Sheperds Pie.

I am a real lover of traditional English dishes and haven't posted this recipe yet. I've been making this one for a few years now, I used to make it with quorn mince when my opinion was that quorn was healthier than meat (not anymore!!! No processed shiz for me), so obviously recently I've been making it with mince.... Today however, was the first time in a while that I have made it with lamb mince. It made such a difference! It was sooooo tasty!

I made this after work tonight for just me and my mother- she loved it, had a second helping and told me that I can definitely make it again! :) Success!

RECIPE:

•Lamb mince

•Onion

•Mushroom

•Carrot

•Chilli

•Peas 

•Tomato

•Basil 

•Stock

•Salt & Pepper

•Sweet Potato

•Cauliflower

•Optional gravy and cheese

•Brown mince in a pan

•Add chopped onion, mushroom, tomato, chilli, peas, basil and salt & pepper ~ simmer

•Peel, chop and boil potato & cauliflower

•Add mince to caserole dish

•Mash sweet potato and cauli

•Put mash on top of mince, add pepper

•Add grated cheese

•Add to oven on low to keep warm whilst:

•Boil chosen side vegetables (I had sprouts, brocoli, cabbage & carrots!)

Serve & Enjoy 

Sofit xxxxxx

'Breakfast' Chorizo & Bacon Egg Muffins.

I say 'breakfast' but these beauties can be eaten at any time. 

I had mine cold in the car in the drive to work. I was pleasantly surprised at just how well these had turned out- literally full of taste and a good texture instead of a bit mushy like they sometimes can be. 

They are the perfect sin free meal or snack idea, and really you can out any type of filling into them. Eat them cold or reheat them.

A perfect protein boost!

RECIPE:

•7 Eggs

•Bacon- 1 slice per muffin

•Chorizo

•Tomato

•Onion

•Kale

•Whisk 5 eggs

•Add chopped veg into mixture

•Line muffin tray/cases with coconut/olive oil

•Preheat oven 200c

•Wrap 1 slice of bacon around the inside edge of each muffin case

•Spoon in equal parts of mixture to the top

•Oven cook on 160c for 10 minutes

•Whisk 2 eggs and top up mix to each muffin

•Cook for a further 20-25 minutes on 160c

•Serve immediately or leave to stand before removing

•Enjoy!

Tip: Top up the mix because as it starts cooking the egg level goes down- for a full shape top it up :)

I hope you like them as much as I do!

Sofit xxxxxxx

Butternut Squash soup & Bacon.

Copied from my Instagram account:

I've told myself off massively today! I cracked at lunch time and had some junk that the nurses had brought in, and it made me feel so ill! I have had constant reflux, stomach pain, uncomfortable bloating and indigestion type pain since! I dragged myself to body pump hoping if I ignored it that it would go- the pains got worse so I've had to cancel going out for dinner with a friend and sit at home telling myself off! But, hey, I'm only human - we all have slips- but I'm back on it. I was in too much pain to eat but don't want to skip meals so I made a creamy vegetable soup with a easier of crispy bacon chopped up!

This is a great healthy quick fix to suit all diet types.

RECIPE:

•Butternut Squash

•Onion

•Celery

•Carrot

•Garlic

•Chilli

•Basil

•Corriander

•Chicken Stock

•Salt & Pepper

•Chop all ingredients up & dice garlic

•Boil in a small amount of chicken stock

•Simmer with added herbs, chilli & seasoning to taste

•Blend ingredients ~ blender/hand blender

•Simmer whilst frying streaky bacon in olive/coconut oil

•Put bacon onto paper towel and pat off excess oil/grease

•Serve and Enjoy :)

Sofit xxxxxx

Thursday 9th Food Diary.

Breakfast: Egg, Mushroom, Tomato and Ham.

Lunch: Mixed Grill, Egg, Salad and Peas

Dinner: Salmon, Sweet Potato & Spinach.

Yesterday I did a spin class at the gym.

I hope you had a good day too!!

Sofit xxxxxx

Cauliflower Egg Fried Rice.

I promise you, hand on heart.. I would not lie to you...
This recipe tastes EXACTLY like a good egg fried rice if it is cooked properly.
Honest to God! Everyone in my house tried it and agreed.

