For those of us trying to eat sensibly it can be difficult to think up new and tasty meals that are satisfying but still low in fat and calories, so any ideas/recipe's would be most welcome :)

One thing we do is always make sure we have loads of salad ingredients in the fridge and cupboard so we can throw something interesting together. Salad doesn't just have to be leaves, cucumber and tomato. Find some low cal dressings as well. We get through loads of good quality balsamic vinegar. I'll try and remember to share some of our combinations that work, because some don't.

A green salad we had last week was -Various lettuce, chard, watercress, parsley, cucumber, grated raw courgette and grated fennel. Everything chopped up really small so you got all the flavours in one. We had that with a roast veg lasagne.

One thing we do is always make sure we have loads of salad ingredients in the fridge and cupboard so we can throw something interesting together. Salad doesn't just have to be leaves, cucumber and tomato. Find some low cal dressings as well. We get through loads of good quality balsamic vinegar. I'll try and remember to share some of our combinations that work, because some don't.

A green salad we had last week was -Various lettuce, chard, watercress, parsley, cucumber, grated raw courgette and grated fennel. Everything chopped up really small so you got all the flavours in one. We had that with a roast veg lasagne.

That sounds lovely Jess, one thing I have never tried is Balsamic vinegar :blush: but I will try some because people do give it a good name.
I like Mayo so what I have been doing is to mix a tea spoon of low calorie mayo and mix it with a tea spoon of garlic or sun ripened tomato mayo, then mix it into the salad, I think it really does save eating to much as when you put mayo on top you tend to use a lot more, and it makes the salad a lot more tasty....trouble is though it doesn't look greatly appetising...working on that one :hihi:

I have to admit, some Balsamic is like.... off wine. OH forks out a load for his favourite and treats it like some special liquid. It is lovely though. A really nice extra virgin olive oil is a lot better than your normal stuff.

We do the same with mayo. I have made some really horrible combos though!

A dollop of houmus is nice too, especially the ones with extra flavour in.

Ooh, just thought of something else which is yummy. Get some whole peppers and leave them in the oven for ages on a low heat then peel the skins and eat the middles on a salad. Yum Yum. Also slow roasted tomatoes with Rosemary and olive oil make a nice addition to a salad.

Slice some salad tomatos, add a chopped clove of garlic, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge......yummy snack-attack food!

Have you ever watched any episodes of Cook Yourself Thin?

Gizzy is my idol! :love:

She takes peoples favourite meals and makes swaps to dramatically reduce the fat... but the dishes are still yummy and indulgent and don't taste like 'diet food' at all!

They are not as low fat as eating a salad, but a great alternative for a 'treat' day and you don't feel like you're missing out ;)

Here are all her recipes from the last series:
http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/healthy/cook-yourself-thin/index.html

I've got loads of good diet recipes on my computer at work, I'll pop them on here tomorrow...

Although cottage cheese is not in fashion,if you can find it try it with cantaloup. Just scoop out the seeds of the fruit and fill with cottage cheese. It can fill you.

Also try it alone with mashed tinned pinapple.

another is roasted fresh peaches, drizzelled with honey(or brown sugar and drizzelled is the word) On completion add one square of dark choc (which should melt if not slam it back in the oven for 2 mins) add a small helping of greek yogurt when serving. . It is too rich to eat a lot of this one and it will resolve the need for after dinner choc.

Home made soups are low in calories and very filling, I make Broccoli soup and use potato to thicken, lovely

We had this (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/13193/sicilianstyle-fish-stew) the other week and it was absolutely lush.
The only thing I'd change is to add more chilli.
From the same site This (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5912/leek-potato-and-bacon-bake) was divine, very warming and very hearty.

You could try this site here:

http://www.spoonfedsuppers.com

you register and on Friday you get a shopping list and every day you get a recipe (which you have shopped for)
It's all quite yummy and it gives you calorie info on the end of the recipe

These are amazing. I made them for a bbq and no-one could believe that they were low fat! They are really juicy & tasty.

I make them in batches of 10 & freeze the extras - it's lovely to just pop them in the George Foreman and have with a plate of salad.

