Asparagus and Pan fried Salmon

Since I started my healthy eating journey I’ve lost a total of 9kg! I can’t believe it, as you can see from my blog posts I still have loads of tasty dishes and desserts!

Things that are helping me on this journey:

•  My husband and family is very supportive, without their support I wouldn’t be able to keep following a healthy lifestyle.
•  Planning, planning, planning! I know which days will be hectic so I plan quick and easy meals for those days.
• When I dine-out I always choose the healthiest option on the menu. This usually includes: salads without dressing (rather use balsamic vinegar), Steak and baked potato, fruit salad and ice-cream (or steal a bite from your hubby! Lol), Smoothies instead of milkshakes.
•  I bake my own wedges at home; it’s tastier and much healthier.
•   I’ve become a calorie snob, no more cheap sweets or chocolates to curve a craving. If I want something I make sure I bake it, or that it is quality chocolate like 70% cocoa.
•  I don’t award myself with food anymore; I rather go for mani’s, pedi’s, etc.
•  I’ve relaxed about food, every day is a new day.
•  Most importantly, I’ve chosen life. Before I used to think: “oh I’m depriving myself of all the good stuff!”. Now I know food can still be just as tasty and healthy. Now I know that if I do not eat healthy and do not look after myself I deprive myself of my health. What is more important to you? A crappy chocolate bar or being able to live life with no restraints?

This weekend was hectic and not full of the best choices either, so instead of sulking about everything I did wrong I made a change with a healthy lunch. Asparagus and pan fried Salmon.

Asparagus and Pan fried Salmon

125g of Asparagus

1 piece of Salmon

First off lightly steam the asparagus for about 5 minutes. Now throw it in a pan with 5ml of butter, a squirt of lemon juice and salt and pepper. Just fry it on high heat for 2 minutes. Set it aside.

Next salt and pepper the Salmon, fry it flesh down in the left over juices of the asparagus. Make sure the Salmon is sealed, this will only take a view moments. Now turn the Salmon on its skin side and cover the pan with a lid. Turn down the heat; it will steam/fry until it is cooked. I like my salmon to be a bit pink in the centre, just keep your eye on it.

Lastly, enjoy!

Lemony Pasta

I used to order a dish similar to this when I still worked at Century City. I don’t have a clue what was in the original recipe, I just remembered it had a tangy, addictive taste to it. So of course I had to try and make this.

Lemony Pasta

Lemony Pasta - It looks good, doesn't it :)

Ingredients:

200g Spaghetti

½ Green pepper (thinly sliced)

½ Red pepper (thinly sliced)

2 Chicken Breasts

Cajun spice

Vinaigrette:

1 medium sized lemon

1 teaspoon of castor sugar

2 tablespoons Olive oil

Salt en pepper

Instruction:

Cook the spaghetti until soft. While it is cooking create the vinaigrette by dissolving the castor sugar in the juice of one lemon. (You can add lemon zest for a more lemony taste.) Add the Olive oil and whisk, salt and pepper to taste. Add the vinaigrette to the cooked pasta, make sure all the pasta is covered with it and set aside to cool.

Next spice the chicken breasts and cook it for about 7 minutes on a side. The chicken must be cooked through but still moist.

Add the sliced peppers to the pasta and mix well. Slice the chicken to be placed on top of the spaghetti. This dish is to be served cold.

I can’t begin to explain the flavours to you; it’s such a simple fresh dish. I love the flavours of this dish, and I hope you love it too.

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Snitzel

One thing you need to know about my hubby and I is, we both LOVE chicken! We eat loads of white meat during the week, and you can only eat your favourite dish so many times before you get bored with it.

Yesterday I decided to try something new. The challenge was to take something that is usually high in fat and calories and make a low fat alternative.

I think I might just have achieved this goal, and it tasted as good as it looks!

Chicken Snitzel

Ingredients for chicken

2 Chicken Breasts (flattened)
Some Corn starch for dipping
Some Plain flour for dipping
1 Egg whisked
Salt and paprika
Olive oil

Ingredients for roasted zucchini

• 500g of Zucchini/baby marrow
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Ingredients for mushroom sauce

• 250g of thinly sliced mushrooms (the thinner you slice it, the more flavour it will give to your sauce)
• 1 table spoon of corn starch (and more if you want the sauce thicker)
• ½ cup of water
• 1 cup of milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius
• I started off by tenderizing my chicken (you need it to be the same thickness over the whole breast for even cooking)
• I then created an assembly line, first a bowl with some corn starch, second a bowl with the whisked egg, lastly a bowl with plain flour. I added some salt and paprika to the plain flour; this helped to flavour the chicken.
• I first dipped the chicken in the corn starch, followed by the egg and lastly the spiced flour. Make sure you get and even coating of all three.
• Now place the breasts in a baking tray.

Zucchini

• Next you need to cut the zucchini in halves, lightly brush it with some olive oil. Add your salt and pepper and place the veggies in the baking tray with the chicken breasts.
• Place the tray in the oven for about 12 min, take it out and lightly brush the chicken with olive oil. Place it back in the oven for another 5 min, or until it starts to brown.
• Flip the chicken breasts and repeat the step above.

Mushroom Sauce

• While the chicken is cooking start on your sauce, cook the mushroom in half a cup of water, the water turn brown with all the lovely mushroom flavour.
• When the mushroom is cooked mix the corn starch and milk and add it to the mushrooms in the pot. Stir continuously, until the sauce thickens.
• Flavour with salt and pepper.

The chicken was soft and tender, with just the right amount of flavour. Paired with the mushroom sauce and a bit of grated cheese it was a hit. I will definitely make this again!

Enjoy making your own combinations!