Cauliflower Rice is a common go to for Paleo/Primal diet followers, but i hadn't got round to trying it due to not owning a food processor. But fear not, I still do not own a food processor- instead I used a regular hand held grater (cheese grater).

As you all know I am on the Whole9 cleanse and have been following paleo(ish) for a good few months now. Paleo is: NOTHING PROCESSED(!!), NO Dairy, NO grains, Plenty of Meat & Fish & Eggs & Vegetables, with portioned amounts of Fruit and Nuts. Sounds strict? Sounds confusing? Sounds overpowering? Honestly- it's not. Have a look through my recent recipes- I have been making some amazing dishes full of taste and that are really filling all following the paleo approach. It's easy.

Follow me on facebook and Instagram for daily links to all of my meals and recipes: facebook.com/miss.sofit and Instagram: @healthymisssofit :)


For tonight's meal I made the Chorizo Chilli Beef recipe from last week and teamed it with some steamed cabbage and Egg Fried Rice (Cauliflower- but you won't taste the difference!!).


RECIPE:

• Cauliflower
• Garlic
• Spring Onion
• Egg
• Coconut / Olive oil
• Salt

• Heat oil in a frying pan/wok
• Grate (or food process) Cauliflower into desired portion size
• Add diced Garlic and thin sliced Spring Onion to oil & Salt to taste ~ 2-3 minutes
• Add Cauliflower to oil ~ turn every minute, cook until golden ~ 6-12 mins approx
• Clear a well/circle hole in the centre of pan and add 1 whisked Egg
• Using a fork whisk the Egg slowly in the centre until it starts to solidify
• Use the fork to 'toss' the Egg through the Cauli-Rice
• Cook for a further 1-3 minutes until desired colour
• Serve and top with thinly sliced Spring Onion

TIP: Cook on medium heat- its better to cook it slow than fast.

I can't wait for you all to try this one, it's definitely going to be a regularly consumed dish for me from now on. I have lots of varieties of the dish all ready for trial and to be shared with you all.


Enjoy!
Share any pictures of your lovely attemps with me please :) I love seeing them!


Sofit xxxxxxxxxx

Whole9 Day 2 Food Diary: Tues 7th.

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Another successful day of eating real food only! :)

Sofit xxxxxx

Gym workout & Day 2 cleanse update.

I rejoined my old gym today and had a 60 minute freestyle workout on the gym floor. Considering I have had over 4 weeks out of the gym and have lost my shape completely, I didn't feel too bad and only stopped at 60 minutes because I had to go to work at 4pm. 

I worked up a good sweat and could feel that good shake you get after a workout, but this is just baby stuff compared to how I'm going to progress- this was just a warm up! You hear that body?! BE PREPARED! 

I was absolutely starving after so I ate my ham salad with a boiled egg at about 5pm, then I had a 3 egg omelette and salmon at 8pm as my tummy was rumbling. Protein loaded! :)

I am on Day 2 of my Whole9 cleanse. It feels great to detox with whole food as opposed to attempting the once/twice a day smoothies (aka vomit) that I tried to have last January. I am enjoying every single meal time, feeling both full and satisfied after- PLUS am having zero to tiny amounts of sugar in my diet which means I am feeling energetic from good wholesome foods instead of sugar rushes.

The benefit of cleansing and detoxing with food vs liquid is that eating solids is a natural function for your body; we stopped drinking fluids as a baby and naturally progressed to solids, so why would we want to reverse back to fluids now as adults?! 

As a nurse I don't agree with any of the liquid cleanse/detox programmes out there- the body should have its normal functions: we should chew daily, swallow solid daily and digest whole food daily. We should not be stripping our body of its capability- it's not natural and over a long time could cause health problems.

Maybe I would be more open to juice cleansing if my body got on with it more, but I just can not live without food. I much prefer chewing, feeling satisfied/full and enjoying my food. A belly of liquid gives me reflux and makes me feel sick. So that is my body saying 'No thank you!!' 

I am 100% anti any 'meal replacement' liquid cleanse out there- slim fast, weight watchers shakes, Aloe Vera.... All of them! They're a pile of rubbish- they harm your body, and you won't be keeping off any weight you might of lost! Because you starved your body the next time you eat your body is going to grab and hold onto that food! And it usually sticks in the places that you don't want it to and stores it as fat! 

