Comfort food and a new power drink!

It’s March.  I’m writing this in bed with the window open and sun streaming through.  It looks like spring but still feels like fricking winter- the bloody gritters are out every night still and I’ve used de-icer twice on the car this week!  It is still cold but feels like spring is just around the corner, which is why this week has been a real food mix- loads of and fruit and veg, a couple of Greek salads with olives and feta, but also comfort food in the form of homemade soup (vegetable and left over potato and leek from the freezer) and for the first time ever: tuna pasta bake.  I’ve never made this in my life as have always thought of it as bad carbs and stodge that doesn’t fill you up and gives you calories but not the nutrition to go with it.  The other day though, I randomly fancied trying to make a tuna pasta bake and adapted a recipe I found on the BBC good food website, turning it into a healthier version.  It isn’t as nutritionally good as the detox pasta recipe (see below- somewhere) but it was a healthier version of  the comfort food I needed and my man and his kids loved it too, so a dinner to suit everyone.  I served mine with a huge side salad as well.

Ingredients:

2x 185g tins of tuna in brine/ spring water

2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tins of chopped tomatoes with herbs

350g whole wheat fusilli pasta

300g broccoli, chopped into small florets

200g pack of light soft cheese

100g grated cheddar

200ml vegetable stock

Olive oil

Method:

1.       Heat a little olive oil in a pan.  Tip in the tomatoes, garlic, vegetable stock and simmer whilst you cook the pasta in a separate pan, adding the broccoli just before the pasta is done and simmering them both together until both the pasta and broccoli are cooked.

2.       Stir the soft cheese and the tuna in with the tomatoes and garlic, and allow the sauce to simmer again for a few minutes.

3.       Drain your pasta and broccoli and place in an oven proof dish.  Pour the tomato mixture into the dish as well and top the lot with the grated cheddar.

4.       Place under the grill until the cheese is bubbling and golden.  This dish is also yummy when microwaved the next day!

Pastry free quiche has been on the menu too for lunches this week as a midday protein fix.  I’ve discovered  a new flavour too, using my standard recipe (again, see below) with pork lardons/ pancetta and fresh spinach.  It was so good!  Make sure you cover the spinach leaves with the egg and push down any pesky ones that float to the top- otherwise they tend to go a bit crispy.

Also this week I’ve been well impressed with a new power drink: water! Yep, that humble liquid straight from the tap rather than some fancy, expensive green smoothie! I used to drink two litres of water a day religiously but since we moved floors at work (meaning I’m further away from the staff loos!) I haven’t been as good at knocking back gallons of water each day.  The other week though, I started hammering the water again and making sure I finished my 2 litre bottle of the stuff between arriving in work at 7.30am and dinner time at home in the evening.  I also drink tea and coffee in the day too.  It’s really easy to drink this much once you’re in the habit and you just have to remember to get a few gulps down you at regular intervals- even when you don’t particularly feel thirsty. 

The difference it has made is amazing, especially to my skin!  The skin on my face was looking a bit dry and tired but now it really is much more glowing, radiant and even my make-up looks  better.  I swear as well that some of my fine lines, especially around my eyes, have improved too!  Guzzling water as well just keeps me feeling fresh and healthy throughout the day and if I feel like I need to start nibbling, I drink some water first and that usually does the trick (apparently we misread feeling thirsty for being hungry and reach for a snack before we have a glass of water first to see of that does the trick).  So yeah, big high five to getting your two litres a day...I’ve started on mine as we speak and when you see the difference in your skin, you’ll be addicted!  Try it for a week and you’ll be a converted water guzzler!

Happy eating xxxx