Fish with Coconut, Chilli and Lemongrass Crust

Sometimes you just need to have something a little bit special. More often than not, our brains are hardwired to think that that something special is chocolate, cakes or biscuits. But start thinking of savoury things that are outside the normal things you eat and which seem like a treat too.
This dish is one of those things. It is a little bit high in fat at 19g but that's fine if the rest of you day has been good. And on the plus side it is low in calories and provides a good balance of protein and low GI carbohydrates so it is fine even if you are doing the Fitbitch eating plan although only if you have one camp. Just don't have it more than once a week!

Ingredients
seabass fillet (the fillet in this picture is a firmer fish but can't remember what - any white fish will work)
Juice of one lime
One stalk of lemongrass
1 tbsp of dessicated coconut
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 birds eye chilli, finely chopped
slither of apple

wash and pat dry the fillet. Meanwhile in a mortar and pestle add the chilli, lemongrass, and chilli, all which should be extremely finely chopped. Now add the coconut and firmly pound until the coconut begins to take on a reddish tinge from the chill. Add the sugar and pound again. Next, add the juice of the lime and use your hand to completely combine all the ingredients. Add more lime or a bit of rice wine vinegar if it needs to be wetter. Then press firmly down on to the skin of the fish. Then lay it on a slice of apple placed on foil (this will help keep the flesh moist) and make a parcel. Place in a preheated oven at 180-200F and bake until cooked.
Serve with buckwheat soba noodles, a good low GI food and Morning Glory sauted in a pan with 1tsp of Oyster Sauce. Delicious!
Calories: 456, Carbs: 49 Protein: 23, Fat:19

What is a salad?

So many people are put off eating salads or get bored of eating them because they equate salads with just being lettuce leaves and a bit of tomato. But they can be so much more with a bit of imagination.
Think puy lentil, pea and beetroot, wholegrain pasta salad with tomato and fresh basil, Thai style Green Papaya salad the list is endless. There really is no excuse to give up on weightloss aims simply because you think that you can't stick to eating salads. Here's two ideas to get you started - don't think of them as being the entire dish but add to a green leaf salad.

Buckwheat & Cucumber salad with mint, pomegrante and orange dressing

Ingredients
Buckwheat (40g per large serving)
1/4 Cucumber, chopped
1 apple, diced
Sprig of fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tsp of pumpkin seeds

Dressing
1 tsp Pomegrante molasses
1 tsp of rice wine vinegar
Juice of one orange

Cook the buckwheat, add the cucumber, feta cheese (or cottage cheese), pumpkin seeds and mint. Combine the dressing, pour on and serve!
Calories: 336 Carbs: 68, Protein:12, Fat:6


Wholegrain pasta with leek, tomato and feta
Ingredients
Wholegrain pasta (40g)
two tomatoes
inch of feta cheese (use cottage cheese if on Fitbitch eating plan)
2 baby leeks, chopped
Salt and Pepper to season
Dress with olive oil or orange juice if on FB eating plan.
Note that olive oil on it's own is 90calories per tbsp, 10g from fat.
Calories: 411 Carbs: 35 Protein: 14 Fat: 23

Prawn Dim Sum

If you want something light and full of protein then Prawn Dim Sum are perfect. They're also great if you're trying to watch your weight and have people over for dinner. They'll be impressed and you won't have to cook two separate things. Of course, some might see this as a starter or a nibble but it would work as a meal particularly if you had a side order or Morning Glory (find it in Asian supermarkets) with Oyster Sauce. You might think this sounds impossible to make but it's simple and really fun. I learned how to do it at an excellent Thai cookery course run by a lovely Thai girl called Bookie who runs
Ingredients
Wonton pastry (from Asian store)
1 birds eye chilli, red
10 raw prawns, de shelled and deveined
Water chestnuts, handful
two batons of raw carrot
Coriander root
1 tsp of cornflour

For the sauce
Dark soy sauce
Rice wine vinegar
juice of one orange

First chop and mince the prawn until it literally resembles a grey glue. sounds horrible I know but the results are nice! Then chop and finely mince the carrot, chilli and water chestnuts as well as coriander root. combine all together using your fingers to ensure it is evenly distributed. Add the cornflour and again combine well. This helps it to cook together.
Next the fun bit! Get the pastry out of the fridge but ensure you keep it covered with a damp cloth, like filo pastry. Making a circle with the thumb and finger of your left hand, place the pastry over the hole and poke into the hole. Then pack the pastry with the prawn mixture, and then nip around the edges using wet fingers to seal. Once you have assembled them all, lightly grease the bottom of a steamer or bamboo steamer, place them in and leave to cook. Should take no more then ten minutes.
Usually this is eaten with garlic that has been fried in oil and then dripped over and a dipping sauce made with sugar. But it tastes just as delicious with this healthy alternative. Pour 4 good tablespoons of dark soy sauce in a pan with half of rice wine vinegar and the juice of one orange. Stir until fully mixed. Decant into a bowl and serve with the Dim Sum. This would make around eight dim sum.
Calories: 234, Carbs:39g Fat:1g Protein: 16.5g