Stop and assess whichever detox/cleanse you are following this January- are you happy? Are you satisfied?... Or are you starving, tired, moody and on a sugar roller coaster?

"JUST EAT REAL FOOD!"

"YOU HAVE TEETH- SO USE THEM!"

Here is my gym workout from today: 

Enjoy!

Sofit xxxxxx

Garlic Loaded Sweet Potato.

Jackpot!!!!

GARLIC LOADED SWEET POTATO

I have made another 10/10 dish. I am so chuffed with this one- it tastes so good that it is hard to believe it is healthy! Also it is filling AND satisfying... perfection.
I have a lot of new recipes to trial this week for you all- so stay tuned for more amazing sofit recipes!

Monday sucks on a normal day. But today was the first day back after 2 weeks Christmas holiday, and it was tipping it down AND...well....I don't know what else.
However my day perked up massively whilst cooking and eating this dish. I really enjoy cooking. I want to get really good at it, I think I am still very basic.
2014 goal: learn to cook super challenging dishes! :)

Ok, no more chatting, more food....


RECIPE:

• 3 Sweet Potatoes
• 4 Chicken Breasts
• 1 pack of Bacon
• 3 Shallots
• 5 Mushrooms
• 6 Garlic cloves
• Coconut / Olive oil
• Salt, Pepper, Mixed Herbs, Chilli
• Sides: Green Beans & Mixed Leaf salad with shredded Carrot

• Bake Sweet Potatoes on 200c for 60 minutes then take out to stand and:
• Cook small cubed chicen in Coconut oil and Garlic
• I crushed 2, Diced 2, and thin sliced 2 Galic cloves. 6 in total.
• Add thin sliced shallots when chicken is cooked - 2-4 minutes
• Add very thinly sliced mushrooms to mix
• Season according to taste and simmer whilst prepping potato
• Cut Potatoes in half and scoop centre into a bowl
• Mix 1/3-1/2 of the centre with the Chicken/garlic mix
• Add Chicken mix to potato boats
• Wrap each half Potato in 1 slice of Bacon
• Cook on full until Bacon is cooked with a crisp
• Fry green beans in chicken pan with leftover garlic flavoured oil
• Serve and ENJOY!!

I would love to see pictures if you try :) It makes me happy seeing you all giving my recipes a go.
Have a great week!


Sofit xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Roasted Brussels and Squash.

It goes oh so well together. You just have to try it.

Brussel sprouts and butternut squash oven roasted in a light mix of coconut oil, sald, pepper and a dusting of chilli.

As you all know by now I am completely obsessed with Brussel sprouts, in any way shape and form. When oven roasted the individual leaves crisp and taste so good! Even people that don't like sprouts should try them this way- you will like them! You just have too! Haha.

RECIPE

•Brussels 

•Squash

•Coconut oil

•Salt, pepper & Chilli

•Cut sprouts in half

•Cut squash into small chunks

•Drizzle with melted coconut oil

•Season to taste

•Roast on 190c for 30-45 mins

Enjoy!

Sofit xxxxx

Chorizo & Chilli beef.

Chorizo, beef and spice :)

10/10 

Best dish in the world!

Quick, easy and super simple to make.

RECIPE

•Minced beef

•Diced chorizo

•Onion

•Red chilli

•Mushroom

•Stock

•Salt & Pepper

•Cook mince and veg in a frying pan

•Sprinkle on stock cubes

•Season with salt & pepper

•Add in chorizo and cook for 5 mins

•Fry egg in coconut oil

•Serve and enjoy!!!!

Sofit xxxxx

Prawn and Chorizo Frittata.

I had my friend round for lunch today, so I made a really good frittata with prawn and chorizo and filled it with any vegetables I could find in the house.

RECIPE

•King Prawns

•Chorizo

•5 eggs

•Onion

•Spring onion

•Mushroom

•Buternut squash

•Carrot

•Tomato

•Cut squash into small pieces and put into the oven on high with coconut oil

•Cook king prawns and chorizo in a frying pan, then place in a bowl

•Cook all vegetables in the frying pan and place in the bowl with meat

•Re oil frying pan & turn heat to medium

•Add half of the whisked eggs

•Pour bowl of cooked ingredients on top

•Add squash

•Add remaining half of egg

•Season with salt and pepper

•Cook until mix becomes cooked/solid underneath

•Place on the sliced tomatoes

•Finish the frittata under the grill on high for 5-10 minutes (until cooked)

•Put a lid on pan and cook on the grill on medium for a further 3-5 minutes to help form solidity/shape

•Serve immediately and enjoy

This can also be stored and eaten cold or reheated :)

Enjoy!

