Watch your habits, not your weight.
Well I've had a head cold for a couple of days now but it didn't stop me thoroughly enjoying a two hour walk with my brother on the chase yesterday morning. It was so foggy driving over, then suddenly I got a glimpse of the most amazing huge red sun coming up or moon going down - I'm not sure but it looked stunning. The trees looked eerie and spectacular backed by the fog,
All this helped me with that little half pound I've lost on the scales this morning, that'll do me, I honestly don't want the big losses anymore because to get them I have to make drastic changes to my diet and I don't want to do that. Like I said yesterday, I enjoy food and wine and wish to continue to enjoy both, so if I can chip away at it, half a pound here and half a pound there whilst tweaking my diet, then I'm more likely to keep the weight off. I'm down into the next stone bracket which made me smile.
I'm going to have some time cooking today, chicken cacciatore from the Freestyle cookbook, then the rest of the week, I shall live from the freezer, I have plenty of meals I've cooked in previous weeks and have frozen the spare portions. Payday today but thanks to January bills such as car insurance, tax, credit card bills, well you know how it is, I really could do without going shopping too much this month.
I told one of my members Saturday I'd post the butter chicken recipe, I've found the garlic chicken on with it too, which is worth sharing as the curry alone without the rice works out at 5SP for the entire recipe.
Garlic chicken curry
8sp per serving, serves 2
10 minutes prep time, plus marinating. Cook time 20 minutes
Small bunch fresh coriander
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2tsp garam masala
1tbsp mango chutney (4SP)
2 x 125g skinless chicken breast fillets
1 tsp vegetable oil (1SP)
1 onion, thinly sliced
400g tin chopped tomatoes
100g basmati rice (10SP)
2 tbsp 0% fat natural Greek yogurt
Cut most of the stalks from the coriander and set the leaves aside. Finely chop the stalks and mix with the garlic, garam masala, chutney and a pinch of salt to form a paste.
Using a sharp knife, cut small slashes in each chicken fillet then flatten them slightly. Spread over the paste and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok and fry the onion for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the chicken and marinade and turn to coat in the onions. Fry for 6-8 minutes, turning the chicken and stirring regularly. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Chop the coriander leaves and stir half of them into the sauce.
Meanwhile cook the rice to pack instructions, and mix the remaining coriander leaves with the yogurt.
Serve the curry with the rice and coriander yogurt.
Butter Chicken serves 3 sp per serving, 12sp each
180g dried rice 18sp - cook according to instruction
550g chicken breast diced
5Tbsp Tandoori spice 3sp
1 ½ tbsp can't believe it's not butter light 3sp
5 green cardamom pods lightly crushed
1” cinnamon stick
4 cloves
2 small onions finely chopped I used 3 shallots
1 heaped tbsp grated ginger
1-2 green chillies slit lengthwise
2 tsp paprika
2tsp curry powder (any)
2 tsp garam masala powder
3 tbsp tomato puree 1sp
120ml Elmlea light cream 7sp
5 teaspoons sweet freedom syrup 4sp
1/2 tsp fenugreek leaf powder (Sainsbury's)
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander for garnish
Marinade chopped chicken for few hours in the tandoori spice then oven cook till tender.
Heat a heavy bottom sauce pan and add the butter. Add green cardamom, cinnamon stick and cloves. Fry for 20 seconds, add the onions and sauté for 5-7 mins on medium heat until they take on a light brown colour.
Add the grated ginger and slit green chillies. Fry for a further minutes and add the curry powder, paprika, garam masala powder along with the tomato puree. Stir well and cook for a couple of minutes. Now gradually add the cream stirring continuously to mix all the spices with the cream. Simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes. At this stage add a splash of water if the curry is too thick. Stir in the syrup and the fenugreek powder. Season to taste. Now add the cooked chicken pieces and simmer the curry on a low heat for 8-10 minutes. Garnish with coriander and serve with rice.
Here's to starting the week well, 8 weeks to the first bank holiday Monday of the year! WOW, then that'll be followed by another 3 by the end of August, you could set yourself some mini goals using those dates, or maybe you have other dates or events in mind. My goals now are around walking and getting fit again, a good Sunday walk each week will do me the world of good, I already hit 10k steps 4 of 7 days, it's 5 now we walk on Sundays, I'm only a few thousand steps out on a Monday and Friday so maybe I'll work up to doing that extra bit. March in March, get those legs stepping out, tone them up ready for the sunshine. What's your next goal?
Happy Monday,
Stay BeYOUtiful!
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(O,O)
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