Category: Sides

Cauliflower & Broccoli Cheese Bake

I love cauliflower cheese but Graeme doesn’t so I have never really made it to be served as a side to any of my dinners, also the faff of making a “real” sauce really puts me off .

But you know me where there is a will there is a way I decided to try and create a recipe that takes on the essence of Cauliflower cheese but isn’t the real deal.

In this recipe I used Primula cream cheese as the sauce and to be honest it works really well as a quick “hack” I added a sprinkle of Mustard Powder and next time I will add slightly more as I think for me it enhanced the taste.

by julessmithie

Garlic & Rosemary Smashed Roast Potatoes

During the Winter months I think there are only so many times you can eat roast potatoes before you start looking for an alternative or a different flavour and here we are.

These were gorgeous they really took on the garlic and rosemary flavour but without it being overpowering . Plus they made a fantastic change to normal roasties.

My top tip is once you have cut your potatoes stand them in a bowl of cold water for as long as possible I usually Chop mine first thing on a morning and leave them until dinner time. This removes some of the starch from the potatoes making them easier to cook and they also seem to need less oil.

I also par boiled my potatoes in the microwave, it’s just so much easier this way plus your potatoes don’t absorb loads of water making them “mushy”. It is definetly easier to cook them once par boiled plus it reduces the cooking time.

by julessmithie

Hot Beef Baps (Cheats Version) With Honey Glazed Carrots & Parsnips

As you will have guessed by now I’m a huge fan of cheating when it comes to cooking and i make no apologies for doing so.

When the weekend comes there are times i have just had enough of cooking and the thought of cooking a full Sunday Dinner can fill me with dread, so adding a few ingredients that just need microwaving really helps.

In this video i have used Asda beef in gravy which was lovely i have also used the Tesco beef in Gravy and its equally as good.

There is no written recipe for this as its more of an idea than a hard and fast recipe.

by julessmithie

Tinned Potatoes to Roast Potatoes

When you run out of time and energy to cook the real things here is a fantastic hack.

Remember tinned potatoes are already cooked they just need reheating and in this case browning.

You can add any flavourings you like salt & pepper works well as a basic flavour. What you get it a crispy outer with a soft inner potato now these aren’t ever going to replace the real thing but they are a brilliant midweek alternative

by julessmithie

Christmas Sprouts

Now as a child my mum traumatise me with her cooking of these little suckers they were boiled to death mush, even the dog wouldn’t eat them 😂

So now we take a different approach and slice or shred them and basically stir fry them to ensure they still have some crunch.

I added bacon Lardons to these but you could add pancetta. Use smoked or unsmoked whichever you like, to be honest I’m not keen on smoke bacon but the smoke Lardons worked really well with the Sprouts in this recipe.

Pine Nuts can be expensive so I will leave it to you if you want to add them or not.

I’m not a lover of cranberry sauce so I added a couple of spoonfuls of beetroot and orange chutney and it was delicious any sweet chutney will work.

The slicer chopper I’m using is on my Amazon Shop press the link it will take you there then look under kitchen gadgets https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

by julessmithie

Crispy Kale

During the cooler months i use a lot of kale either with “fakeaways” or with Sunday Dinner and i always get asked how i cook mine, so as we are heading back into the cooler months here is my “how to” video.

I buy my kale from whichever supermarket i shop at usually Tesco – always wash in cold water and pat dry make sure you get all the water out as you don’t want to steam the kale in the pan it needs to fry.

My top top is always remove all stalks especially the thick “woody” ones this will really help with cooking and taste. You will see in the video i add a sprinkle of chilli flakes this is optional but if you haven’t tried this please give it a whirl it really does add a fantastic flavour.

by julessmithie

Courgetti

When you are trying to add more vegetables into your diet Courgetti is a fantastic way of doing it.

Personally I can just eat it as Courgetti and feel satisfied but if I’m on a “hungry day” then I always add a small amount of spaghetti. The half Courgetti half spaghetti works really well and if you are watching calories it is a fantastic way of reducing calories.

In the video you will see i added a small sprinkle of chilli flakes, this works well but if you’re not a fan then leave them out.

Top tip don’t add salt to Courgetti as it will draw the water out and courgette is practically all water so you can run the risk of water logging it.

The spiralizer I use is in my Amazon Shop press the link here https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

by julessmithie

Chipolte Potato Bites

I love potatoes and think they are a really inexpensive way of bulking out a meal especially if you have children.

These were really good that subtle hit of Chipolte worked a treat – the spice i used is from https://www.spicentice.com/ use discount code JULES20 for 20% off any order (AFFILIATE)

I always par boil my potatoes using the microwave method i just find it easier especially if the hob is full of pans trying to get other parts of the meal cooked, plus it cuts down on cooking time in the oven. As you will see i dont use my oven to cook these i use a halogen but the temperatures and times given are for a conventional oven.

Why do i use a halogen??? cost basically – the cost of heating an oven to temperature and then cooking can be horrendous when you are just cooking a few potatoes – a halogen heats immediately and the cost is hugely reduced due to the heating methods they use. You will find the one i use on my Amazon Shop press here https://julesthelazycook.co.uk/2019/04/16/amazon-shop/

NOTE:- the “how to” for the potatoes is in the 2nd part of the below video

by julessmithie

Cheats Egg Fried Rice

As you know im all about mid week cheats and hacks and to me standing cooking rice is one of my pet hates and it either turns out brilliantly or a soggy mess 😂😂🙈

So here is a fool proof way of getting perfect egg fried rice everything time………cheat! You will see i used a pouch of microwave rice but heated it in the pan instead of the microwave i love these pouches and they are becoming more budget friendly especially the supermarket own brands. If you have cooked rice that needs using up that will also work

Add whatever flavours you like some people like to add a splash of soy sauce, but in this one i left it out because the meal i served it with already had soy sauce in it.

by julessmithie

Tartar Sauce

Its been so long since i last made Tartar Sauce and i forget how good it tastes also how easy it is to make. In this recipe i haven’t given specific quantities per ingredient as i think it is difficult to do with this one as everyone’s taste buds are different. I loved the one i made Graeme thought it was a bit too sharp….. did not stop him from eating it though lol.

