My Most Virtuous Salad

This salad is the most virtuous, wholesome, healthy salad ever !!!!! It is so good for you on so many levels. The base for this salad is a combination of brown rice and green lentils. These are both high fibre, wholegrain protein foods which have a low g.i . This means this salad will keep you full for a long time as the energy will be released slowly. The avocado has essential fats, vitamins A & E and a high proportion of fibre. The chicken is poached and as a result is an excellent source of lean protein.

This salad is ultra adaptable - ingredients can be substitued for others depending on personal preference or simply what is in the salad drawer.

There are 2 dressings suitable for this salad or again feel free to experiment - perhaps a balsamic dressing or honey mustard dressing.

Serves 2

30g green lentils

30g brown rice

1 chicken fillet

1/2 avocado

1/4 red onion

1 - 11/2 tomatoes

1/4 red, green & yellow pepper

1 chicken stock cube

Handful fresh chopped parsley & chives

2 boiled egg whites

Handful of fresh spinach leaves

Optional: Low fat feta, steamed brocolli

Dressings

Curry Dressing

3 tbsp 0% fat natural yoghurt

1 tbsp low fat mayo

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp mango chutney

Basil & Goats Cheese Dressing

3 tbsp skinny basil pesto ( see previous recipe)

1 tsp soft goats cheese

1 tsp 0% fat natural yoghurt

Method

1. Bring a small pot of water to the boil. Add in the brown rice and lentil and boil for 30 - 40 mins until they become tender but still with a little bite.
2. Bring a small pot of water to the boil. Add in the stock cube and chicken fillet, turn down to a medium heat and poach for 20 mins. When cooked, remove from the water, allow to cool and shred.
3. Hard boil 2 eggs. Place the eggs into a pot of boiling water and boil rapidly for 10mins. Remove from the water and place in a bowl of cold water to cool down. Shell, set aside the yolk and chop into large chunks.
4. Turn on the grill. Place the segments of peppers under a hot grill until they char and the skin goes black (5-10mins). When blackened wrap them in clingfilm. This will cause them to sweat and then just rub/peel off the skin and what remains are gorgeous, tender roast peppers. Cut into small dice.
5. Peel and dice the avocado and red onion. Deseed and dice the tomato. Chop the fresh herbs.
6. To make the curry dressing : combine 3 tbsp 0% fat natural yoghurt, 1 tbsp low fat mayo, 1 tsp mango chutney and 2 tsp curry powder. If you find this too thick, stir in a little of the remaining chicken stock. Some fresh coriander leaves will really lift this dish.
7. To make the basil & goats cheese dressing : combine 3 tbsp skinny basil pesto, 1 1/2 tsp soft goats cheese and 1 tbsp natural yoghurt.
8. Now just assemble, place the lentils and rice in a bowl, toss through the avocado, onion, tomato, shredded chicken, peppers and egg whites. Coat in the dressing. Add a little oil ( Irish rapeseed or olive oil ) if the dressing is too thick.
9. Place some fresh spinach leaves in the base of the serving bowl, place the grain salad on top and sprinkle over with the fresh herbs . To be a little extra indulgent and I do recommend it - crumble over some egg yolk. Yum.

Glazed Pork Chops with Roast Potatoes, Apples, Chorizo & Olives

This dish has a slight Spanish inspiration with the orange zest, vine tomatoes, olives and sherry vinegar.  Tamarind paste is an Asian ingredients and if you can't get it something simple like balsamic vinegar or worcestershire sauce will be equally fine.  Again if sherry vinegar is not handy just grab some white wine vinegar or even better some cider vinegar. Leaving the skin on the apples and potatoes adds a little more fibre to the dish, while being strict and only eating the centre medallion of pork will seriously reduce the saturated fat content of the dish. A little chorizo goes a long way here so again be very vigilant in your portion control. This meal is very filling and satisfying all the while including a few veggies. The rapeseed oil produced in Donegal is a great Irish product and we should encourage Irish and local where possible, instead of imports.
Overall this dish and a great idea if having friend around for dinner as the pork can be marinated over night and all the veg prepped just to pop in the oven.

Ingredients

Serves 2 

2 Free range pork chops

Marinade

1 tsp local honey

1 tsp tamarind paste / balsamic vinegar ( 2 tbsp )

zest 1 orange

1 tsp wholegrain & 1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp extra virgin oil ( try donegal rapeseed oil )

3 tsp Spanish sherry vinegar

2 medium sized potatoes

100g olives

50g chorizo

1 apple

1/2 red & 1/2 green pepper

1 large red onion

4 cherry tomatoes

6 cloves garlic

2 handfuls flat leaf parsley

Method

1. Prepare the meat marinade - combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Trim the fat off the pork chop or if you prefer score the fat and remove when the dish is ready to serve - but absolutely DO remove the fat. Spread the marinade over the pork. Set aside
2. Preheat the oven to 200o C
3. Wash the potatoes well. Don't peel if possible. Cut into half and parboil for 7 mins. 
4. Cut the chorizo into cubes.
5. Peel and deseed the peppers. Cut into chunks.
6. Leave the skin on the onions and quarter.
7. Peel and crush the garlic.
8. Wash, (leave the skin on) remove the core and cube the apple.
9. Quarter or half the tomatoes ( depending on the size )
10. Cut the parboiled potatoes into smaller cubes.
11. Spritz a large baking tray with spray oil. Spread the potatoes, chorizo, red onion, peppers, garlic, apple and olives on the tray.  Spritz and bake for 15mins.
12. After 15 mins heat a griddle pan and sear the pork chops. If they begin to stick deglaze the pan by splashing on a little sherry vinegar. Transfer to the oven for 10 mins.
13. Remove the pork, cover with a little foil and allow to rest for 5 mins as the roast potato and apple tray crisps up.
14. Stir the flat leaf parsley through the apple and potato roast tray. 
15. Serve and enjoy

