Moroccan Chicken Pilaf

Pilaf is even easier than risotto to make when travelling. This is another low calorie meal which will be quick and easy to cook when we are on our road trip. I will just ensure that I have the Middle Eastern spices in my pantry.Chicken tenderloins can be substituted with chicken thighs, and are a less expensive option, however remove the fat.

Moroccan Chicken Pilaf

Serves 4
222 calories per serve

Ingredients:

cooking oil spray
200g chicken tenderloins
1 large brown onion, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
280 g basmati rice (8 tablespoons)
640ml chicken stock (2 2/3 cups)
1 finely chopped capsicum (optional)
80g baby spinach leaves
Small handful of currants (optional)
fresh coriander leaves to serve
large pinch dried chilli flakes to serve
Optional: 1/3 cup browned blanched almonds to serve
Mango chutney to serve

Let's cook:

Lightly spray a small non-stick saucepan with oil and heat over a medium heat. Cook the chicken for 2 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove from the pan. Cover to keep warm.

Lightly spray the same pan with oil. Add the onion, cook stirring for 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Add the spices, cook stirring for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the rice and capsicum, cook stirring to coat in spice mixture. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cook covered for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stand covered for 3 minutes. Stir through the currants if using.

Serve the pilaf topped with sliced chicken, mango chutney, spinach, coriander and chilli flakes.

Enjoy!

Best wishes

Pauline

Asian Pork mince with rice noodles or in lettuce cups

Asian Pork Mince

This has become one of our favourite meals, and we eat it almost weekly. It is healthy, low calorie and easy to prepare during the hot summer. Taste it before serving to ensure the combination of sauces suits your taste.

Serves 4
200 calories per serve

Ingredients:

cooking oil spray

4 green shallots, sliced diagonally
20g knob of fresh ginger, sliced finely
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
400-500g pork mince
120g green beans, sliced thinly with a bean stringer
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon kecap manis (or more to taste)
2 fresh long red chillis, sliced thinly
4 tablespoons water
small handful Thai or sweet basil leaves
12 baby cos leaves or packet of rice noodles
Lime quarters to serve

Let's cook:

Lightly spray a medium non-stick frying pan with olive oil and heat over a medium heat.Add the shallots, ginger and garlic. Cook covered, for 1 minute.

Increase heat to high. Add pork mince; cook stirring to break up lumps for 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in beans, sauces, chilli and the water. Cook for a further 2 minutes or until beans are tender and the sauce is slightly sticky. Stir in half the basil.

Serve mince in lettuce cups or in a bowl over rice noodles. Either way, top with the remaining basil and serve with lime pieces.

Enjoy!

Best wishes

Pauline

Quick and Easy Cheesy Green Soup

Quick and Easy Cheesy Green Soup

Broccoli and zucchini are the stars of this show. As we prepare for our round Australia road trip, initially heading for Darwin and then Perth, I am trying to reduce the calories in our diet in a very healthy but enjoyable fashion before we leave, knowing that there will be many  amazing food experiences along the way, and a fair bit of just sitting.

This soup is brilliant, we never tire of it, and it is so easy to make. It can also consist of whatever left over veges you have in your refrigerator, presuming they are green. Broccoli and zucchini are the star ingredients, and are now also recognised as being key vegetables for people suffering from high blood sugar and Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. Thankfully we are not in that category. The soup is also quite creamy when pureed, thanks to the texture and structure of the versatile zucchini.

Without getting into too much detail about it, Broccoli is a rich source of Chromium, a mineral which helps to improve insulin action in pre-diabetes and control blood glucose, an important factor for everyone these days I think. This soup makes it so easy to include broccoli in your diet in a very appetising way, and control weight as well.

Ingredients

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons coconut oil, ghee or butter

6 cups roughly chopped green vegetables , zucchini, broccoli, celery or whatever you have. (However, it works best with zucchini and broccoli.)

1 litre vegetable or chicken stock (homemade is best)

1 cup rocket or watercress (optional)

1 cup roughly chopped herbs, such as coriander, basil or flat-leaf parsley leaves

Pinch of salt

Juice of ½ to 1 lemon (Test the taste after adding juice from ½ a lemon and add more if required.)

½ cup crumbled sharp cheddar

Method:

Sauté the onion and garlic in the coconut oil in a large saucepan for a superior flavour. (if you are really in a hurry omit this step and just add to the rest of the vegetables, it will still taste great) Add the green vegetables to the onion and garlic and stir for a minute, then pour in the stock and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Stir in the rocket, herbs and salt. (I have used basil and coriander and they are great in this soup.)

Turn off the heat and puree until smooth using a stick blender, or pulse in a normal upright blend when it has cooled slightly.

Whisk in the lemon juice and stir through the cheese, or omit the cheese and top with a dollop of yoghurt or basil pesto.

Serve hot and enjoy.

Thanks to Sarah Wilson for this recipe.