Following on from my last lunch blog, please be reminded, firstly, that when intermittent fasting, consult your healthcare provider before embarking on this journey, especially if you are living with a chronic condition. 

By Cindy Pivacic.

DINNER

Soya

People generally tend to discard soy as a food source. I believe it is because they feel it does not meet their standards of a meat substitute. However, if you start to think of it as a food source on its own merits and include it rather than substitute it for meat, you will find it enjoyable, versatile and a great source of protein.

Comparison:

1 cup = 31g of protein and 176 calories.

1 cup of lean mince = 31g protein – BUT there are 331 calories in LEAN mince.

*Soya wins with half the calories of lean mince*

I prefer the soya ‘mince,’ not the chunks, as it is more versatile in this form. I can make my favourite curry, chilli con carne, savoury mince for a roti, spaghetti bolognese, lasagne or cottage pie. I guarantee you will find it challenging to know that you are eating the healthier option. 

Soup 

I make an excellent soup, but in this instance, I will share my ‘cheat’ soup with you. It takes about twenty minutes to prepare.

• 1 Bag ready chopped soup vegetables from your favourite supermarket.
• ¼ – ½ chopped onion (to your taste).
• 1 tin beans – black, four bean or butter beans.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce.
• Chilli powder, sauce or fresh chopped chilli (optional).

Sauté onions, add chopped packet vegetables, simmer for 15mins add beans, and heat through.

Blend or mash to desired consistency, and wala!

For added flavour and meat eaters: prepared chicken, smoked chicken, barley, buckwheat or chorizo. It will take extra time and add to your calories, but it remains an option when the basic soup becomes boring.

Curry 

There are several healthy curry recipes you can put to the test. If you have your favourite curry spices, use your go-to recipe and try using the following as a red meat replacement. These are still high in protein and easier to digest. Try chickpeas, soya mince or chunks (my preference is mince), mixed vegetables (be creative, and you don’t need to get those nasty pea, corn, bean mixes), try cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, not butternut as there are more calories, chicken, beans and lentils. 

Try light coconut milk options to make your creamy curry version, or add curry powder to your yoghurt for a difference.

Chicken

Chicken is such a versatile base for almost any recipe you can think of. I try to stick to a mostly plant-based diet but do consume chicken. In other words, I am a flexitarian.  

I often air fry a four-pack of chicken breasts, put them in a bowl, and use my cake mixer https://bit.ly/ShreddedChicken to shred and store in the fridge to use over a few versatile meals.

1. Use in tacos with a chilli/Mexican twist.
2. Use in Roti with rainbow salad, low-carb mayo or sriracha and grated white cheddar or feta.
3. Add some rainbow salad, red onion, soy sauce and pop onto buckwheat or ramen to your stir-fry. OR stir your ramen directly into a stir-fry pan. I go the lazy route and add ALL to my cast iron pan.
4. Add to an airfryer toasted sandwich with gherkin and mayo, or swap mayo for sour yoghurt – blend with lemon juice, salt, ground black pepper, and mustard powder.
5. Add to your pasta dish with feta, olives & tomato pasta sauce. (all in moderation!!)

Pumpkin NOT Butternut

Replace butternut with pumpkin! You can spice up your pumpkin in many tasty ways. Pumpkin (100g = 26 calories) has far fewer calories than butternut (100g = 45 calories).

Pumpkin Bake

• 300g mashed pumpkin
• 75g brown sugar, or substitute with honey
• 3 tsp butter
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbls milk
• 3eggs
• 2 tsp cinnamon sugar

1. While pumpkin is hot, mash all ingredients except eggs, milk and cinnamon sugar.
2. Add to a pie dish.
3. Beat eggs and milk, and pour over pumpkin. 
4. Bake at 180 for about an hour.
5. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the pie.
6. Eat sparingly…

Sweet potato Soup

There are 80 calories in 1 cup of sweet potato soup.

I buy the pre-cut and peeled sweet potatoes when I am making soup as it is more cost-effective and easier for me, one person, although the packet makes enough for 2/3 cups.

• olive oil.
• sweet potatoes.
• carrots, onion, garlic.
• vegetable broth.
• pepper, salt, paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, dried rosemary, dried thyme.

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic until sweet potato has browned on the edges and onions/garlic are translucent.
2. Add stock and spices to the pan. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat + simmer for 30-40 minutes.
3. Puree with a  blender, or allow soup to cool and add to a blender. Blend until smooth.

Cauliflower OR Broccoli 

Airfryer Roasted (can be done in oven) – Takes 15 min (AF) with five ingredients.

• Cauliflower – I prefer to use a whole head of cauliflower, but you can also buy a bag of florets for convenience. Remember that the size of your florets will impact cook time (smaller florets = faster air fryer cauliflower!).
• Olive Oil – Helps the cauliflower crisp up. Avocado oil works, too.
• Lemon Juice – Use fresh lemon for the best flavour or bottled for convenience.
• Spices – Smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. 

1. Preheat. Heat your air fryer to 180.
2. Season. Place cauliflower in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the florets in the seasoning mixture.
3. Air fry. Place the cauliflower in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook for 7-10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until browned. Cook in batches if necessary. I like to garnish with a light sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Variations

• Garlic Parmesan – Add 1-2 cloves minced garlic when seasoning cauliflower. Halfway through cooking, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and shake the basket.
• Buffalo – To make an air fryer buffalo cauliflower, drizzle your air-fried cauliflower with buffalo sauce and serve with ranch dressing dipping sauce. It makes a great appetiser.
• Curry Spiced – Add a teaspoon of curry powder when seasoning cauliflower florets.
• Chilli Lime – Swap out lemon juice for lime juice and add 1/4 teaspoon of chilli powder to the spices.

Hopefully, these recipes will motivate you to try alternative food selections and encourage you to add a new twist to your meals. Let me know if you have any healthy replacement food alternatives to add to our list. 

I have more dinner recipes and will share them later down the road. Next up will be desserts and some daytime snacks.

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I did!

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