Sofit xxxxx

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year to all of my lovely friends and followers :)
I wish you all every bit of happiness and health for 2014!

I celebrated New Years at a friend's house with take out and red wine, watching the fireworks on the tv. I hope you all had a good night too.


On New Years Eve I did a big healthy food shop and stocked up ready to start 2014 with a healthy and positive attitude. On New Years Day I made my sister and I a paleo friendly cooked breakfast of sausage and egg, then made a big healthy and hearty Beef and Sausage Casserole. I filled the casserole with every vegetable I could and then served it on a bed of kale- I needed the nutrition, and it was lovely. (Recipe below.)

My aim this year is to lose my winter weight and then maintain a healthy relationship with food, and in doing so I know that my weight, skin and mentality will be in good form.
I don't believe in making New Years resolutions because I think that if you want something enough you should just be able to start at any time, but after a fun filled Christmas this year I was grateful for New Years Day to make me snap back into the healthiness.

I have lots of new recipes to try and post for you all this year, so please keep sending me pictures and feedback of your versions of, it helps to motivate me.

I am also aiming to try some different fitness approaches and workouts this year so I will be giving you reviews of those too.

Well, have a great start to the year and get in touch if you have any questions or opinions :)
Sofit xxxxxx




Beef and Sausage Casserole Recipe:

• Beef
• Sausage
• Sprouts
• Carrot
• Swede
• Leek
• Shallots - whole
• Mushroom
• Cherry Tomato
• *you can add any vegetable*
• Diced Garlic
• Stock
• Gravy granules

• Cut everything into chunky sized pieces
• Add everything to a Casserole/large oven dish
• Add stock water so it covers 3/4 of meat & veg
• Season with salt and pepper
• Cover air tight with lid/foil
• Cook on 200c for 1 hour
• Stir and put back into the oven for 1-4 hours on 120c, stirring regularly
• The longer you cook the casserole- the better the flavour :)
• Add gravy granules and stir to thicken
• Cook on 200c for 10 minutes whilst
• Boil Kale in lightly salted water
• Serve and season with black pepper

Enjoy!


Sofit xxxxxx

Paleo Breakfast shredded Hash.

Paleo Breakfast shredded Hash.


I made my sister and I a lovely paleo perfect breakfast the other morning of vegetable hash, garlic mushrooms, roast tomatoes, sausage and topped with a runny yolk egg. B-E-A-UTIFUL!

Easy peasy to make, all you need to do is:

Oven roast sausages,
Cook mushrooms in a pan with lots of diced garlic and some coconut oil,
Roast tomatoes in the oven with a little coconut oil,
Fry the hash in a pan with garlic, coconut oil, salt and pepper,
Fry an egg in coconut oil.
SERVE.

Hash Ingredients:

• Thin sliced white onion
• Julienne peeled carrot
• Thinly sliced red cabbage
• Peeled courgette

Pretty much any vegetable will go into a breakfast hash, I think it will always work if you add garlic and onion. See my previous post for the hash I made on Boxing Day with Christmas dinner leftovers.


Hope you all had a lovely New Years Eve, lots of happiness and health for for the year ahead :)



Sofit xxxxxx

Christmas Paleo Breakfast Hash.

I can't believe that tomorrow is New Year's Eve. This whole holiday has been a blur and has gone so quickly.

Boxing Day morning we had planned to take a big family walk to a nearby pub/restaurant for brunch, but when we woke up the weather was awful so we decided to make our own brunch.

So my mum worked on some sausages, bacon, steak and black pudding and I created a hash out of left overs food from Christmas dinner and eggs. 

I literally threw it all into a frying pan with coconut oil, salt & pepper and some thinkly chopped onions.

I added carrot, green beans, parsnip, julienne peeled sweet potato to the thinkly sliced onion. And then threw in some thinly sliced sausage, some leftover stuffing mix and sprouts in blankets. 

