5:2 followers
****If you are following the 5:2 diet, you are sticking to 600 calories two days of the week. But your meals needn’t be boring on those days.
Spiced Chicken satay
If those around you are indulging in barbequed hot dogs and burgers, why not bring home-made chicken satay to the BBQ?
Calories: 244
Serves: 2
Time: 20 minutes prep plus 3-4 hours marinating.
Ingredients:
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1 diced shallot
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1 crushed garlic clove
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2 tsp curry powder
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1 level tbsp peanut butter
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1 tsp runny honey
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2 tbsp soy sauce
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250g skinless chicken breast, cut into 2cm cubes
Directions:
Mix the shallot, garlic, curry powder, peanut butter, honey and soy sauce together in a bowl.
Add the chicken and toss until the meat is completely coated. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
Light the barbecue. Thread the chicken cubes on to 2-4 skewers, leaving room between the chicken pieces to allow them to cook thoroughly.
Grill for about 10 minutes, turning regularly, until cooked through. Serve the chicken satay sticks immediately.
Asian Tuna Salad
Salads are a fool proof go-to in the summer, and this one comes with a kick.
Calories: 178
Serves: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
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350g tuna steak, cut into strips
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3tbsp soy sauce
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1tsp wasabi paste
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1tbsp sake or dry white wine
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200g mixed salad leaves
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150g baby yellow tomatoes, halved
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1 finely sliced cucumber
Dressing :
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2 tbsp soy sauce
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1 tbsp lime juice
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1 tbsp brown sugar
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2 tsp sesame oil
Directions:
Mix the tuna, soy sauce, wasabi and sake or white wine in a bowl and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
Arrange the salad leaves, tomatoes and cucumber on four serving plates.
Mix the dressing ingredients together into a screw-top jar.
Heat a nonstick frying pan over a high heat, add the tuna and fry for about 10 seconds on each side or until seared. Place the tuna on top of the salad, drizzle with the dressing and serve.
Atkins followers
Sticking to a low carb diet in the summer should be easier than in the winter as you won’t be craving comfort food as much.
Shrimp Summer Rolls
Calories/ carbs: 150/ 7g
Serves: 4
Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
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1 tsp fresh lime juice
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1 tsp dark (toasted) sesame oil
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1 small red deseeded minced chilli
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1/2 tsp salt
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1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
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8 large lettuce leaves
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1 medium shredded carrot
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1 small shredded daikon radish
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1/2 cup bean sprouts
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1/4 cup peanuts, toasted and chopped
Directions:
Combine lime juice, sesame oil, chilli, and salt in a medium bowl.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add shrimp and simmer until pink, about 3 minutes. Drain, add to lime juice mixture, and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Set lettuce leaves on a counter with stem ends toward you. Press against the “spines” until you hear a crunch to make it easier to roll.
Divide carrot, daikon, and sprouts among leaves, setting them in the centers toward the bottom. Divide shrimp among leaves and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Roll lettuce from the bottom up.
Place each roll, seam side down, on a sheet of plastic wrap; wrap tightly and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove wrap and cut rolls in half.
Thai style turkey burgers
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Calories/ carbs: 370/ 46
Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
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400g turkey mince
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4 chopped spring onions
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1 tsp grated root ginger
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1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
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1 egg yolk
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chopped coriander
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1 tbsp sunflower oil
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4 ciabatta rolls
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watercress
Directions:
Put the first 6 ingredients in a bowl, mix and form into 4 burgers.
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the burgers for about 5 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.
Serve the burgers in rolls with some watercress and a little sweet chilli sauce if you like.
Low GI diet followers
Make eating summer foods with slow-releasing energy to keep you fuller for longer and boost your energy levels interesting with some new recipes.
One pan summer eggs
_Calories: 1_96
Serves: 2
Prep time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
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1 tbsp olive oil
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400g chopped courgettes
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200g/7oz pack cherry tomatoes
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1 crushed garlic clove
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2 eggs
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basil leaves
Directions:
Fry courgettes for 5 minutes, add the tomatoes and garlic.
Stir in a seasoning, then make two gaps in the mix and crack in the eggs.
Cover the pan with a lid or a sheet of foil, then cook for 2-3 minutes.
Scatter over a few basil leaves and serve with crusty bread.
Prawn skewers with veggie rice
Calories: 400
Serves: 4
Prep time: 40 mins
Ingredients:
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200g brown basmati rice
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175g mange tout
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200g frozen soy beans
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1½ tbsp sesame oil
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4 spring onions, finely sliced
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large handful coriander, roughly chopped
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1 green chilli, finely diced
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400g raw large peeled prawns
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3 tbsp sweet miso paste (You'll find this with the Japanese ingredients. We used Clearspring white miso)
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2 tsp soy sauce
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2 tsp Japanese rice vinegar
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2 tsp soft brown sugar
Directions:
Cook brown rice for up to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, soak wooden skewers in some cold water and add the mangetout and soy beans to the rice for the final 5 mins of cooking. Rinse under cold water, draining thoroughly.
Mix the rice with the sesame oil and mix in a large bowl with the spring onions, coriander, chilli and seasoning.
Heat a grill/ bbq.
Put the remaining ingredients in a bowl with the prawns ensuring they are well coated.
Thread prawns onto the skewers and lay on a baking sheet. Grill for a couple of mins each side, turning, until prawns are cooked through.
Serve with the rice salad.