Tuna and Three Bean Burger

I have lived in Brighton for many years and enjoyed this City immensely. But now I am packing my things and moving somewhere alot quieter, somewhere peaceful and remote. 

But more about that later.

Meanwhile I am using up my store cupboard supplies. A little rummage later I have found dried beans and tins of Tuna calling out to me.

This could make a nice Burger me thinks.

Here's how I made it.

Ingredients:

450g Cooked and mashed Beans, (a mixture of Black Beans, Kidney Beans and Cannellini Beans)

1 tin of Tuna in Brine, drained

1/2 red Onion, finely diced

1 garlic Clove, minced

1 long red Chilli, finely diced

1 free range Egg

1 tbs chopped fresh Parsley

zest of 1 Lemon plus a little squeeze of the juice

1 heaped tsp Cornflour

a pinch of Chilli Flakes

a good pinch of Sea salt and fresh milled Pepper

plain Flour for the outside

I cooked my beans from died, by soaking overnight, then cooking in fresh water for 10 minutes on high, then about an hour with a lid on very low. I left them to cool before mashing them with a potato masher, leaving just a few chunky bits here and there for texture.

Mix the mashed beans with the other ingredients in a large bowl, apart from the flour, which will be used for the crust.

Dust the Flour onto a plate. Heat a pan with about 2 tbs of vegetable oil. Shape the mixture with wet hands into 6 palm sized patties and lay them onto the flour. Turn them over once in the flour then they go straight into a hot pan.

 Leave them to cook for about 3 minutes to get a nice crispy outside. Turn over and cook another 3 minutes. Use kitchen paper to drain them on to retain the crispiness.

Serve with some peppery Salad leaves and your favorite Mexican Salsa, Mayonnaise or Chilli Sauce.

For a cheap meal out of the store cupboard, this is really rather good nosh, even if I say so myself ;-)

Roasted Stuffed Butternut Squash

Squashes and Pumpkins are plentiful this time of year, so put them on your table! 

I made this recipe with Greek inspired ingredients, but the stuffing can be adapted to suit your taste buds and even made vegetarian by using lentils instead of meat.

Ingredients:
(makes 2 servings @ 6 WeightWatchers points each)

200g extra lean minced Lamb

50g Feta Cheese
2 Spring Onions, chopped

1 green Chillies, chopped
2 Tomatoes, diced
1 tbs fresh Oregano, chopped
1 fat Garlic Clove, chopped
Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Cut the Butternut Squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds (discard those).
With a spoon carefully scoop out some of the flesh from the Squash, leaving a small border all around.
Chop the flesh up into small pieces.
Make the Stuffing by combining the Mince with the Squash Flesh, Oregano, Chilli, Spring Onion, Garlic, Tomato and seasoning.

Fill the Butternut Squash with the filling and press down well. It may make a little bulge on top but that's fine.
Crumble the Feta cheese over the top and place into a baking dish.
Bake in a 200C oven for about 1 hour or until the Squash is soft and the stuffing is cooked through.

 
Looking at it now, this could be a meal as it is or cut in half to make 4 portions with some side dishes.

Salt and Pepper Squid with Cucumber Salsa

This delicious Salad is my idea of another perfectly healthy low calorie dish. It has only 2 Weightwatchers points, but will kick a punch when it comes to taste.

Ingredients:
(makes 2 servings)
2 medium cleaned squid, cut into 2 inch pieces and crisscrossed on the inside
1 tsp Szechuan Peppercorns
1 tsp Chilli flakes
1 tsp Coarse Sea Salt
1 tsp Cooking Oil

Make the Salt and Pepper mix, by toasting the Szechuan Peppercorns in a small pan until fragrant. Bash them in a Pestle and Mortar then add the Chilli and Salt and grind together.

For the Cucumber Salsa:
1 Lebanese Cucumber or 1/4 regular, sliced thinly into half moons
1/2 small red Onion, sliced thinly
1 long red Chilli, sliced thinly
1 tsp Natural Sugar
1 1/2  tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Mix the Salsa ingredients together and check the seasoning for the balance of the 4 'S', sweet, sour, spicy and salty.
Leave it to sit in the fridge for a while to let all the flavors develop. This salsa gets better the longer it stands,

Heat a skillet to searingly hot and add 1 tsp of Cooking Oil.
Toss in the Squid and sprinkle with a couple of good pinches of the Salt and Pepper Mix.
Toss and fry for a couple of minutes until the Squid has curled up. Be careful not to overcook them as the squid may become rubbery. 3 minutes is the maximum time required.

Serve the Squid on a bed of Salad Leaves with a Lime or Lemon Wedge and the Cucumber Salsa on the side.