Once it was all cooked through I made 3 serving spoon size dents into the hash and cracked an egg into each, cooked it for a few minutes on the hob and then finished it under the grill. 

I topped with black pepper and a little chilli powder on the top and served. 

The perfect family Boxing Day brunch.

I hope you all had a lovely christmas.

Sofit xxxxx

Christmas Dinner.

Merry Christmas everyone.  I hope you are all having a lovely holiday.

I'm sure that I am not the only person from a family who celebrates Christmas with loads of food, generally of the unhealthy variety?!

Nope? Didn't think so.

I am enjoying every single part of Christmas, and not restricting my body from anything, but I am also keeping control of it and not taking it to the extremes. By this I mean that I am enjoying Christmas Day and all of the food it involves and from here out I will enjoy every social meal and drinks I have planned, but in between I will not be doing my usual trick of eating anything and everything just for the sake of the 'Christmas/Winter weight'. I'm also going to try and fit some exercise in there somewhere no matter how small- a 15 minute intense workout s better than no work out after all.

So this Christmas both of my sisters and I ' brought something to the table', my elder sister made a malt easer cheesecake and my younger sister made a Christmas log cake. Me, I made sprouts in blankets! :)

Simple yet delicious and perfectly paleo friendly.

RECIPE

- Par boil sprouts

- Add olive oil and diced fresh garlic to a hot pan

- Wrap sprouts in pancetta

- Add sprouts in pancetta to hot oil

- Crumble a few remaining sprouts into the pan

- Shake the pan once every 60 seconds to get a crisp on edges

- Add black pepper

- Serve and enjoy :)

We also had some yummy sweet potato roasts, honey and mustard parsnips and lots of different sausages and meats. Paleo perfect!!

Enjoy the rest of your holidays :)

Sofit xxxxxxxx

Butternut squash wedges!!!

Ive had so many of you say how much you loved the jacket squash, and found it perfect for those days when you reeeeeally wanted some comforting, high carb food. I grew up with jacket potato being one of my favourite meals, and would have it 3 times a week through the winter, with loads of butter and cheese! Well I'm not going to encourage the butter or cheese because you don't need it. The Jacket Squash is so tasty that it would be too much with any butter or cheese. Honestly- try it!

So I have found another amazing potato fix for us! I love it so much I have it again today for lunch- the third day running!! 

I present to you- the magnificent Squash Wedges!

Once these are cooked they come out looking a bit dark on the top- but that burnt looking edge is actually what makes the flavour so much like potato wedges! So so good!!

Yes, again: quick, easy, simple, healthy, nutritious, tasty, child friendly and will fit into any diet you may follow- BECAUSE IT IS ONLY REAL FOOD! :) 

Simply cut into wedges shapes and sprinkle with lots of paprika and a little black pepper, oven cook on 180c for 40-60 mins.

Enjoy!! Let me know what you think.

Play around with the seasoning, it's goes well with a whole range of spices and herbs :) 

Serve with my homemade hummus from a previous post for heaven! ;)

Sofit xxxxx

Christmas wobbles are arriving!

'Twas the week before christmas, and everything was finally settling down....

So I am now moved house and in my new job, crazy week is definitely over.

I don't know about you guys but I am eating cleaner than clean this week as I know what next week brings- and I can't wait for it!... But I want to feel like I deserve it.

After last weeks eating on the go, not eating clean and drinking alcohol I felt horrible and was just eating more horrible food because I was starting I get stuck in that rut I know so well. But not this week! Oh no no.

I've got some catching up to do on what I have eaten lately, but most of it has just been quick and easy stuff.

For example, last night I had a yummy big bowl filled with 4 eggs, salmon and garlic and coconut oil satéed mushroom and spinach:

Super filling, easy and quick to make, super clean, perfect paleo/whole30/weight watchers/slimming world .... Whatever type of diet you follow this will fit in!!

Why?! Because it is all clean and real food! No additives, no sugar, no salt, only good real fats and full of nutrients. 

Try! Enjoy!! :)

Sofit xxxxx

Winter meal.

I had another great winter comfort meal the other night, and made enough to take for my lunch the next day.

