‘Greek’ Chicken

Ok so i’m a little dubious about the title…

So we’re back to Joe Wicks with what probably has to be the quickest meal i’ve ever cooked (and managed to hold a steady conversation at the same time). I think I was so surprised when i’d finished eating it that I wondered if I had missed something.

But I have to say, I felt it was a little odd. Olives, pomegranate, spring onions and pine nuts mixed with yoghurt and chicken stock. Although admittedly mine did have somewhat more chicken stock than in the book – but I had doubled everything to make enough for lunch too.

However, it looked and smelt lovely, and not to say it didn’t taste lovely either… I just felt it didn’t really know what it wanted to be. I’m still looking forward to lunch tomorrow though!

Chicken & Chorizo Paella

Something to see you through to pay day.

So i’m really glad I kept this one up my sleeve this month. It’s made a good four portions and tastes really authentic!

This is from Save with Jamie and I admit I made it slightly cheaper still by missing out the prawns. Don’t get me wrong, I can imagine it would be amazing with them, but I felt I could go without. It also suggests serving with lemon wedges but I keep a bottle of lemon juice in the fridge, which does the job nicely when drizzled over the finished paella.

So pop you’re music on and get chopping! (As that’s probably the most difficult part of this meal). I chopped everything in advance, and always have the remaining ingredients to hand for the moment I need them (plus it looks pretty on the work top when you have lots of colourful ingredients!). The cooking takes a fair bit of stirring, however I can imagine it’s easier in a proper paella pan. In order to keep the rice cooking for long enough I did have to add splashes of water as the recipe suggests.

To be honest I feel I should have made something more complex with it being the weekend. As this is actually perfect for a weekday meal, it only took me an hour and by the time I was finished I only had one pot and a chopping board to wash up!

Warm Griddled Vegetables

So after a very unhealthy Birthday week, here are some much needed vegetables!

Another simple recipe from The Hairy Dieters that can be made as a side dish or a main meal. I decided to add halloumi for a slightly more bulked out dinner.

Ok so I may not have had a red onion so I had to make do with white, but it still worked! You can’t go wrong with a coriander and chilli dressing – it brought everything together and the powerful flavour of the red wine vinegar packed in that little punch. Although, they suggest if you don’t fancy the chilli dressing, you can always use a good balsamic vinegar instead.

Cooking the veg on the griddle made the whole meal look so much more visually exciting. I have invested in a Hairy Bikers griddle pan as it’s the perfect size for me. However it is quite a pain to clean!

After a few drinks last night the salty halloumi went down a treat. And with those colourful peppers and courgette I felt I gave my body that little thanks for putting up with all the pizza I seem to have eaten lately!

Super-speedy Steamed Salmon

Ready in 30minutes – perfect!

This super quick one pan Jamie Oliver dish is ideal for those nights you need something sharpish and still want the flavour and goodness of a healthy meal!

Just follow the simple instructions and you’ll have a stress free time cooking something you can’t wait to tuck in to. If you are doubling this up for 4 people, you’ll need to use 2 pans as a couple of portions fit perfectly in each. We were lucky enough to get a whole side of salmon for £10! So there was more than enough to go round.

The veg ends up quite sticky at the bottom of the pan so you’ve got to be careful not to let it catch. It would have probably been perfect if the fillets of salmon we used weren’t quite so big and therefore would have cooked a tad quicker.

Although it’s not my favourite couscous meal, it’s a great way to cook salmon (and the rest of the meal at the same time), it just flakes apart like it should! It would be easy for everything to end up as a pinky yellow blur but with a spoonful of yoghurt and a sprinkling of basil, it breaks it all up and brings that green freshness which makes every meal look even more enticing!

Charred Avo & Eggs

Super quick and super healthy.

We often treat ourselves to a nice breakfast either Saturday or Sunday, but usually struggle to find something new that we’ll all like. Plus it usually ends up being brunch anyway!

So we came across this brilliant Jamie Oliver dish that takes only 25minutes to cook! And he is true to his word – it really does only take 25minutes.

All it takes is a bit of chopping and peeling and you’re pretty much there. We actually used a whole avocado as we felt it would go to waste if we left half of it. I feel like it’s the first time i’ve cooked avocado like this, and I was surprised how it stayed together. I was expecting a bit of a mush to be honest! The ribbons of sweet potato is a great idea, and they cook so quickly. We used mint, parsley and coriander to garnish with which we thought really brought everything together. As for the cottage cheese – it’s great to find a new recipe to use it in!

Definitely going to make this again. Makes a nice change from the Mexican breakfast we often have, and takes a fraction of the time!

Mexican Tomato Soup

My oh my… the boys have not only agreed on something vegetarian, but one of them suggested it!

Of all the vegetarian suggestions we have put out there in the past, I am extremely shocked that a vegetarian SOUP had been chosen at will. I’m not one to knock veggie food – I actively eat it for lunch, but soup… of all things?

So this is a Jamie 15 minute meal which you can find the video for here. Whilst it’s bubbling away, the room will fill with really warming smells, but with a cheeky note of coriander which I love! It’s packed full of flavour with a bit of a kick from that jalapeño and yogurt dressing!

Using rice in replacement of cream is ingenious. It gives it that silky thick consistency without worrying about ruining your fresh, healthy soup.

The idea of serving with the avocado, feta, fresh baby tomatoes, chilli and coriander brings the soup to life. There’s nothing better than everyone digging in and making the final dish their own. I’d advise leaving out the chilli if you’re not a huge fan of heat as there’s definitely enough in the rest of the elements. The jalapeño and yogurt dressing is gentle with mint flavours which catches you off guard for the back of the throat kick which follows!

The tortilla crisps (which you can get gluten free versions of) help to bulk the meal up too, whilst adding a sense of fun. All in all this meal goes from lunch to dinner with the help of a few toppings and a side of nachos!

Chinese-Style Beef & Broccoli

Honestly, when it comes to take-aways i’m 100% an Indian fan. Chinese food reminds me of Uni when I’d walk into the living room to the smell of Chinese takeaway and my mates looking sorry for themselves after one too many vodka red bulls the night before!

So when it comes to Chinese food, it’s got to be fresh! And Hemsley & Hemsley know how to deliver…

There’s just one main tip with this recipe – prepare everything first! That includes getting all of your spices out, boiling the kettle (we used stock rather than bone broth), chopping and organising. So that once you start heating up that pan, it’s just a case of adding everything step by step. It may feel like you’re slowing down the process initially but you’ll be speeding up the end! And it means you can stick to all the timings.

We couldn’t find the coconut flour, so we bought corn flour instead (something I was surprised we didn’t already have). But we didn’t use it in the end so I can’t say whether it would have been a good substitute or not.

Hemsley & Hemsley advised rice wasn’t necessary which I have to agree with now… but we had some sneaky rice on the side as we didn’t quite believe it initially!