I’m a firm believer that a ‘diet’ should never mean going without ‘good’ food. I think it’s safe to say we all enjoy our food. There isn’t a thing wrong with that in itself however the tricky bit is feeling good after any dish you eat, satisfied, full, contented…. both emotionally and physically. I thoroughly believe that’s where a lot of ‘slimmers’ trip up. After all, I too am guilty of rushing through preparing, cooking and eating a meal only to feel completely unsatisfied later on!
This is the point when the ‘wagon’ gets a bit shaky and you find yourself reaching for something you really don’t particularly want nor need!
So, as a first tip to you all, love your food. Prepare it lovingly, spend a little time on it. Visualise what you want to see on your plate, how you want it to taste and never be afraid to do something a little different with it!
I am a ‘slimmer’. I have been following the Slimming World Extra Easy Plan for 15 weeks now and I have found a renewed love for really great food. Having lost 2st and 9lbs already the great food is definitely working! However you don’t need to be dieting to use any of these ideas, most are just about really tasty, comfort food without the calories!
Dishes like this Spicy Chicken and Fire Noodles which I will, of course, bring you the recipe for at a later stage.
But for today I would like to share with you how to use basic Herbs and Spices for making immensely enjoyable homemade dinners in a jiffy, cutting out any notion of the dreaded Take Away!
HERBS
Chives – Brilliant with Eggs, scrambled, poached or benedict; fantastic for adding along with roasted garlic to fromage frais for a yummy dip for those homemade crisps; or for making a great homemade potato salad with low fat natural yogurt, jersey royals, salt and pepper.
Basil – Said to be sacred to the Gods of India, this is certainly God of my herb collection, I use it in way too much but I love the instant depth it gives to a lot of dishes – Best cooked along with oregano and garlic for a beautiful distinctive flavour; Throw it into fromage frais based creamy pasta sauces or tomato based ones, either which way a definite staple in my humble opinion!
Oregano – Another of my ultimate herbs: Fantastic in omelettes, on homemade roasted vegetable pizzas with lashings of herbed passata as a topping; a must in chilli’s, soups, casseroles and any or every pasta dish.
Parsley – My fish saviour! Add to fromage frais and a bit of low fat natural yogurt (at room temperature) for a brilliant fish sauce to add to fish pie or as an accompaniment to a feature fish dish.
For on the go dinners I swear by the Italian Seasoning mix; a budget blend of Oregano, Basil, Red Pepper, Marjoram, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage and Parsley brilliant for heaping into passata over lean mince for a mouth watering homemade Spaghetti Bolognese!
Always have some Chip Shop Vinegar for heaping onto your roasted chips and use Worcester Sauce for a burst of flavour in any dish!
SPICES
As I’m only listing ‘staples’ these are the 4 I simply couldn’t do without, although it’s worth mentioning that Tesco/Asda do brilliant tubs of Curry/Tikka/Chilli powder which are great to have in your cupboard for quick meals….
Chinese Five Spice – A blend of Star Anise, Cinnamon, Fennel, Black Pepper & Cloves – essential for any curry or oriental spiced dish. Use liberally in curries for a gorgeous flavour.
Chilli Powder – I use this in dishes a lot; obviously chilli dishes benefit from this spice most but try it in chicken dishes, steak dishes and stir fries for a good ole pop in the mouth!
Cumin – An absolute must for Chilli’s and other Tex-Mex style dishes, lovely used as a rub for lamb or chicken etc, I use it a lot in marinades – a nice peppery depth.
Cayenne – From the pepper family adding to any spicy dish, chilli, curry, as a rub with other herbs and spices it’s an extremely versatile spice – USE IT!
Always have some version of Soy Sauce, add to passata and diet coke for a nice sticky marinade that is out of this world and not laden with calories!
Other than that the only other herbs/spices I seriously must ‘big up’ to you are ready mixed seasoning jars from Schwartz, called Perfect Shake: just absolutely drop dead gorgeous rubbed onto butterflied chicken breasts, serve with roasted chips for an ultimate homemade dinner that tastes like you just ordered it out somewhere!
Invest in some herbs and spices is my advice for today; you’ll find you have limitless options and a world of different menu ideas. Initial buying shouldn’t really cost more than about £10 but if you do what I do and pick up a couple every week and then just replace when you run out you only end up spending a pound or two on them per shop and believe me it’s well worth it!
