I started to blog again because I have finally got my life back on track, its been a long road of self discovery, but I had to rebuild me and then find the real me, it was never going to be a quick fix. A lot of wonderful people have helped me on this path of self discovery, they have been such wonderful friends and I adore them all, my Children, Rieanna, my Grandchildren have also played a crucial part, but I have also helped myself by healing from with in, this has been through meditation, hiking, running, a lot of nature therapy and following an extremely healthy diet. This is not always easy when you are on a budget, short of time and don’t really feel like cooking, so this is why I started blogging again, to take the blog into a new direction, after all it is a story about me told through food.

I am hoping to bring to you fantastic quick, easy, healthy and cheap recipes, that even the most busiest person can find time to cook.

I think that everything in moderation is the key, don’t deprive yourself of treats and the things that you love, don’t follow fad diets that never work. I follow the 80/20 rule, I try to stick to a vegan/vegetarian diet, I rarely drink alcohol, yes I have a weakness for sweet things but I don’t beat myself up over that when I know that my diet is relatively healthy, most of the time. I am now 51 !!! Obviously it is harder to keep the weight off, the grey hairs appear far to quickly, I have days where I hate how my body looks, but I am healthy, so I am most grateful for that. I am grateful for the energy I have to run after my Grandchildren and I am grateful that I can still dance at gigs with Gemma, life is good.

So here is another recipe that has very few ingredients, takes minutes to prepare if you take a few short cuts and tastes utterly amazing, this one got a big thumbs up in our house, coming from Olly that is high praise indeed ! Also I am trying to find recipes for less servings, as fledglings leave the nest it is important to not just skip cooking and take the easy option of a take away or ready meal. These recipes are great for a quick mid-week meal, just double them up, etc, to adapt to your family size, especially if like me you think you are cooking for 2, then its 3, 4, 6, 8 !!!! Welcome to Hotel Mamma !!!

Buon appetito

Serves 2 (Generously, which is great for me as I am usually cooking for 3)

Suitable for Freezing

1 Tbsp sunflower oil ( I used Olive Oil )

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2cm/1in) chunks (Short Cut : I brought mine fresh but already chopped, I also got a mixed bag with Butternut Squash, just to add a little variety).

1 Red Pepper, sliced ( I love the Romano ones as they are so sweet, I also used orange peppers as well, this curry is a great way to use fridge left overs).

2 Tsp Jerk Seasoning ( now here you can make your own, I know a lot of people that have a tried and tested recipe, or like it really hot, I took the short cut option and brought a Schwartz Caribbean Jerk Street Food Seasoning, it was absolutely delicious. It was 15g and I used two packets as I had doubled the recipe).

400ml canned full-fat coconut milk (don’t risk using the low fat, you will end up with a watery sauce).

Coriander, the recipe said a handful, stalks removed, I say hell to that, you want loads of the stuff, stalks and all…. or is that just me ???

Pinch of Himalayan Pink Sea Salt (you can use any sea salt, but I am being pretentious here as the pink is my favourite and has so many health benefits).

Gently heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, then add the sweet potato and pepper slices. Cook for 5 minutes until the sweet potato starts to soften, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add a little more oil if necessary, I always use more than a recipe says, especially if you are not using a non-stick pan.

Spoon over the jerk seasoning, stir and cook for a further minute to make sure all the vegetables get a good coating. Pour in the coconut milk, simmer for 25 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is tender.

Remove from the heat and scatter over the coriander. Season with the salt to taste.

Serve with your favourite rice and sides of choice.