Chicken Ragout with Aubergine

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra (I know……)
• 4 skinless chicken filet/breasts
• sea salt and black pepper
• 2 shallots chopped2 peeled Garlic Cloves, smashed
• 1 medium aubergine/eggplants chopped.
• handful of thyme sprigs
• handful of rosemary sprigs
• 2 courgette/zucchini chopped
• glass of dry white wine
• 4 good tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or 400g/1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes)

 

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to190C/375F. Heat a large skillet and add smear with a little olive oil
• Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken for 3 minutes each side and transfer to a plate.
• Add 2 tbsp. olive oil to the pan and add the shallots, garlic, aubergine/eggplants, and a few thyme and rosemary sprigs. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally and generously season with salt and pepper.
• Add the courgette/zucchini and pour in the wine. Reduce down until about half the wine is left. While you’re reducing, put an sprayed roasting pan in the oven to heat up.
• Stir the tomatoes into the vegetables and add to the roasting pan. Place the seared chicken breasts on top and scatter some more herb sprigs on top. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or more if needed until the chicken is cooked through.
• Let the meal sit for about 5 minutes after removing it from the oven and you’re done

Enjoy

Dukan Moussaka

A Dukan friendly version of Moussaka, even the kids didn’t mind my diet food and they really don't like Aubergine/eggplant

 

Ingredients

• 500g/2 lbs ground beef
• 2 large aubergine/eggplants, cut into slices
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• cup of red wine
• 2 tspn dried oregano
• fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tspn cinnamon
• 2 eggs (separated)
• 100gr/1/2 cup oat bran
• 3 tblspn Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• dash of freshly ground nutmeg

Sauce

• 700 ml (3 cups) 0% fat or skim milk

• 2 tblspn corn starch mixed with 2 tblspn milk

• dash of cinnamon & nutmeg

• 60g /1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Method

• Warm oven to 180C/350F
• Make Béchamel sauce by almost bringing the milk to the boil. Add the corn starch, stirring constantly until thick.
• Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cheese and egg yolks stirring constantly until you have a nice thick sauce Allow to Cool while making the rest
• Sauté onion and beef with some cooking spray and drain.
• Add tomatoes, wine, oregano and simmer for half an hour
• Place aubergine/eggplants on a baking sheet, and grill/broil until lightly browned.
• Add the egg whites,cheese and oat bran to meat sauce and take off heat

 

• Spray your dish of choice with cooking spray and layer the dish with half of the aubergine/eggplant, all the meat mixture and the rest of the aubergine/eggplants . 
• Pour the béchamel sauce over the top and add Parmesan and nutmeg.
• Put in oven and bake in for 1 hour

Dukan Mashed Potatoes?

Well almost, I used Celeriac , sometimes known as celery root which makes a great alternative

Hey if Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay love celeriac mash why shouldn’t we?

Method:

Same as potato mash  actually

Chop into slices, boil in salted water and mash it when it’s soft

Add mustard, or herbs

More uses?

Mash the celeriac with pumpkin or squash. The texture of potato without the carbohydrates

or Make celeriac chips/crisps by baking in the oven for 20mins after spraying with a couple of sprays of no fat oil
Sprinkle with some mixed herbs.

Beef Stir-fry

 

Ingredients

• 250g (1/2 lb) beef (cut into bite sizes)
• 3 bok choy (chopped into large pieces)
• 3 mushroom (sliced)
• 4 tbsp or 1/4 cup green onion (chopped)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sake
• 1/2 tsp sugar alternative
• 1/2 tsp fresh grated garlic
• 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger

For the sauce

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp sugar alternative

 

Method

 

• Mix the beef and spices
• Mix spices for sauce in a bowl
• Heat cooking spray in a wok and stir-fry beef mixture for 3 minutes over high heat
• Add mushroom and bok choy, stir for another 3 minutes
• Add sauce and stir for 2 minute

Thai minced chicken salad ( Larb Gai )

 

Ingredients

• 2 lemongrass
• 4 (kaffir if you can get them) lime leaves ,
• 2 red chillies , deseeded
• 3 garlic cloves
• fingertip-length piece fresh ginger
• 4 skinless chicken breasts
• 1 table spoon vegetable oil
• 1 tea spoon chilli powder or ground dry chili
• 50ml Thai fish sauce
• 1 red onion , chopped
• 3 limes (zested and one juiced) (yes lime juice is not allowed officially but what the heck)
• handful each mint , basil and coriander leaves, roughly chopped

 

Method

• Roughly chop the lemongrass, lime leaves, red chillies, garlic and ginger, then throw them all into a processor until everything is very finely chopped together. Mince the chicken breasts into tiny pieces.
• Heat a wok over a high heat spray with cooking spray.
  Add mixture and stir-fry briefly before adding the minced chicken and the chilli. Stir-fry the chicken for 4 mins then add the fish sauce. Turn down the heat a little and simmer for another 4 mins, then add the chopped red onion and cook for another min.
• Remove from the heat, pour over the lime zest and juice and toss in the herbs. Serve with salad on a veg and protein day

Thai beef stew

Ingredients

Curry paste:

• 6 dried chiles, stemmed, seeded
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bottom bit only, Skin removed cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons sliced peeled fresh galangal
• 2 tablespoons sliced peeled fresh turmeric
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup halved garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon Thai shrimp paste or Trassi

Stew:

• 2 pounds trimmed beef cut into small cubes
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably Thai thin soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons ground dried Thai chiles
• 9 cups beef broth, preferably low-salt
• 1 cup halved shallots
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick half-moons (about 1 cup)
• 6 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Thinly sliced Thai basil

Preparation

For curry paste:
In a mortar, pound chiles and salt with a pestle until pulverized, about 5 minutes. Add ingredients one by one in order listed, fully pulverizing each before adding the next, about 15 minutes total. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead; cover and chill.

For stew:
Combine curry paste, beef, soy sauce, and ground dried chiles in a pot; stir to evenly coat beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender but not falling apart, 2–2 1/2 hours.

Stir in shallots, carrots, and lime leaves. Simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. If broth is too salty, add water a few tablespoonfuls at a time.

Garnish with cilantro and basil.