Recipes

Do you ever feel like eating breakfast makes you hungrier than if you'd skipped it? For many of us, breakfast can be a bit of a double edged sword. If you get it right, you should be good until lunchtime. If you get it wrong, you'll likely be grazing the kitchen an hour later! Sometimes, we feel like we're getting breakfast right, but it doesn't seem to be satisfying us as much as we expect. There's one particular healthy breakfast which seems to consistently have this effect - and that's a protein shake. Now, I am not against protein shakes. They can be a great addition to your diet, for a lot of us. They're also super convenient. Quick to make, easy to take out of the house with you, and tasty. But, as a breakfast, whey protein seems to stimulate our appetite and so, if your aim is to lose weight, a little upgrade is in order. So, to your protein shake, try adding: Fibre - a banana, a few berries, a spoonful of ground flax if you don't mind the texture, or maybe even some spinach or avocado if you're feeling adventurous. Fat - a spoonful of nut butter, some ground flax, a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt, or some avocado would all tick the box. Something 'whole' - a sprinkle of oats, a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt or cottage cheese (sounds awful, really isn't!) helps to make a protein shake into more of a satisfying meal. If you're struggling to make a protein shake work for your breakfast, try turning it into a proper meal.

It's been a little while since I shared a recipe with you, so I thought that now the weather seems to be cheering up a little I'd share the most delicious steak skewer recipe. You know I like a good meal and so you can trust me when I say that these are well worth trying! This said of course, as I look out the window this morning, it feels rather optimistic to think these have any chance of making it to the BBQ over the weekend - but I've cooked them on a griddle before and they really are fabulous. Don't be afraid of some red meat. Good quality, grass fed red meat is a great source of nutrition. Asian Steak Skewers Serves 2 Prep: 10 minutes, plus marinating Cook: approx 10 minutes 300g topside / sirloin steak, cut into cubes 4tbsp soy sauce 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2tbsp sesame oil 1tsp ginger, grated 2tbsp sesame seeds Mix the marinade ingredients together, then add the diced steak and leave to marinate for as long as you can (a good couple of hours is good, over night is ideal) When you're ready to cook, thread the meat onto skewers and cook on a hot BBQ or griddle pan. They'll take 10 minutes at most, depending on how well done you want the steak. Serve with salad or homemade coleslaw and potatoes.

Seeing as pumpkin season is upon us, I thought I'd share a delicious lunch recipe full of lovely fibre to help keep your gut happy. This recipe is a little adapted from a Riverford recipe - it's delicious! Pumpkin Steaks with Warm Humus and Chicken Serves 2 Prep: 10 mins Cook: 30 mins Ingredients: 4 chicken thighs, bone out (I like the skin on) For the pumpkin: 1 small pumpkin - the recipe recommends a crown prince which is the greeny white one. It's a dense pumpkin but I imagine others would work too Oil (coconut, olive, avocado...) Paprika Cumin seeds Fennel seeds For the humus: 1 onion Oil Half a tin of chickpeas Juice of 1 lemon 1/2 tsp each ground cumin, ginger, cinnamon, ground coriander and allspice Pinch cayenne Sprinkle your chicken thighs with a little salt, paprika, cumin seeds and fennel seeds, then pop in the oven at 180C for about 30 minutes until cooked. Cut your pumpkin into wedges (2-3 per person) about 1.5 inches wide, I kept the skin on, then rub lightly with oil Start to cook it in a frying pan or griddle until it's slightly charred on the outside, then sprinkle over the spices and a little salt, and pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes until cooked through While you're waiting, make the humus. Caramelise the onions in some oil or butter - you need to cook them slowly so they caramelise rather than burn Pop the onions in the blender with all the other ingredients and whizz Pour the humus back into the pan to heat through Serve the humus on a plate with the pumpkin wedges and chicken on top