healthy option – #ThisGirlEats

RECIPE: Bacon, Pepper and Avocado Salad | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This cost me less than £1 per person
What are the benefits? This recipe is low in carbs, low in sugar and mounts up to 2 portions of your 5 a day

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never really been a big salad person. I suppose it really depends on what else you put in with it, because I can’t imagine anyone loving just a few limp lettuce leaves!

So I’ve created one that’s brilliant for me and works with the things I love to eat, as well as still being quite healthy – who knows, it could be perfect for you too!

It’s a great low-carb lunch option, if that’s what you’re after. Not to mention, it also contributes to your five a day, and avocado is full of healthy fats to help keep you full all day long.

INGREDIENTS
4 Slices of Back Bacon, Chopped
1 Avocado, Peeled, Stone Removed and Chopped
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
Half a Bag of Pre-Prepared Salad

SEASONING
There wasn’t too much seasoning involved in this one, just some black pepper and garlic added to the frying pan last-minute. You don’t even need salt as the bacon does that for you, but you could add some salad dressing for extra flavour if you wish.

So, this is how I did it…

1. Firstly, spray a frying pan with cooking spray or a small drop of oil and allowed it to heat up before chucking in the chopped bacon and cooking for roughly 10 minutes, until the bacon is all lovely and crispy.

2. Add the peppers to the pan after about 5 minutes of cooking the bacon, just enough so they aren’t raw but still have a crunch, and cook for about 5 minutes.

3. The chunks of avocado go into the pan for the last minute or so of cooking – this is optional, but I prefer my avocado to be warm here, so I cooked it for just enough time to simply warm it through. At this point, also add some black pepper and dried garlic to the pan for flavour.

4. Take the ingredients from the pan and add to a bowl of salad, stir it all through and you’re done!

Tips & Tricks

You know what else would go great with this? Halloumi, of course. It’s great with everything, and could turn this into a veggie-friendly salad.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you don’t have to buy a pre-packaged salad – that’s just laziness on my part! Make your own up and create the absolutely perfect dish for you.

It makes a great lunch, but you could also shrink this down to a small side salad or bulk it up for a full dinner meal. The choice is yours!

RECIPE: 3 Super Smoothies to Start Your Day | #ThisGirlEats

For me, smoothies are the answer to everything. Don’t have time for breakfast? Make a smoothie. Need more fruit in your diet but can’t be bothered to actually sit and eat it? Drink a smoothie. Kinda peckish but don’t want to give in to junk food temptation? Have another bloody smoothie.

I use a Blend Active Pro to make my smoothies – they’re simple, easy to clean, come with their own bottles and you can get them for around £20 online.

These are just three of my own favourite smoothie recipes, all of which take about 30 seconds in the smoothie maker. Couldn’t be simpler!

Berry Burst & Banana
High in antioxidants and potassium, great for your immune system!

INGREDIENTS
90g Frozen Berries
1 Medium Banana
200ml Skimmed Milk (or milk alternative)

Vegan Choco-Nana
Oats are full of fibre and keep you fuller for longer!

INGREDIENTS
1 Medium Banana
200ml Soya Chocolate Milk
15g / 2tbsp Porridge Oats
Handful of Ice Cubes

Pinapple Sugar Rush
This will give you a quick zap of energy, not to mention loads of vitamin C!

INGREDIENTS
115g (or roughly 3tbsp) Pineapple Chunks
Small Pot of Low Fat Fruit Yoghurt
200ml Fresh Fruit Juice
Handful of Ice Cubes

RECIPE: Chunky Vegetable Curry with Crispy Tortilla “Naans” | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 4
How much does it cost? This cost me less than 50p per person
What are the benefits? You get at least 3 of your 5 a day, it’s vegetarian friendly and makes a great takeaway alternative

I’m a thief. I’ve nicked the idea for this from two different recipes; one a cheap student affair and one a low-fat chicken curry.

I’ve shamelessly pinched my favourite bits from both to make this yummy mid-week meal. It’s fairly straightforward, low in cost, full of nutrition and incredibly versatile, as you can use any vegetables in the house for a delicious outcome.

The tortilla “naans” (which are not naan breads at all, but are an alternative side to this curry dish) were an idea born from a combination of having leftover tortillas dangerously close to going off and forgetting to buy actual naan breads in the week. They turned amazing!

It’s a lower carb option than fluffy naans and, being chock-full of veggies, it’s much lower in fat than the usual creamy carnivorous curries we get. Butter chicken and onion bajhis may have my heart, but this is a pretty second choice!

tumblr_mml50yIGSr1qbq5v7o4_250 — *tumblr.com*

INGREDIENTS
1 Medium Potato, Chopped
1 Carrot, Sliced
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Bell Pepper, Sliced
4 Mushrooms, Sliced
1 Tomato, Chopped
1 Apple, Chopped
400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes
400ml Coconut Milk (reduced fat if you can)
2 tbsp Curry Paste
1 tsp Tomato Puree
1 Vegetable Stock Cube

SEASONING
Each part of this recipe kinda lives and dies with the seasoning. For the curry, you want to add some dried garlic, dried coriander leaf, salt, pepper and chilli flakes to the pan. If, like me, you find rice quite bland, add some salt, pepper, thyme and coriander leaf as the rice cooks just to give it a pop. And, finally, before you put the tortillas in the oven, you want to cover them with a sprinkling of garlic flakes, coriander leaf and cracked black pepper.

So, this is how I did it…

1. First thing’s first, heat up the frying pan and add your chunkier vegetables – potatoes, carrots, anything that takes a little longer to soften up. Fry these off for about 5 minutes.

2. Then add the rest of your veggies, along with the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, curry paste, tomato puree, crumbled stock cube and seasoning. Cook this for about 15-20 minutes, and just keep an eye on the liquid levels – if it starts to dry up, add a splash of water to tide it over.

3. Following the packet instructions, along with some seasoning, and cook the rice, either on the hob or in the microwave.

4. Place the tortillas on a baking tray, brushed with a teeny tiny amount of oil, sprinkled with seasoning and put them in the oven for about 5 minutes, until they crisp up.

Tips & Tricks

An excellent way to bulk this up even further (as if it doesn’t have enough going on already!) is to add lentils or chickpeas. They’re both really filling, are great for you, and are awesome ingredients for a curry.

If you’d like the sauce a little thicker, sprinkle in a small pinch of flour and stir. It’ll help thicken everything up (I’m not a fan of runny sauces).

Got a slow cooker? This recipe is wonderfully tasty and so incredibly easy in a slow cooker, just bung the ingredients into the crockpot and cook up the rice when you’ve got the chance.