Blue Cheese, Parma Ham and Pear Salad

Salads are quick, easy and in most instances quite virtuous. This salad is seriously impressive and makes a great little starter or a light main course served with a single slice of  toasted wholemeal sour dough. Moreover, this salad a brilliant fusion of some amazing Irish blue cheese, Irish pears along with Italian Parma Ham and Balsamic.

This salad  has a great balance of sweet, salty, creamy and crunchy. I don't advocate any one source or supermarket but for this recipe Aldi has to be the place which offer premium products at the best price.

To explain how this salad fits in to the SkinnyLovesFood ethos - the big splurge here is the Blue Cheese. Although normally a very strong flavour this awarding winning Aldi specially selected mature blue cheese has a subtle flavour with just the right amount of impact. It is high in saturated fat but a little goes a long way.  Removing the visible fat from the parma ham makes it become quite a lean source of iron along with the spinach. Also,the pisatchios provide some fibre. Fresh pears would be great but I find tinned pears - although a lower nutritional value - are fine. Just ensure they are in a natural juice not syrup.
This salad has amazing taste and flavour for a low fat, healthy, filling meal.

Serves 2

Ingredients

100g mixed leaves (rocket, spinach, watercress, chard)

4 slices parma ham

25 pistachio nuts (shelled)

50g blue cheese

half red onion

1 tin pears

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp balsamic glaze (Lidl)

Method

1. Preheat oven to the highest setting  - 220oC. Open the tin of pears, drain. Place on an oven proof dish and drizzle with the maple syrup. Pop in the oven for 10 - 15mins.
2. Rinse the lettuce leaves. Peel and finely slice the onion. De-shell the pistachio nuts. Remove the visible fat from the parma ham.
3. In a salad bowl combine the leaves, parma ham, red onion. Crumble in the blue cheese.
4. Remove the pears from the oven and thinly slice. Add these and the pistachios to the salad.
5. Toss all the ingredients together with the balsamic glaze.
6. Serve and enjoy.

Kick Start Eating Plan

As I have said Skinny Loves Food is not a quick fix. It will not help you to drop a couple of pounds by the weekend. 

This is not a diet – I repeat – THIS IS NOT A DIET!!!!!

These are ideas to slowly and consistently help you re adjust your diet to an all over healthier way of life.

Here are some healthy, low fat, high fibre meal options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Use these suggestions to get you started and feel free to ask me any queries aboout ideas and suggestions you may have. 

The basic concept these options follow is lots of high fibre, wholegrain carbs, lean protein, low saturated fat, reduced sugar and salt, lots of fruit and vegetables and drinking lots of water.

Breakfast

o 30g serving of all bran/porridge, slim line milk , banana

o 1 weetabix, slim line milk, piece of fruit

o Smoothie ( 1 banana, handful of frozen raspberries, ½ tsp honey, 100g 0% fat natural yoghurt & handful of ice cubes or 100ml cold water) & 1 slice wholemeal bread and low fat spread

o Poached or boiled medium egg on slice of wholemeal toast with low fat spread

o 2 slices wholegrain calorie control bread (Nimble/Better for You/Weightwatcher) / 1 slice wheaten bread (soda bread/McCambridges etc) & 2 grilled lean bacon medallions.

Lunch

o 1 slice wholemeal bread topped with Mediterranean Tuna Salad

o Food Dr. Wholemeal Pitta (or a low fat variety) filled with coronation chicken or chicken salad  ( 1 dsp extra light mayo, tomato, mixed leaves, red onion, 1 easi single and 2 chicken mini fillets (75g chicken)

o Toasted special – 2 slices calorie controlled bread . ( Dunnes “Better For You” is my favourite or Hovis Nimble), ballymaloe jalapeno relish, sliced tomato, 1 low fat easi-single, 1 slice crumbed ham.

o Roast sweet red pepper stuffed with bulgar wheat salad, topped with 20g goats cheese

o Bowl of vegetable soup & 1 slice of wholemeal bread with 1 tbsp low fat spread

Dinner

o Low fat Seafood pie

o Low fat Carbonara

o Low fat turkey meatballs with whole-wheat spaghetti

o Salmon fillet on a bed of spinach with a creamy prawn and dill sauce

o Chicken & Broccoli Bake

Snacks

o Fruit ( apple, 2 mandarins/tinned mandarins, kiwis,

o Pot of low fat yoghurt (see recipe)

o Melba toast crackers, 2 extra light laughing cow cheese spread, sliced tomato

o Handful (10 ish) cashew or pistachio nuts

o Handful of posh pop-corn

P.S Please I would love for you to post any ideas or great suggestions that work for you.