Month: September 2019

Fusion Tandoori Chicken (drumsticks)


file-8

Fusion Tandoori Chicken from the Hairy Dieters is one of my favourite weekend lunches. This recipe is great because the marinade and subsequently the oven does all the work which allows you to get on with other things.

The only fiddly bit is removing the skin off the drumsticks, but some good kitchen scissors makes this relatively painless, and be prepared to get messy when massaging the marinade into the cuts but trust me, it’s worth it!

I like a bit of heat so I’m quite generous with the chilli powder (up to you) and if I can’t be arsed to go out and buy some fresh dill (which is preferable) I use the dried herb out of a jar instead which does the job. This meal is ideal with an accompanying salad, or some rice or wedges if you’re feeling a bit naughty. But you’re supposed to be on a diet so this blog would take a dim view of you if you did ha ha! Continue reading “Fusion Tandoori Chicken (drumsticks)” →

Advertisement

Poached egg, smoked salmon and spinach – the breakfast of kings!


Smoked salmon and spinach

Poached egg, smoked salmon and spinach from the Hairy Dieters is truly the breakfast of kings! Whether you’re on a diet or not, this recipe is a proper treat and is super healthy at just over 200 calories.

Be generous with the nutmeg and black pepper, don’t overcook the spinach (it only needs about a minute in the pan) or your egg as the runny yolk into the salmon and spinach is pure heaven in your mouth.

Good quality smoked salmon can be expensive, but Sainsbury’s are currently selling 100g of Harbour Smokehouse Salmon for only £2 per pack. Fill your boots and make Posh Prawn Cocktail while you’re at it! Continue reading “Poached egg, smoked salmon and spinach – the breakfast of kings!” →

Pasta puttanesca (lighter)


Pasta puttanesca

The Hairy Dieters’ books contain some cracking pasta recipes but Pasta Puttanesca from their third book is arguably their best. It’s a great store-cupboard staple dish to rustle up on a week night and costs under £1 per portion!

There are lots of variations of this recipe but this one is sooooo scrummy and comes in at only 250 calories. If you’re short on time, chuck in 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes if you don’t want to faff about deseeding and finely chopping a chilli.

The only difficulty with eating pasta puttanesca is having sufficient resolve not to demolish any spare portions if you get peckish, which ‘greedy guts’, aka yours truly, has been known to do on occasion. Well, perhaps on every occasion wahahaha ;-).

If you’ve got any anchovies left over and are wondering what to do with them, why not have a go at making Chicken Caesar Salad? Continue reading “Pasta puttanesca (lighter)” →

Braised peas with lettuce and bacon


Braised peas

Braised peas with lettuce and bacon from Justine Pattison is one of my fall-back lunches when I’m pushed for time, bereft of inspiration and running low on ingredients. The combination of the smoked bacon, chicken stock, gem lettuce and peas is surprisingly tasty and can be knocked up in 10 minutes.

On its own, this recipe is only 239 calories per serving and Justine suggests you can serve it with some thin slices of French bread or ciabatta or some plain grilled chicken. I don’t think it needs it but it’s up to you. Continue reading “Braised peas with lettuce and bacon” →

Ginger chicken with udon noodles – Wagamama on a diet!!


Ginger chicken with udon noodles

The Hairy Dieters’ might get all the adulation for their healthy eating recipes but Justine Pattison is an absolute legend and I’d urge you to buy her Without the Calories series of books. Ginger chicken with udon noodles is from Justine’s ‘Takeaway Favourites’ book and OMG this recipe is absolutely amazing – try it, try it, try it!

This is a great Friday night dish to produce as it can be ready in about 20 minutes and is very quick to cook once you have prepped all the ingredients. The only fiddly bit is trimming the fat off the chicken thighs, but this is a doddle if you’ve got a good pair of kitchen scissors.

So tuck in, close your eyes and imagine you’re in Wagamama! And better still, this belter of a ‘fakeaway’ dish is only 475 calories! Who says you can’t enjoy top-notch food on a diet? Continue reading “Ginger chicken with udon noodles – Wagamama on a diet!!” →

Chicken caesar salad (light) – hail Caesar!


caesar

The Hairy Dieters’ take on a lighter Chicken caesar salad recipe is one of my ‘go to’ lunches, it can be rustled up in under 20 minutes and tastes fantastic, warm or cold. This dish is traditionally regarded as being quite unhealthy but if you follow the method below you can have a filling, nutritional meal on the table for under 300 calories!

A word of warning. Well, perhaps ‘warning’ is a little dramatic. The caesar salad dressing is lovely (you only need half of it) but it does taste quite strongly of garlic, so you may wish to use only a small clove if you’re taking it into work. Although personally, I couldn’t care less and nothing will compare to the stick I got when I brought in a smoked haddock chowder one balmy afternoon a couple of years ago.

The photo above is actually only of one chicken breast (the recipe states you can have two) but it was more than sufficient for me. The ciabatta ‘croutons’ are a nice touch, but not essential, so don’t go out of your way to buy a ciabatta loaf if you don’t have one in. Hail Caesar! Enjoy! Continue reading “Chicken caesar salad (light) – hail Caesar!” →