Beef & kidney bean burgers
http://www.the-gi-diet.org/recipes/kidney_bean_burgers/

(Makes 5)
1lb/450g extra lean beef mince
1 tin of unsalted kidney beans
1 large or 2 small onions, finely chopped
2 beef stock cubes
a few fresh basil leaves
1 egg
1 teaspoon chilli seeds
Small amount of grated cheddar
Salt & pepper

Mash up the kidney beans roughly with a potato masher. Add all the other ingredients to the mixing bowl apart from the egg, tearing up the basil leaves as you add them. Mix the ingredients together with you hands then add the egg and kneed it into the mixture.

FAT-FREE BRAN FRUIT LOAF

4 oz Bran Buds or All Bran
4 oz (100g) caster sugar
10 oz (275g) mixed dried fruit
½ pint milk
4 oz (100g) self-raising flour
1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon powder

Put All Bran, sugar and dried fruit into a basin, and mix them well together. Stir in milk and leave to stand for half an hour. Sieve in the flour, mixing well, and pour into a well-greased 2 lb loaf tin. Bake at 180c for 50 mins. Turn out of tin and allow to cool. Cut into slices and spread with LOTS OF BUTTER.

Gratin pizziola
http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/healthy/cook-yourself-thin/gratin-pizziola-recipe_p_1.html

Serves 2

Ingredients
For the sauce:
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 - 4 cloves garlic
1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato puree
¼ teaspoon red wine vinegar
A pinch of sugar
A handful chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper

For the pizziola
85g mozzarella cheese
85g artichoke hearts, sliced
6 pitted black olives, halved
2 free range eggs
3 slices Parma ham
Fresh basil leaves to serve
2-3 slices ciabatta to serve

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. Heat the oil in a small frying pan, then throw in the garlic. When it starts turn golden pour over the tomatoes. Add the tomato puree, vinegar, sugar, basil, salt and pepper then cook on a low heat for 10 minutes.

2. Transfer the sauce between two gratin dishes, then split the mozzarella, artichokes, olives and Parma ham between the two dishes too. Make a well in the centre, then place the egg in. . Pop in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the edge of the gratin is really bubbling and the egg is perfectly cooked and runny. While the gratin is in the oven, pop the ciabatta on the griddle for a 2-3 minutes and serve with fresh basil leaves.

Spicy Prawn Salad
serves 2

400g large prawns
garlic
grated lemon rind & juice of 1 lemon
0.5 tsp chilli powder (or chopped fresh chilli or both!)
1 bunch chopped spring onions
fresh coriander
butter

mixed salad
nice bread rolls

Fry butter, garlic, spring onions & chillies. Add lemon rind and coriander & stir through, then lemon juice and more butter. When it's all sizzling, throw in the prawns and stir until heated through. Serve on top of salad.

Tagliatelli with Parma Ham

Parma ham
Loads of basil
Spinach
Cherry tomatoes
Chilli
Fresh tagliatelli
2tbsp half fat cream

Fry off halved tomatoes with oil and chilli or if you have plenty of time roast them for bout 15 mins – should still be intact
Put pasta on then mix with tomatoes, spinach and a little bit of cream.
Rip up basil, parma ham and mix in when off the heat – shouldn’t cook. loads of pepper.

This is really good with grilled haloumi pieces on top

Tomato & Coriander Soup
Serves 2

1kg tomatoes, quartered
2 red onions, chopped
chopped garlic

500ml/18floz veg stock
1 tsp raw cane sugar
handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ginger

Saute tomatoes, onion & garlic for 10mins.
Add stock, sugar, coriander, salt & pepper then bring to the boil.
Simmer for 10mins then remove from heat & blend.
Add soy & ginger & heat through.

This is something I made up last week based on a delicious warm salad I got from M&S:

Mexican Chicken & Bean Warm Salad
Serves 2

2 Chicken breasts
Blackened Cajun (or Jerk) seasoning

Honey, ginger & chilli salad dressing
1 can Kidney beans
small can sweetcorn
half a red onion, chopped
handful fresh spinach
1 red pepper, chopped
coriander

Coat the chicken breasts in spicy seasoning and griddle.

