Love Bites Sausage and Lentil Stew

This recipe was inspired by one I saw in the delicious. Magazine over the Winter/Autumn months. I incorporated the recipe to what I had in the fridge and pantry and it still came out a winner. It's the perfect comfort food for a Winter's evening or some good healthy stew for anytime of the year. Mix in any sausages you like (just adjust the cooking time) and would also be as delicious with some fresh spinach leaves whipped through the lentil mixture. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 packet of sausages of your choice (I used x8 chipolatas)
1 cup puy lentils (or 1 packet of pre cooked lentils)
Olive oil for cooking
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely sliced
2 rashes of bacon, finely chopped
2 heaped tspns smoked paprika
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine (more to taste if necessary)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (use a oxo cube and boiling water)
Chopped parsley and salt and pepper to garnish

METHOD

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and cook the sausages on fan grill for approx 20-25 minutes (pending how big they are)
• Cook the lentils as per packet instructions (or bring to the boil in a pan of water for 20 minutes until al dente) Drain and set aside
• Heat a lug of oil in a pan on a medium heat
• Add the onion, garlic, and fry for a minute
• Add the carrots and celery and cook until soft
• Add the bacon and fry for a further 5 minutes
• Stir through the paprika for one more minute then add the canned tomatoes and wine to the mixture until the sauce has thickened and reduced
• Add the drained lentils into the sauce and stir through
• Serve with the sausages over the stew and garnish with salt and pepper, and plenty of chopped parsley.

Variation: you can add 1/2 cup of peas to the mixture for a colourful and tasty alternative.

Love Bites Healthy Vege Nachos

We were after a quick healthy fast-food style dinner one Sunday evening and this is what I whipped up. A meat-free, vege-inspired healthy version of nachos - one of our fave dishes. This version is much lighter, healthier, and with the same fullness of flavour and spice of regular nachos. You can even make it dairy-free without adding Greek yoghurt or sour cream. 

This dish is just as tasty and a lot better on the waistline! 

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
3/4 packed of corn chips (I used Dorritos Original)
x1 400g can of mixed beans (cannelini, kidney, chickpea etc)
x1 300g jar of hot salsa (I used Dorritos Hot Salsa)
x1 small red chilli, finely chopped
1/2 195g can of sweet corn (drained)
x1 small finely diced red onion
1/2 diced avocado (can use more if desired)
x1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes (or finely diced 2 large tomatoes)
x1 handful of fresh coriander roughly chopped
x1 clove of garlic, crushed
juice of half a lemon
natural Greek yoghurt or sour cream if desired


METHOD

• Heat the oven to 200˚ on fan bake
• Spread the corn chips evenly on a large rectangular baking dish
• Empty the contents of the can of beans into a medium sized sauce pan and stir over a low-medium heat for 2-4 minutes (do not over cook)
• Drain the corn and put into a mixing bowl, add the chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, avocado, half of the chilli, half the coriander and lemon juice - mix to combine and set aside
• Drain and rinse the beans and put back into the pan, add the jar of salsa and rest of the chilli, stir and heat through for a further 2-3 minutes
• Remove the bean salsa mix from the heat and pour over the corn chips
• Place in the oven for 5 minutes until corn chips are heated through
• Spoon over the fresh corn salsa, (top with Greek yoghurt or soured cream if desired) and sprinkle over the remainder of the coriander and dig in!

Love Bites 'The Med' Lamb Salad

I love throwing things together, and this recipe is no different. Inspired by a Greek salad on a cold and wet winter's London night, the mix of hot pan-fried zucchinis and lamb with the fresh Greek salad really create a warming embrace of each other. 

The result: a quick, attractive, no carb, hot lamb salad of goodness. 

