I think it's a lot easier to eat a healthier diet in the summer because the season is packed with amazing fruits and vegetables that are just bursting with flavour.
When the sun is shining, lighter meals just seem far more appealing and
the truth is you don’t need to starve yourself on a wacky fad diet if you want
to look better in your shorts or swimsuit this summer either. The secret
is to choose healthy foods and take in fewer calories than you burn and it's
easier to make better food choices in summertime as heavy, high-calorie dishes
are just too much to bear when the sun rises early and goes to bed late.
I’m obsessed with Mediterranean cookery and I try to incorporate a healthy balance and harmony into my recipes. The Mediterranean diet generally encapsulates most of the criteria
for good nutrition anyway, but if you simply follow a few basic rules you can’t go too far wrong. My five Commandments for good, wholesome food are as follows.
1.
Buy
seasonal fresh food, organic where possible.
2.
Eat a
varied diet but always incorporate fresh vegetable & fruits.
3.
Avoid
junk food
4.
Avoid
too much processed food and additives.
5.
Remember
that cooking is an act of love. Learn to enjoy the pleasures of the kitchen.
Another good idea
is to work some super grains into your diet and they can be the perfect
ingredients in summer salads. Grains and cereals, such as quinoa, couscous and
bulgur can provide small hits of protein and other minerals. Quinoa may not be
a household name just yet, but it is set for a starry future - as far as grains
go. The Incas have known it all along, for thousands of years regarding it as
the 'mother grain' as they grew it high up in the Andes.
Unlike wheat or
rice, quinoa is a complete protein - containing all eight of the essential
amino acids. It has been recognised by the United Nations as a supercrop for
its health benefits: packed with dietary fibre, phosphorus, magnesium and iron.
It is also gluten-free and easy to digest. The facts suggest it is close to a
perfect ingredient as you can get.
Quinoa is very
easy to prepare and its fluffy texture and slightly nutty flavour make it an
excellent alternative to white rice or couscous. When cooked, its grains
quadruple in size and become almost translucent. It can be prepared much like
rice. It should usually be rinsed or soaked before use to remove its bitter
coating, so check packet instructions. Bring two cups of water to the boil to
one cup of grain, cover, simmer and cook for approximately 15 minutes or until
the germ separates from the seed. The cooked germ should have a slight bite to
it (al dente).
I also love
couscous and it has become a popular alternative to rice and pasta these days.
It has a light fluffy texture which is a little bland in flavour but which
readily soaks up the flavours of other ingredients.
Couscous
originates from North Africa and works brilliantly well so all Middle Eastern
flavours. Most supermarkets sell precooked couscous - where you only have to
add boiling water or stock to create light fluffy grains making it very quick
and convenient.
Harrisa Chicken
with roasted pepper, tomato & couscous salad
Ingredients serves
4
2 large chicken
breasts cut into 4 pieces
1tbsp harrisa
Couscous
salad
160g couscous
160ml chicken
stock
A
large pinch of saffron
1 large
red pepper
12 red
cherry tomatoes
8 yellow
cherry tomatoes cut in half
50g chopped
shallots
2tbsn. Olive
oil
1tbsn balsamic vinegar
1tbsn. Fresh
coriander, chopped
1tbsn. Fresh
mint, chopped
1tspn. Ground
cumin
Seasoning
Preheat the oven
to 200ºC (400ºF, gas mark 6).
Brush the peppers
with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and arrange them in a shallow roasting tin. Roast
for about 35 minutes or until the pepper skins are evenly darkened, turning
them 3 or 4 times. Place in a bowl and cover well with cling-film. The steam
will help to remove the skin from the peppers. When cold enough to handle, cut
the peppers in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Peel the skin away from
the flesh and cut into wide strips.
Place the red cherry
tomatoes in a small baking tin. Drizzle over the olive oil, balsamic vinegar
and season with salt & pepper. Roast for 8-10 minutes.
Bring the chicken stock and saffron to the boil and remove from the
heat. Add the couscous and cover. Leave to cook and swell for 2-3 minutes.
Using a fork,
fluff the couscous grains to separate them. Add the roasted peppers, yellow
tomatoes, chopped shallots and the herbs & spices. Season to taste and mix
gently.
Coat the chicken pieces with the harissa. Heat a griddle or frying pan. Cook the chicken for 3-4 mins each side until lightly charred and cooked through.
Coat the chicken pieces with the harissa. Heat a griddle or frying pan. Cook the chicken for 3-4 mins each side until lightly charred and cooked through.
Divide the salad
between 4 plates, top with the harissa chicken, roasted tomatoes and garnish
with fresh mint & coriander leaves. Serve with natural yoghurt.
Tomato, quinoa &
pomegranate salad with creamy goat cheese
and goji berry dressing
Prep time: 20 mins
No cooking time.
Ingredients serves
6
450g cherry tomatoes (a mixture of colours also looks really nice)
2 small shallots, sliced very finely lengthways
150g cooked quinoa
4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 fresh mint leaves
Seasoning
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them into a bowl. Add the
finely sliced shallots, quinoa, the white balsamic vinegar, pomegranate
molasses, honey and olive oil. Season and mix well. Place in a serving bowl and
sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and garnish with fresh mint. Serve immediately
with creamy goats cheese & goji berry dressing.
Ingredients:
180g fresh goat cheese
150g goji berries
100ml natural yogurt
1tbsp Sherry Viniegra
3tbsp olive oil
seasoning
Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Season to taste.
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