Some quick, easy and healthy recipes I am going to try!

So like all of us I am always trying to find new things to try that aren't desperately bad for me so that I do not get stuck in a food rut. This happens quite a lot in our household, you try something, find you like it then eat that at least once or twice a week for quite a few weeks. Due to this, I went looking for something else to try that both I and the other half can eat (we seem to like/dislike the opposite of the other), as I refuse to cook two different meals every night, when he wants steak I let him get away with it. ;)

So below are a couple that I have found and will be looking to do relatively soon:

Let's start with a recipe that caught my eye and is not a main meal but we are always looking for healthy treats/ nommy snacks!

Banana and Oat Cookies!

Your ingredients

I am sure I am not alone in that sometimes i overbuy Bananas or just don't get round to eating them before they decide they have had enough and your time is up!

Well here is a recipe that uses overripe bananas (the more bruised the better) and porridge oats... and that's it! I am all for recipes that have very little ingredients but taste great, it means you don't have to spend £30 on a single meal buying all those special ingredients that you don't normally have in your pantry.

So here is the recipe:

Banana & Oat Cookies
Makes approx. 18 cookies after mix-ins

3 very ripe medium bananas (the bananas I used were completely brown)

1.5 cups  oats

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (this is a must).
2. Mash the bananas and oats together in a large mixing bowl using a fork. The end result should be about the same consistency of normal cookie dough. If the mix is too dry, add more banana, if it’s too wet, add more oats.
3. Place tablespoon-sized scoops of the dough about 1-inch apart on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. 
4. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden-brown.
5. Leave to cool.

Optional mix-ins:

1 tsp each vanilla, powdered ginger, cinnamon

Chocolate chips 

Raisins & unsweetened cocoa powder

Source: http://blog.freepeople.com/2014/08/bananas-oats-meet-easiest-cookies/#ixzz3BgGmMeIk

Inside out Chicken Kievs!

Source: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2214/insideout-chicken-kiev

I am a Chicken Kiev fiend, I admit it! I love them, however on my diet (and most diets) they are a big no no, mainly down to the sheer amount of calories in a good kiev. You can purchase 'lighter' kievs but they will still normally set you back about 400 calories per kiev, and you are not going to eat them on their own!

So, imagine how happy I was to find a healthier version of them, where I can regulate how much calorific content they have! Again, this recipe only has 3 ingredients so ticks my shopping basket box, and although it calls for garlic butter, you could make this yourself with your own ingredients so that you can swap out the more fattening ingredients for a lighter version.

Prep:5 mins

Cook:20 mins

Skill level: Easy

Serves 4

kcalories

218

 

protein

34g

 

carbs

5g

 

fat

7g

 

saturates

4g

 

fibre

0g

 

sugar

0g

 

salt

0.37g

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

25g garlic butter, softened

25g crispy breadcrumbs

Method:

1. Place the chicken on a baking tray, rub with a little of the butter, season and cook under the grill for 15 mins, turning once until cooked through.
2. Mix together the remaining garlic butter and breadcrumbs. 
3. Remove the chicken from the grill and top each breast with a smear of the breadcrumbed butter. 
4. Return to the grill and cook 3-5 mins until the breadcrumbs are golden and the butter melted. 

Serve any buttery juices, alongside new potatoes and peas or broad beans.