Delicious Diet Recipes

Summer is on the way and it's time to think about getting that bikini figure back in shape, but maybe you dread the thought of going back to bland food? No need, here are three delicious diet recipes which will make you want to stay on your diet all year round!

Fresh Salmon with Spinach

This recipe is with a fillet of fresh salmon, but with any white fish fillet will be just as delicious; halibut, hake, monkfish, whatever your preference but do not use oily fish. Using fresh spinach is best; you can substitute frozen if you wish, but this will need defrosting and a little cooking before adding the fish.

Using a frying pan, skillet or shallow pan with a lid, add about a quarter of an inch of water and bring to the boil. Add fresh spinach leaves (three or four layers of leaves, remembering when cooked they reduce greatly) salt and pepper, and lay your fillet of fish on top. Salt and pepper the fish to taste, and cover with the lid. The spinach will cook in the boiling water, while the salmon poaches in the steam above. You can add other flavourings to the water if you wish, like a few slices of garlic or onion, or different spices. Turn the salmon halfway through; to make sure it cooks evenly.

This makes a delicious and very healthy addition to your diet recipes; served just as it is for a light meal, or accompanied with a little rice or baked potato if you wish.

Chicken with Basil and Cherry Tomatoes

Another of the tastiest diet recipes; using a chicken breast fillet, a handful of fresh basil leaves, and about a dozen tiny cherry tomatoes.

This can be baked in the oven in foil, in a pan with lid, or on the barbecue.

To bake in the oven; take a large piece of tin foil folded in half for extra thickness. Fold this in half, and then close two more sides by folding over a couple of times, to form a bag. Slide inside your chicken breast, tomatoes and basil. Add a drizzling of olive oil, salt and pepper (and about an egg cupful of white wine if you choose) seal the other side, making sure the whole thing is well sealed and the juices won't escape.

Place in the oven or on the barbecue for about 20 minutes, (turning once, if on the barbecue) this is a great way to cook, as it keeps all the juices and flavours inside. Open the package with care, as it will be full of very hot steam.

To cook in a pan, keep the heat low; add a little olive oil, the chicken breast and tomatoes, salt and pepper. Turn the chicken a couple of times, so it doesn't catch, add the basil leaves about halfway through, as you don't want them to be too 'soggy' and lose their flavour. Very tasty healthy meal, which again you can add carbohydrates if you wish.

Vegetable 'Paella'

A dish filled with vitamins and nutrients, and excellent for vegetarians too, this recipe is based on the Spanish dish Paella, which is actually the name of the two-handled skillet style pan a rice dish is cooked in. This will make a great addition to your diet recipes, especially if you and friends are dieting together; a healthy dinner party option.

Ingredients: (makes four-six portions)

one onion, one clove garlic, two slices each red and green peppers, two carrots, two sticks celery, one small aubergine, one courgette, 1 cup of peas; fresh or frozen, 2 cups of short grain rice, 1 litre of heated vegetable stock, fish or chicken stock, or water with a stock cube. Salt, pepper, sweet paprika, saffron (or other yellow colouring)

Chop the garlic finely or press it, and chop the peppers into small 1/4" pieces. Cut the rest of the vegetables into chunky, fork-sized pieces.

Start with the carrot and celery, as they take longer to cook; stir-fry them a little in some olive oil, then add the rest of the vegetables, mix them together well. Add the rice and about a pint of hot stock, bring to the boil; add salt, pepper, about half a teaspoon of sweet paprika, and a couple of threads of saffron, or a couple pinches of yellow colouring powder.

Stir everything really well together, adding extra stock if needed. (There should be just enough liquid to cook the rice, and leave the whole thing juicy not dry). Simmer about 15 to 20 minutes, or until rice is just cooked (not too much, as it will continue to cook in it's own heat).

Remove from heat and leave to stand about 10 minutes and it's ready to serve.

Each of these delicious diet recipes are tasty enough to serve to the whole family, but for growing kids or the man of the house, you can add potatoes, pasta or rice to the first two, and meat  or fish to the third, using the paella as a side dish or accompaniment. All are extremely tasty, very healthy meals. 

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Easy Diet Recipes