balance it with enough good that the scales are tipped in favour of the positive?

This line of thought may be a tad optimistic for life in general, where you must sometimes let go of the deficient…however (ostentatiously) good it feels…to let in the authentic pleasure.  Food is much simpler…and food, after all, is why you and I are on this cyber adventure.

This line of thinking is precisely what led me to my next recipe!

A few years ago…on my eternal quest to lose weight…I signed up with a dietician. Unbeknownst to a (then) naïve soul…this was another relationship destined to fail from the moment I made the first appointment. There were a multitude of reasons for this, not the least being that the diet did not consider the individual, nor the nutritional benefits of each food type on its own and the diet plan was unrealistic on innumerable levels. Of the many things I was told not to consume for a 3 month period, were carrots, pumpkin and mangos…amongst my favourites, particularly the latter 2. Whilst all 3 of these have their own benefits, my hero for today’s recipe is the succulent mango.

I’m no health expert, but over the years I’ve learned that chillies boost the metabolism and fresh coriander (cilantro) is packed with a whole host of vitamins and minerals from iron to vitamin A, Folate and much more! In fact, where I come from, drinking water that has been boiled with coriander seeds is a common and effective cure for the common cold.

In trying to have my mango and eat it….I concocted the delicious and versatile recipe below.

Be warned….the California Reaper chillies I used in this recipe are not for the fainted hearted! These chillies were voted the hottest chillies in the world, in the 2013 Guinness Book of World Records. Feel free to replace with a chillie of your liking…but do add the chillies as they will boost the metabolism and add flavour.

SPICY MANGO SAUCE 

©HerftCreations2018

INGREDIENTS:

2 Ripe medium sized mangoes - diced (I used Calypso mangos)

1 medium red onion – halved & sliced

3 cloves garlic – chopped (I love to grate my garlic)

1 punnet fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves) (Found at Woolworths or Coles) – finely chopped

2 California Reaper Chillies (I used 1 large and 1 small… If you can’t do spicy….replace with 1 or 2 bird’s eye chillies)

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Half a cup water

Salt & Pepper to Taste

METHOD:

1) Put half the coriander and all the other ingredients,  except the mango – in a large skillet with a tablespoon of coconut oil.

2) When the onions are half cooked add the diced mango, water, salt and pepper and simmer on a low fire for 10 minutes.

3) Switch off the fire and leave to cool for 10 – 15 minutes

4) After the mixture has cooled, place it in a blender with the other half of the corriander leaves and blend till it forms a thick sauce.

At this point if it is still too spicy add a tablespoon of honey.

To give you a couple of ideas…this sauce makes a yummy dip for the pre-cooked prawns you find in Woollies and Coles. I also bought a can of smoked oysters and tossed it in the sauce before serving with mash potato and a pasta salad. The possibilities are endless for this recipe…whether as a sauce, a dip or a base ingredient.  Contact me for more creative ways to use it.

Check out Mango.org... for more detailed information on the nutritional value of mangoes.

©HerftCreations2018
*** Please note that this is a Herft Creations original recipe and may not be used in commercial production without the express written consent of Herft Creations ***

The Carb Combat

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Having launched this blog with much gusto, I was forced to sit back and re-think my direction, not just for my scripted musings, but for the entirety of Herft Creations…my scrumptiously, wholesome pet project.

For those of you returning…you will notice the new layout, representing a wholesome meal plan that includes every colour of the rainbow! And what of the purple? Suffice it to say…it is JUST for the love of purple!

Going back to our bright and beautiful rainbow…the importance lies, not just in colour variation, but also nutritional equilibrium....and therein lies the source of deprivation! You will often hear those founts of dietary sagacity, spewing forth their pearls of wisdom on the evils of carbs and how they are to be avoided at all cost! What these experts neglect to mention, is that our bodies do, in fact, require carbs for energy and, most significantly, that all fruits contain healthy carbs, as do many vegetables.

In my quest for a wholesome, yet enjoyable diet, I came up with the following recipe, in which, one serving contains 35% carbs (according to the illustrious MyFitnessPal app). If like me, you are dependent on this app to help you stay disciplined, you can easily add a serving of “Herft Creations Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms” to your daily meal in-take.

For this recipe you will need:

8 Portobello Mushrooms (these are your carbs!)

350 gm minced beef (if you don’t like beef, substitute with a mince of your choice)

2 medium sized carrots – grated

4 spring onions – chopped

4 medium size tomatoes – finely diced

2 chillies chopped (optional – I used “Bird’s Eye" Chillies – available at Woolworths)

2 teaspoons ginger paste

4 teaspoons garlic paste (feel free to increase this quantity to suit your taste buds)

A handful of baby spinach

6 tablespoons Ricotta cheese

Salt (I use Himalayan Pink Salt), Pepper, Chillie Powder (to your desired quantities)

Dried Italian Herbs (Again – go with your preference in quantity – but I am quite heavy-handed with this, as well as the garlic as the combination of the 2 really bring out the flavours of the dish). I would also replace this with fresh basil when my plant isn’t suffering from gross neglect!

The actual making of this dish is very simple.

 1) Place the mince, carrots, spring onions, tomatoes, chillies, condiments and herbs in a pot (you basically need to throw everything into a pot, except the mushrooms, ricotta cheese & spinach!) and add 1 cup of water.

    2) Cut off the mushroom stems – finely dice and add to the mince mixture. I also peeled the mushrooms, chopped the peel up and threw that in. You need to remove the mushroom gills too, so that the inside is flattened, ready for stuffing, you could throw the gills into the meat mixture too

    3) Simmer the mince mixture for about 20 mins on low heat (or until the meat is half cooked), stirring occasionally.

    4) Line a tray with baking paper and place the mushrooms upside down on the tray.

   5) Fill each mushroom with the mince mixture – be careful to spread the meat evenly inside the mushroom and make sure the top is not heaped.

   6) Once all the mushrooms are filled – cover the mince with one layer of baby spinach leaves

    7) Cover the spinach leaves with the ricotta.

    8) Bake in a convection oven at 180˚C for 30 minutes

    9) Serve on a bed of fresh spinach or lettuce (not included in nutrition count)

This recipe serves 4 people

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And So It Begins....

A few years ago, I was an avid blogger! However, life's little surprises, eventually got in the way and I dropped the pastime. Circumstances have changed and I have a new need and a new perspective that has driven me back to my keyboard! I assure you...not without a little trepidation at publishing my musings for all the world to see!

New beginnings call for new adventures...never one to sit still for extended periods of time...I have decided to dabble in a few things, with a focus on my inner creativity, fuelled by my short attention span!

Yes...I hear you...this is indeed an oxymoron of sorts, but those of you who suffer from this unique complex, will identify with my thought process...those of you more settled sorts...well....keep reading...hopefully you will understand soon enough!

Sitting high amongst my varied interests is my love of food, eating it, cooking it, feeding people! However, over the past couple of years, my ever burgeoning figure has inspired me to look for healthier ways of cooking. Not willing to go the route of raw salads...I have experimented with various diets, exercise routines and a host of my own recipes, many of which I post on the MyFitness Pal app, in order to help me keep track of my calories!

I hope that you will take this journey with me as I explore varied ways of keeping fit: the challenges, trials, tribulations and the exciting new discoveries! I will be sharing recipes, diets and anything interesting from a health, wellness and foodie perspective!  

Feel free to comment below on any related topics you would like to see featured here!

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