summer recipe – #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1.25 per person.
What are the benefits? This dish is a great source of nice, lean protein but is low in both fat and sugar.

This recipe was originally planned as a light, fresh meal perfect for summer. Unfortunately, the weather seems to have changed and it’s getting a bit dreary outside so it looks as though I’m a little late… Still, it’s cheap, easy and good for you, so it’s well worth a go. ☀️

Essentially, at the bare bones, it’s just chicken and potatoes. Good, basic food, you can’t get much simpler than that. But plain ‘n’ simple isn’t exactly my thing, I’m afraid – I like to take the very concept of plain ‘n’ simple and jazz it up a little. With just a squeeze of citrus and a spoonful of butter and herbs, these ingredients become an exciting, flavoursome dish at a lower price.

INGREDIENTS
2 Chicken Breasts
1 Lemon
1 Lime
1 Tin of New Potatoes
1 Tbsp of Butter, Margarine or Dairy-Free Alternative
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley

SEASONING
The flavours really shine in this recipe, and the seasoning definitely helps with that. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and dried garlic to the lemon and lime juice, and spruce up the chicken with one last dash of salt and pepper before it goes into the oven too. With the potatoes, salt the water that they boil in and, of course, coat with dried parsley. If you haven’t got parsley, there are plenty of other herbs you can use that’ll be just as good.

So, this is how I did it…
(Serves 2)

1. Squeeze the lime juice and lemon juice into a bowl, season with dried garlic, salt and pepper, and place the chicken into the bowls. Make sure they’re coated entirely in the juices. 🍋

2. Place the chicken on a baking tray (with a tiny drop of oil or cooking spray so it doesn’t stick), sprinkle with a dash more salt and pepper, and bake for 20 – 30 minutes on 200°C.

3. Rinse the tinned potatoes under some cold water, cook in a pan of boiling water according to packet instructions (mine took 5 minutes) and drain once cooked.

4. Stir the butter and parsley into the pan with potatoes until coated.

5. Serve! (I threw together a nice mixed salad to go with mine 😋)

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me £2.75 per person.
What are the benefits? These kebabs are high in protein, count towards at least one of your five a day, and makes a great takeaway alternative to the usual late night, post-booze kebabs.

It’s not summer yet, but a girl can dream, right? 🔆 I mean, how else are we going to get through these dismal winter months…

With that in mind, I’ve cooked up something that transported me to a summer BBQ, fruit cider in one hand and chicken drumstick in the other, even though I was actually huddled up on the sofa shivering into my woolly socks.

It’s tasty without being too heavy, which is probably a good thing as we spend most of January grazing just to get ourselves through the post-Christmas blues.

Although lamb can be a little fatty, this recipe is still great for you in so many ways. It still packs in protein, veggies and nutrition while skipping over my usual “danger zones” – i.e. covering everything in cheese.

Mmm, cheese… 🧀

Anyway, this recipe makes six lamb kebab skewers so, depending on your appetite, this serves 2-3 people. I made mine for two with succulent kebab meat, plus a hefty dose of flavoursome cous cous, plus some tortilla crisps to crunch – a gorgeous plate full of different textures, colours and flavours.

INGREDIENTS
400g Diced Lamb
1 Courgette, Chopped
1 Red Onion, Chopped
Pack of Vegetable Cous Cous
2 Wholemeal Tortillas

SEASONING
For the kebab skewers, I added dried garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper and a drop of olive oil to the bowl and rubbed everything together in the bowl, before adding a dash of hot sauce too. For the tortillas, allow a drop of olive oil onto a piece of kitchen paper, rub all over the tortilla and then sprinkle over dried garlic flakes and dried coriander.

So, this is how I did it…

1. In a bowl, toss the crunchy veg and tender lamb together with a splash oil and seasoning. Make sure it’s all coated – but not too greasy!

2. Assemble the skewers – chunk of lamb, slice of courgette, bite of red onion – and place under the grill on a fairly high heat for approximately 10 – 12 minutes.

3. While the kebabs are cooking, prepare the cous cous. Yes, I’m being lazy and using pre-packed cous cous – don’t judge me! I’m grilling lamb over here and I’ve gotta keep an eye on it, I haven’t got time to be making roasted vegetable cous cous from scratch! Simply empty the packet into a bowl, add boiling water, stir with a fork and serve when ready.

4. When the lamb kebabs are cooked through, remove from directly underneath the grill and keep warm (don’t worry, it’s only for a couple of minutes).

5. It’s time for the tortillas, which should be rubbed with a teeny tiny drop of oil and sprinkled with seasoning. Grill for just a minute or two on each side until they crisp up – these cook super quick, so be careful!

6. Serve the lamb kebab skewers along with the warmed cous cous and the crispy tortillas and BAM! Done.

Tag: summer recipe

RECIPE: Citrus Chicken With Herby New Potatoes | #ThisGirlEats

RECIPE: Lamb Kebab Skewers With Cous Cous and Tortilla Crisps | #ThisGirlEats