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

x2 Lamb rumps (fat removed)

x1 Pinch of cumin

1/4 Tspn dried rosemary leaves 

x2 Shakes of Garlic Italian spice mix (I use Schwartz)
Olive oil for frying

x1 Clove of garlic sliced and crushed with a pinch of sea salt

x1 Zucchini sliced 0.5cm thick

x1/2 Red onion thinly sliced

x1 Cup cherry tomatoes halved

x2 Thickly sliced jarred peppers 

125g Feta cheese, cubed

1/3 Cup whole Kalamata olives

100g Rocket

METHOD

1. In a bowl marinate the lamb rumps in cumin, rosemary, and spice mix and set aside
2. Slice the salad vegetables
3. Heat the oil in a fry pan on a low to medium heat
4. Add the garlic and zucchini's and fry for 2 minutes on each side (till slightly browned but not mushy) set aside
5. Turn the heat up to medium on the pan and add the lamb
6. Fry for approximately 3 minutes on each side till nicely seared (time pending on how you like your meat cooked)
7. Arrange the rocket, onion, tomatoes, zucchini, olives and peppers in a large bowl
8. Remove from the pan when cooked to your liking and slice
9. Add to the salad and sprinkle with the cubed feta
10. Enjoy with lemon juice for a healthy dressing or balsamic vinegar 

Love Bites Grilled Salmon & Garden Vege Medley

This dish is a true Love Bites recipe; one dish, super fast, healthy and adaptable to how you want it. You can use a range of green veges or what ever is in season, throw it in the oven and voila! A healthy, low carb, meat and veg option that's a sure winner.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

x2 Salmon fillets
x1 Juice of a lemon
x1 Bunch of fresh asparagus
x1 Head of broccoli cut into individual trees
x1 Bunch of fresh round beans
1/2 Cup kalamata olives (de-pipped)
x1 Sprinkle of chilli flakes
x3 Bunches of cherry tomatoes still on the vine

METHOD:

• Blanch the green vegetables by boiling a pot full of water, dropping the veges into the pan for a minute then removing and immediately plunging into cold water. This enables the veg to hold the nutrients and colour whilst cooking
• Spread the veges on the bottom of a baking tray
• Squeeze half of the lemon over the veg
• Add the salmon fillets and bunches of cherry tomatoes on top of the veg
• Sprinkle over the chilli flakes and the other half lemon
• Place both lemon husks into the dish and cook for 20 minutes at 200 degrees
• Use the sauce at the bottom of the pan to sprinkle over the salmon when serving (or alternatively see variations below)

Variations: Make a salsa verde as different sauce, alternatively serve with brown rice or boiled potatoes for some more substantial meal.

Love Bites Zesty Zuchinni Penne

This recipe was inspired by a pasta dish I had at Carluccio's an Italian chain restaurant here in the UK. The dish was so simple but tasted so fabulous that I had to attempt to re-create it Love Bites style. 

Super quick for a lunch dish or light dinner but a sure winner every time. 

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

Enough fresh or dried penne pasta for two people (whole wheat is good
1 grated zucchini
1 small fresh chilli deseeded and finely chopped
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 cloves garlic crushed
Fresh spinach leaves 
Parmesan and good quality olive oil to garnish

METHOD:

• Cook the penne as per packet instructions 
• Heat a lug of frying oil in a pan over a low to medium heat 
• Sauté the garlic and chilli and add grated zucchini cook for a further few minutes
• Once pasta is cooked drain then add the zucchini mixture to the pasta (Tip: hold on to a bit of the pasta water to nourish the pasta sauce) 
• Add in lemon juice, zest and spinach and stir to combine
• Serve into dishes and sprinkle over the parmesan and garnish with an extra lug of the good quality oil

Love Bites Chicken Laksa

This is a recipe I literally just whipped up last week. I was craving a warm soupy spicy concoction as I had been feeling a bit under the weather with a cold... The ingredients might not be exact as I was free pouring and guestimating but it turned out THAT good so I had to share it with you! Pretty easy and tasty ticking all the Love Bites boxes. Bear in mind that my taste buds were slightly non existent when I made this so the amount of chilli is to your own preference!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

