January - 2015

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Lunch Al Desko: Thai Chicken with Celeriac Zoodles

Lunch Al Desko: Thai Chicken with Celeriac Zoodles

My last Al Desko lunch post got quite a good reception, so here's another idea as no one wants to eat the same every day. This one is a marinated chicken breast on spiralised celeriac, which is a bit beefier than the usual courgetti so you can kind of kid yourself its a big fat udon noodle. There is a selection of mixed veggies in here too, but just use whatever you have to hand. This one can be eaten hot if you have a microwave to reheat, or straight out the box cold. Ingred

Lunch Al Desko: Green Quinoa, Smoked Salmon & Chrain Dressing

Lunch Al Desko: Green Quinoa, Smoked Salmon & Chrain Dressing

Although I'm not working at the moment (well, in an office at least) I can well remember the difficulties in procuring a lunch that is both tasty, healthy and not £9. Sure, a Pret mac'n'cheese is yummy, but even the addition of kale doesn't save the fact that despite it teeny portion size you'll be mainlining 450 calories of white starchy carbs and saturated fat only to find yourself dreaming about a Kitkat Chunky by 3pm. So not so much an everydayer. Same for sandwiches; unl

Gizzi's Griddled Baby Chicken with Fattoush, Yoghurt Sauce & Rose Harissa

Gizzi's Griddled Baby Chicken with Fattoush, Yoghurt Sauce & Rose Harissa

I am a big fan of Gizzi Erskine - ever since she did Cook Yourself Thin years ago I've really liked her style of cooking which is fun without ever being too naughty. I got her Skinny Weeks and Weekend Feasts book for Christmas and it's full of cool worldly recipes that won't have you piling on the pounds, plus a few not so angelic ones for a Friday or Saturday treat day. This recipe, Griddled Baby Chicken with Fattoush, Yoghurt Sauce and Rose Harissa stood out, as this is the

Durum Ocakbasi, Golders Green

Durum Ocakbasi, Golders Green

So, after my beloved Likya lost its kebab crown to neighbouring Durum Ocakbasi at the British Kebab Awards 2015, I put my own feelings aside and wandered down to see what all the fuss was about. It always smells great walking past and there are plenty of bums on seats every lunchtime and evening, so my hopes were high. My immediate thought on entering was that there was none of the in-your-face smoke and heat like at Likya as you walk past the ocakbasi (charcoal grill) to the

Polpo's Cod, Lentils & Salsa Verde

Polpo's Cod, Lentils & Salsa Verde

The girls came over for dinner the other day, and to allay the fact that I knew we would drink a bottle of wine each, I was minded to make a healthy meal. Flicking through the (excellent) Polpo cook book, I spotted this little gem which I have actually eaten at Polpo and know to be yummy: Cod cheeks with lentils and salsa verde. Norman claims that your fishmonger should be able to sort you out with some cod cheeks given a day or so's notice, but I had mere hours so had to set

Spinach & Tahini Eggs

Spinach & Tahini Eggs

Ever since I read this post on Baghdad Eggs, I've not been able to stop thinking about them. The inconvenient amount of butter required means that unfortunately for now I need to put them out of my mind; instead I made this which goes some way to compensate. You will need (serves one): Two blocks of frozen spinach (I almost always use this as it is not as soggy as fresh once cooked) One egg Two teaspoons tahini One tablespoon natural yoghurt Squeeze of lemon Teaspoon ground c

January Diet Arsenal

January Diet Arsenal

This is a bit of a different post for me, but I get asked for diet tips quite a lot. I'm no expert, but I have spend a good proportion of my life trying to lose a few pounds so I do have a few tricks up my sleeve and thought I'd share them. The items above are all pretty key to losing weight quickly, and you should note that I generally follow a low cal, low carb diet - so you lucky people who do Slimming World and can eat all the pasta you like, this may not be for you. Also

2015: The Year of the Kebab

2015: The Year of the Kebab

The Sunday Times Style magazine called it a few weeks ago, naming the kebab as the must have food of 2015 (BYE burgers); Alan Yau has jumped on the bandwagon with Babaji Pide, and Just Eat say their Turkish takeaway orders have increased by 70% since 2013. It's official: 2015 is the year of the kebab. Kebabs get a lot of stick, but I'm not talking dodgy mystery meat sticks only fit for consumption after eight pints. A properly seasoned and marinated good quality shoulder of l

Spiced Chickpea Soup

Spiced Chickpea Soup

This is kind of a two-in-one post, as the key component for this nourishing soup is an Indian spiced chicken stock. So - next time you're thinking of roasting a chicken, ignore all those cravings for stuffing and roast potatoes and whizz up some fresh ginger, plenty of chillis, garlic, fennel seeds, turmeric and pre-mixed tandoori masala and cover your chicken inside and out with the resultant paste. Roast as usual and you will have a much more exciting bird on your hands, I

Squid, Harissa Chickpeas & Saffron Sauce

Squid, Harissa Chickpeas & Saffron Sauce

The fish counter is your allie this month, and squid particularly so. With a whacking great 200g portion coming in at just 100 calories, squid should be top of every dieter's shopping list. If you're buying from a supermarket then in all likelihood it will come all ready cleaned and prepped so there is reallynothing to be scared of either; there will be little tubes of squid and the mini octopussy but will be inside. I removed this part this time and set aside for another rec

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