My top tip is to add ingredients slowly and keep tasting until you get the perfect match for you, once made up this will last in the fridge in a Tupperware type tub for 3-4 days.

For fish goujon recipe press here https://julesthelazycook.co.uk/2016/09/07/fish-goujons/
by julessmithie

Pimp Up Your Packet Rice

Lately i have been using more and more microwave pouch rices mainly because they are just so quick to use. However, they can lack bulk and taste at times so i have put together a little video of how i bulk mine out and add more taste and texture to a boring rice.

You can also do this with any leftover rice you have, add any spices, any vegetables that need using up or any herbs you have its a fantastic way of dealing with anything that is destined for the bin.

by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Loaded Potatoes

I will admit these are 1) gorgeous 2) highly addictive lol 🙈

This is the 3rd or 4th time i have made these now and they are perfect for a weekend and i think the kids will love them.

You will see in the video I used my small slow cooker but the recipe is for a slow cooker of 3.5ltr which will make 4 potions

I used baking potatoes in this batch and they worked perfectly I have also used salad / new potatoes which whilst they work because they are small they allow the filling to drop between the gaps during cooking.

Feel free to add any other flavours to this garlic and a dash of Paprika would work lovely in this recipe.


by julessmithie

Healthy Chips & Wedges

One of the most asked questions i get is how do you cook your chips/ wedges??? over the years i have tried many many methods and they are ok but i find most of the methods have led to a very dry chip which to be honest isnt great.

This is the method i have used for many years now and it gives a crunch to the outside but a soft fluffy inner – which is just how i like my chips. The pre soaking removes some of the starch which helps to chips to cook quicker and it also means you dont have to soak them in oil it really does help reduce the amount you use.

I have also used every potato under the sun and again they all work so no need to spend a fortune on what other people think are the best potatoes use whichever ones you like.

by julessmithie

Flatbreads

Well after nearly 2 years 😂😂 I have finally made the video that you all wanted and hopefully the one that answers all your questions 👌

These are really simple to make and once you get the technique right you will be making them all the time.

You can make these as big or as small as you like it really depends on if you are following a diet plan and if so remember to calculate the flour and baking powder used.

I have made these using 30g, 35g and 50g of flour all with 2 Tablespoons of Fat Free Yogurt the trick is only add more yogurt if you are absolutely sure the dough won’t keep pulling away cleanly from the sides of the bowl and the I would only add small amounts at a time. If the dough is too wet you will end up using lots more flour to roll it to stop it sticking to the worktops and rolling pin.

Below is the 1 minute quick video for flatbread which i made in 2017 it has the ingredient list and step by step method, however the live video above goes into the how to in more detail


by julessmithie

Garlic & Rosemary Saute Potatoes

I love these little potatoes they really do go with anything and you can change the flavour to suit what you and your family enjoy.

Top tip leave them in cold water as long as possible overnight if you want as this will remove some of the starch making it easier to cook them without using loads of spray oil.

I have also cooked these in an oven/ halogen especially if I’m short on time as standing stirring pans is one of my pet hates 😂😂🙈 it works exactly the same just fry off the garlic and rosemary in a pan then stir it through the potatoes.

If you make too many dont worry add them to an omelette for lunch.

by julessmithie

Roast Potatoes

This is always one of the questions i get asked “how do you make your roast potatoes” and i feel its always easier to show you rather than answer the question so i have made a little video going through how i do it.

In here you will see i do not use the traditional method of par boiling (in a pan on the hob) i just find that too fussy so i use a microwave and this works for anything you want to par boil.

I also dont use Frylite…..i know dont shoot me!! but i feel you just have to use way too much to get anything cooked and for me that is not healthy regardless of what anyone says, however if you remove some of the starch from the potatoes you may find you use less and lets face it that cant be a bad thing can it?

Use any potatoes you like I’ve used them all and they all work perfectly so just use whichever ones you and your family like.

by julessmithie

Taco Shells

Not a recipe as such just a fab little trick that will save you syns, 1 x weight watchers wrap is your HEb so if using this wrap 4 taco shells are syn free ….woohoo.

Fill with whatever you fancy and top with cheese …yummy


by julessmithie

Onion Bhaji

These were a real treat and went really well alongside the curry i made – they are really easy to make i think my top tip is just not to get stressed about them, i know that sounds stupid but trust me the less faffing with them the better they turn out and if they fall apart dont worry just reshape them they will still be perfectly ok.

You can either use a muffin tin to cook them in or shape them by hand and cook them i have do it both ways as you will see in the video – both ways work. 

These need to be cook slowly in the beginning then turn the heat up for the last ten minutes to get the tops crispy



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by julessmithie

Caramelised Onion Hummus

Another recipe i have wanted to make for an age, hummus can be so high in syns if following slimming world so making it yourself really does help save on syns especially during the summer months when dips are used more frequently. The key to this one is to have patience to soften down the onions it really will pay dividends and give you a fantastic flavour.

The hummus will last in the fridge easily 4 days in an airtight container, its also syn free and SP friendly.



by julessmithie

Falafel

This is another recipe that has been on my “to do list” forever! Im slowing working my way through them lol….. such a simple recipe but it really does work well and im really happy with how these turned out. 

If following slimming world these are syn free and they are also SP friendly and also make a great snack.




by julessmithie