• x5 Chicken tenderloins
• x2 Tbspns Thai Green Curry Paste
• x1 Tbspn sliced ginger
• x3 Spring onions thinly sliced
• x1 Thinly sliced yellow chilli
• 1/2 can coconut milk
• 700ml boiling water
• x1 Knoll Chicken stock pot
• x1 Cup frozen peas
• x1 Cup tendersteam brocolini broken into smaller heads and stalk chunks
• 1/2 Thinly slicked red pepper
• x1 Tbspn Fish sauce (or to your liking)
• x1 Lug soya sauce
• x1 Lug sweet Thai chilli sauce
• x1 Packet vermicelli rice noodles (small packet 300g)
• Fresh coriander
• Fresh lime juice

METHOD:

Broth

1. Combine the boiling water and stock pot
2. Add the brocolini, peas and half the chilli
3. Add a lug of soya sauce, sweet Thai chilli sauce and fish sauce
4. Add the noodle cake
5. Leave to simmer gently

Curry

1. Over a low heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan
2. Add the curry paste and stir for a minute
3. Add the chicken and mix so it is covered in the paste
4. Add the ginger, spring onions and the rest of the chilli
5. Continue to turn the chicken as necessary until cooked (be careful not to fry the chicken - you do not want it to be brown on the outside)
6. Once the chicken is sealed add the coconut milk and red pepper
7. Stir and cook for another couple of minutes

Combine

1. Once the chicken is cooked through remove the chicken from the pan and slice into 0.5cm pieces
2. Add the coconut mixture to the broth and stir through
3. Serve into bowls with the slicked chicken on top
4. Garnish with fresh coriander and lime

Love Bites Spicy Meatballs

This recipe was derived from a magazine article I read but after completing the recipe completely I felt both the meatballs and sauce had too much spice. So after some careful adaption I came up with the recipe below with a rich tomato sauce that emphasises the spicy flavour of the meatballs and compliments the dish to perfection. Its great with toasted bread or just served on a bed of rocket or for those die hard meatball fans you can for sure match this with spaghetti! Another good thing about this recipe is that you can make the meatballs in advance and refrigerate them until you are ready to cook them, making them even more tasty the next day.

NB: Spicy meaning not hot but full of delicious spices for a powerful meatball mouthful.

Serves 2-3 approx.

Meatballs Ingredients:
• 500g lean steak mince
• 1tspn each garam masala, ground cumin, ground turmeric and ground coriander
• 1 large finely diced white onion
• 1 tbspn each chopped fresh basil and coriander
• 1 egg
• Sea salt and ground black pepper to season 
• Olive oil for frying

Cheats Tomato Sauce Ingredients:
• 350g jar of Lloyd Grossman Tomato and Basil sauce
• 1 can chopped cherry tomatoes (or normal chopped tomatoes)
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1/2-1tspn chilli powder (to your liking)
• 1/2 a small handful of chopped fresh coriander and basil (keeping some extra for garnish)
• salt and pepper to taste

• Rocket and ciabatta or garlic bread to serve.

Method:
• For the meatballs, combine all the ingredients (except the oil) in a bowl and mix together with your hands to create a smoother mixture
• Create 15-20 small sized balls by rolling a handful around in your hands (set aside on a plate)
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low to medium heat, fry the meatballs in small amounts until browned all over, being careful not to overcrowd them. (Try not to turn them too much as this may cause them to crumble)
• Once the meatballs are all cooked add the Lloyd Grossman Tomato and Basil sauce to the pan 
• Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic and chilli and stir to combine
• Add the chopped basil and coriander and stir through, simmer for 5-10 minutes on a low- medium heat 
• Remove from the heat and serve on a bed meatballs on a bed of rocket
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and basil and salt and pepper
• Serve with sliced toasted ciabatta or garlic bread (and a large glass of red!)