Heat through the kidney beans & sweetcorn in a saucepan of boiling water for 1-2mins then drain & add chopped red pepper & onion. Then stir in salad dressing until fully coated (I didn't have the M&S one so just used fat free honey & mustard & added coriander paste)

When chicken is cooked, slice thinly and arrange nicely in a fan on top of handful of spinach with the warm bean salad on the side of the plate.

OH said it was so yummy he would be happy to eat it every day!

This from an old Sainsbury's recipe card. Its fab! Sometimes just make the marinaded chicken to have in a salad or wrap.


Chicken Zorba

Juice 2 Limes
1 level teaspoon ground corriander
1 level teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint
4 boneless chicken breasts
150g tub Greek stlye natural yogurt
170g tub houmous
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 white pitta breads
To Serve: Mixed salad leaves, sliced tomatoes
and yellow pepper
Preparation time: 15 minutes 30 minutes marinating.
Cooking time; 1approx 10 minutes
Serves 4
1. In a bowl blend together the lime juice, coriander, cumin, tumeric, salt & mint.
2. Cut the chicken into thin strips.
3. Add the chicken, mix well to coat chicken, cover & leave
to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Mix together the yoghurt and houmous, cover & chill until required.
5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan an cook the chicken
for 8 - 10 minutes, stirring occaisionally until golden.
6. toast the pita breads on each side under a preheated
hot grill until golden brown or lightly brown in a toaster
7. Cut the pitta breads in half crossways, open up & spread with a generous spoonful of the houmous & yogurt mixture.
8. Fill with the chicken mixture, add salad leaves, tomato & yellow pepper slices.
Serve immediately

I find home made soups essential at this time of year for lunch!

Homemade veggie soup, No rules to it whatever you've got chuck it in. Taste, season, blend season again if required. Into individual pots in the freezer. Grab one whilst dashing out of the house in the morning!

Ooh that sounds lovely :)This from an old Sainsbury's recipe card. Its fab! Sometimes just make the marinaded chicken to have in a salad or wrap.


Chicken Zorba

Juice 2 Limes
1 level teaspoon ground corriander
1 level teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint
4 boneless chicken breasts
150g tub Greek stlye natural yogurt
170g tub houmous
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 white pitta breads
To Serve: Mixed salad leaves, sliced tomatoes
and yellow pepper
Preparation time: 15 minutes 30 minutes marinating.
Cooking time; 1approx 10 minutes
Serves 4
1. In a bowl blend together the lime juice, coriander, cumin, tumeric, salt & mint.
2. Cut the chicken into thin strips.
3. Add the chicken, mix well to coat chicken, cover & leave
to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Mix together the yoghurt and houmous, cover & chill until required.
5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan an cook the chicken
for 8 - 10 minutes, stirring occaisionally until golden.
6. toast the pita breads on each side under a preheated
hot grill until golden brown or lightly brown in a toaster
7. Cut the pitta breads in half crossways, open up & spread with a generous spoonful of the houmous & yogurt mixture.
8. Fill with the chicken mixture, add salad leaves, tomato & yellow pepper slices.
Serve immediately

Spicy Prawn Salad


That sounds lovely Katie I'm going to try it. :)

Ooh some great ideas and some great recipe's thanks a lot folks plenty to keep us going here for a while :D
Also Jess I have bought and tried some sweet Balsamic vinegar today and it is lovely, I will use it instead of Mayo now :thumbsup:

This is gorgeous, healthy, hearty and really filling. I add garlic to mine as there is none listed in the recipe and it definitely enhances it.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/96608/

I find home made soups essential at this time of year for lunch!

Homemade veggie soup, No rules to it whatever you've got chuck it in. Taste, season, blend season again if required. Into individual pots in the freezer. Grab one whilst dashing out of the house in the morning!

Yes, I find home made soups a godsend in Winter. A pressure cooker is essential, BUT if you dont have much time just use a couple of tins of soup and whisk a cuppa soup first, then add to the tins of soup in a saucepan. Some crusty bread and its a filling meal.:)