2 Delicious Healthy Recipes

Being a personal trainer for over 15 years I have tried lots of so called “wonder foods”. I consider myself quite adventurous in the field of cooking, not good I may add just adventurous!

When people try to lose weight they think that their food choices are severely limited to salad and ryvitas, this is one of the reasons why so many diets fail, and it doesn’t have to be the case.

Being on a diet or healthy eating does not mean that you have to stop enjoying your food, in my opinion you enjoy your food a lot more when you start eating healthier and feel better. You get all the goodness and vital nutrients from the good foods that you eat and you avoid the guilt on overindulging on something which you shouldn’t be eating or you know is detrimental to your health.

There are so many meals that you can eat and ingredients you can buy to help you towards a healthier nutrition program. The more you enjoy the food the more likely you are to carry on eating in such a way.

So for those of you who need a couple of ideas to help you out in the healthy eating department here are two great meals, which are good for you and you will really enjoy.

These simple to make meals are packed with flavour ready in 30 minutes!

Olive Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

60g green olives, pitted
Juice of ½ a lemon
Small bunch of fresh basil leaves
2 x 125g skinless, boneless chicken breasts
80g asparagus spears
80g baby carrots
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5.

Place the olives, basil leaves and lemon juice into a blender and process until you are left with a smooth paste. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

Place the chicken breasts into a non stick oven proof dish and spread the olive paste over the top of each chicken breast.

Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes; make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Steam cook the carrots and asparagus spear for between 5-8 minutes.

Serve the chicken immediately with the carrots and asparagus A great meal for two!
Spicy Stuffed Papaya

Don’t be put off by the papaya is really does offer a delicious and healthy compliment to the meal.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable stock
4 spring onions, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
225g lean minced beef (try to avoid beef high in fat)
1 large ripe papaya
2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
½ fresh red chilli, chopped finely
1 tablespoon sultanas
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
1 tablespoon fresh breadcrumbs
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4.

Heat the vegetable stock in a frying pan and add the spring onions for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and minced beef and cook over a medium heat until the mince is browned all over.

Cut the papaya in half lengthways and remove all seeds. Scoop out most of the papaya flesh leaving a thin level of fruit around the edges. Dice the scooped papaya.

Add the sultanas, chilli, diced papaya, tomatoes and parsley to the beef and cook gently until all liquid has been absorbed.

Add the beef mixture to the two papaya shells and place in an oven proof dish. Pour boiling water into the dish surrounding the papaya a ¼ of the way up. Mix together the parmesan, black pepper and breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the papayas.

Leave to bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes for a easy on the eye and taste buds meal for two.
Serve with brown rice or a crisp salad for a more substantial meal.

So there we have two delicious meals which I have tried myself and enjoyed. I hope this will help give you a few more ideas while you’re in the kitchen. Or an opportunity for the men out there to give your other half a great surprise!

Take care,

Richard