Comfort eat all day without gaining weight
Fight off the big February freeze with a hot and healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert (all for under 400 calories each! )Breakfast
Warm morning muffins
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| Muffins |
Preparation time: 12 minutes
170 g dried apricots, coarsely chopped
170 g unsweetened muesli
250 g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
250 ml unsweetened apple juice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
100 ml honey
1 large egg
a 12-hole muffin tin, lined with
12 paper cases
Makes 12
Put the apricots, muesli, flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and stir. In a split up bowl, mix the apple juice, oil, honey and egg. Fold in to the dry ingredients, but do not over mix.
Spoon the mixture in to the paper muffin cases. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) Gas 5 for 20 minutes, until golden and risen. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store within an airtight container for 3 days.
Variation: Add the finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange and replace the apple juice with freshly squeezed orange juice. Include the little shreds of orange flesh obtained from squeezing the fruit.
Kcal: 212
Fat: 5g
Of which saturates: 0.6g
Protein: 5g
Carbohydrate: 39g
Lunch
Baked sweet potato with hot and spicy Mexican beans
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| Potato |
Tuck into hearty, healthy, hot lunch for a change. Filled with fiber, this delicious alternative to soggy sandwiches really will fill you up and the spicy kick from the chillies may even keep your warm through the chilly afternoon.
Preparation time: 15-18 minutes
Serves: 4
1 medium sized sweet potato, about 200g in weight
½ a tin of mixed beans
½ tin of chopped tomatoes
A clove garlic, crushed (optional)
½ a fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
½ onion, finely chopped
½ a tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Worcester sauce
1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander
20g Extra Mature Cheddar cheese (optional)
Scrub or wash the potato and prick around with a fork. If cooking within an oven, preheat to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 then cook the potatoes for 1-1/4 hour or until soft. Alternately, prick the potato, wrap in kitchen paper and cook each potato in a 750w microwave oven for 3 1/2-4 minutes or until soft. Remove and invite to are a symbol of 1 minute. Leave until cool enough to take care of. Heat the essential olive oil in a non stick pan and sauté the onions, garlic and chillies along with the burgandy or merlot wine vinegar and Worcester sauce until soft. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil and simmer for 8 — ten minutes. Add the beans, stir and heat through. Finally, add the fresh coriander. Take away the sweet potato from the oven and cut in two. Invest a bowl and spoon the Mexican beans at the top. Sprinkle the very best with some extra mature cheddar cheese (optional) and eat immediately.
Kcal: 398
Fat: 9g
Of which saturates: 3g
Protein: 15g
Carbohydrate: 75g
Dinner
Vegetable burritos
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| Burritos |
These burritos create a perfect TELEVISION dinner or could be served as a mid-week supper for relatives and buddies. They taste great and because they are low GI and high in fiber they are excellent for you too.
Serves: 4
400 g canned chopped tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon mild chilli powder,
or to taste
a pinch of dried oregano
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow pepper, deseeded
and sliced
1 green pepper, deseeded
and sliced
400 g canned refried beans, or canned borlotti or pinto beans, rinsed, drained and mashed
4 large wheat tortillas,
20 cm diameter
100 g extra-mature Cheddar cheese, grated
4 tablespoons Salsa (see below)
2 tablespoons half-fat crème fraîche
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Salsa
1⁄2 large red onion
2 tomatoes
1⁄2 green chilli, deseeded and
finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Put the tomatoes in a saucepan with the garlic, chilli powder, oregano and tomato purée. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes, before mixture reduces slightly and begins to thicken. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a split up saucepan. Add the peppers and sauté for about five minutes, until soft. Add the peppers to the tomato mixture. Put the refried beans in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring usually until piping hot. Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) Gas 6 for 6—7 minutes, until soft and piping hot. Or heat based on the guidelines on the packet. Remove from the oven and put the tortillas on 4 serving plates. Spread each tortilla with a thick layer of beans, then 1 tablespoon of the tomato and pepper mixture, 25 g cheese, 1 tablespoon of salsa and 1⁄2 tablespoon of crème fraîche. Sprinkle with coriander, fold and serve immediately. Variations: For a non-vegetarian alternative, add 50 g sliced grilled chicken white meat to each tortilla.
Kcal: 400
Fat: 12g
Protein: 20g
Carbohydrate: 56g
Dessert
Hot Jamaican chocolate bananas
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| Banana |
If this exotic little dessert doesn't cheer up your winter evening, nothing will!
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4
4 firm bananasServes: 4
100g plain chocolate, grated
100g low fat vanilla ice-cream or frozen yoghurt
50ml rum
16 fresh raspberries, to serve
Pre-heat the oven to 190C/375/Gas Mark 5. Peel and cut the bananas in two lengthways. Divide 75g of the chocolate evenly between each banana and sprinkle in the centre. Wrap each banana in tin foil and invest the centre of the oven for about five minutes (just before chocolate is soft however the bananas remain firm). Place the remaining chocolate in a small bowl and melt either in the microwave or oven a pan of boiling water on the stove. Take away the bananas from the oven, invest the centre of a small plate and pour handful of rum over the top. Place 4 raspberries around each plate, thinly drizzle the chocolate randomly round the plate and on the bananas and serve with a dollop of ice-cream or frozen yoghurt together with each.
Kcal: 350
Fat: 9g
Of which saturates: 4g
Protein: 4g
Carbohydrate: 49g