I am completely addicted to butternut squash nowadays, but I would say that that is a good addiction. I have had so many people feedback to me that they have now got addicted to it too. It's the best! I'm looking forward to having it baked with some tuna and salad :)

My meal from the other day was Jacket Squash, Roasted Carrot & Sprout, Broccoli, Green Beans and Sausage.

Cut the Squash in half,

Score the surface,

drizzle with melted coconut oil,

Season with salt/pepper/chilli/herbs,

Wrap in foil 

and bake for 45-60 mins on 160c.

SERVE IMMEDIATELY 

And eat the skin! :)

I just had plain roasted sprouts & carrots as I didn't fancy anything too imaginative.

So I par boiled them in slightly salted water, then added then to an oven dish with coconut oil and some pepper. Perfect.

I hope you're all making healthy choices where possible during the build up to Christmas.

Sofit xxxxxx

Meatball & Brussel Hash.

So I opened my fridge to a load of organic vegetables and some lovely meat that I had bought at the start of the week with the intention of making a casserole, but I just didn't fancy it! Especially when I had 16 massive good quality eggs sat looking pretty. (I love eggs!)

So I decided instead to chuck everything in a pan and fry up a hash with some yummy poached eggs on top- with lots of runny yolk! :)

I used every veg that I had in my fridge except the Brocolli and green beans- that would of been to adventurous even for me! It turned out great- the runny yolk sold it to me as a 9/10 dish that I will be making lots more in future in a few different varieties. 

Hash is defined as a dish that has chopped up veg, potato and meat in a pan. That's pretty loosely the only definition, so it leaves it open as to what type of hash you want. I always used to love a corned beef hash when I was younger, and I love my Brussel sprout tree, so I just threw it together and crossed my fingers for the result.

This dish will definitely be bottom of some people's lists because I know that some of you do not like sprouts (!!!) .... To be honest I don't understand how?! But that's only because I have always loved them ever since I was a little kiddy, I always ask my mum to do sprouts when she makes her infamous roast dinner. They're my fave!

I mean, look how happy I look! A Brussel sprout tree, just for me :) 

Ok, let's get to the hash:

RECIPE:

• Beef meatballs

• White Onion

• Brussel Sprouts

• Swede 1/2

• Carrot x 2

• Parsnip x 1

• Sweet Potato 1/2-1

• 2 x Eggs per serving 

➰ Fry meatballs in pan- no oil required

➰ Julienne peel 1 carrot & Chop all remaining vegetables into odd shapes cubes and slices for different texture

➰ Once meat is cooked cut meatballs in half and add veg to the same pan, cook the vegetable in the meatballs juice/oil

➰ Season with salt and pepper and whatever flavouring you prefer. 

(I added chilli powder, chilli flakes and diced fresh garlic)

➰ Poach/Fry/Soft boil 1/2/80(?!) eggs 

➰ Add lots of black pepper, creat a yolk porn effect and enjoy!!! :)

Ps Did you notice both of my eggs have a double yolk in them! Extra yolk! Twice!!

I have never had a double yolk before in my life- I was so impressed with this.... THEN I made some eggs to be reheated at work the next day and got ANOTHER TWO double yolks :) Happy Sophie.

I hope you all have a great weekend, happy Friday xxxxx

Sofit xxxxx

Gammon and roasted radish.

Tuesday nights dinner was a random mix of what I fancied. A plate full of nutrition and taste. I loved it!

I bought some thick good quality gammon steaks, I haven't had gammon for a long time and really enjoyed it. Of course you HAVE to have eggs with gammon! That's the rule! The yolk with the taste of gammon is just perfection.

I tried another new roasted item with my meal- a roasted radish. I decided to read into the nutritional benefits of a radish (it's very good for you by the way) and found that you could eat it roasted! New to me! When I told my mum what I was making for dinner that night she called me weird! Haha. But actually, my review is: ROASTED RADISH IS GOOD!!! Seriously. It tastes really good. You have to try it. 

I simply just chopped them in half and popped them in an oven dish with my sweet potatoes and roasted for 30 minutes on 175c. I used organic virgin coconut oil, salt & pepper and chilli powder.

They tasted great with gammon and egg, and the brocoli and runner beans were a good side.

So- Try it! I hope you enjoy :)

Sofit xxxxxxx