But let’s talk about this week’s book, Slimming World’s Free Food Feasts. It features 60 fantastic, healthy recipes, including some of my favourites, such as Thai tofu and aubergine curry and grilled tuna with tropical fruit salsa.
There is also a smoked trout soufflé, which is simple but effective. And don’t forget these chicken recipes – both delicious and healthy. So if you are turning over a new health and fitness leaf, this book will really help. And don’t forget to check out the back pages where you will find lots of tips. So get cooking. Ciao!
CHICKEN PICCATA WITH CAVOLO NERO
For the cavolo nero:
Low-calorie cooking spray
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
300g cavolo nero, tough stems, discarded, rinsed and sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
10-12 sage leaves (half of them finely chopped)
12 black peppercorns, crushed
400m chicken stock, boiling
1 garlic clove, crushed
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
Pasta or rice, to serve
SERVES: 4 PREPARATION: 10 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 40 MINUTES
Coat a deep, lidded non-stick pan with cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the rosemary, chilli and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the cavolo nero and 75ml of water and season.
Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes and 10 minutes later. Remove the rosemary, check the seasoning and keep warm.
Meanwhile, sandwich each chicken breast between two sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin or mallet until it is thinner. Discard the cling film and season the escalopes with the chopped sage and the peppercorns.
Coat a wide, non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Fry the chicken for 4 minutes on each side.
Stir in the sage leaves, stock, garlic, lemon zest and juice and bring to the boil. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the stock has reduced and the chicken is cooked. Stir in the capers, season, and serve with the cavolo nero and pasta or rice.
GARLIC ROAST CHICKEN
750g new or baby potatoes, scrubbed and halved if large
300g Chantenay carrots, scrubbed and halved lengthways if large
3 red onions, quartered
1 bulb of garlic, cloves separated
200ml boiling chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into chunks
Low-calorie cooking spray
Small handful of fresh rosemary sprigs
4 chicken legs, skinned
300g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
SERVES: 4
PREPARATION: 10 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 50 MINUTES
Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F/Gas Mark 6. Cook the potatoes and carrots in a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water over a high heat for 6 minutes then drain well.
Put the potatoes and carrots into a large roasting dish along with the onions and garlic. Pour over the stock and season to taste. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon and add the squeezed lemon chunks to the dish. Lightly spray with low-calorie cooking oil and toss everything together. Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes.
Remove the foil and stir in most of the rosemary. Season the chicken legs and make a few slashes in each with a sharp knife, then arrange them on top of the vegetables along with the squash.
Re-spray with low-calorie cooking oil, return the dish to the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until the potatoes and vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
Scatter over the remaining rosemary sprigs and serve hot.
Recipes taken from Slimming World’s Free Food Feasts (£4.95, Slimming World), photography by Slimming World/Gareth Morgans. The book is available to buy in all Slimming World groups in the UK and the Republic Of Ireland.