Skinny Chicken & Stuffin' Salad

This just so happens to be the Little Black Dress of the salad world.

It's also an ideal place to start if you're trying to shimmy back into your actual LBD.



Allow me to cast your mind back a couple of weeks. Remember hungrily browsing the sandwich aisle at lunch and locking eyes with the all exclusive, sparkly red festive range? (I'm going to assume you just nodded and drooled simultaneously.)

Well, I had a particular penchant for the chicken, stuffing and cranberry variety.



My Skinny Chicken & Stuffin' Salad is essentially just that with a low carb January twist. First thing first. Whack these on the shopping list:

For the salad (to feed two people)
1 pack leafy salad (spinach, rocket, lamb's lettuce all work well)
1/2 an iceberg lettuce
1/2 a cucumber
3 x skinless, free range chicken breasts
1 cup 'just add water' sage and onion based stuffing mixture

For the dressing
3 tbsp cranberry sauce (you'll find this in exile at the back of your fridge)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 x lemon

Start by seasoning your breasts and stop being so naughty, you filthy animal!



Pop them in a pre-heated oven at around 200°c until cooked through and crisp on the outside. Depending on the thickness of your chicken they can take between 20-30 minutes. If  in doubt, slice one open and take a peek. If it's pink, it's not done yet.

In the meantime, prepare your stuffing according to the instructions on the packet. Crisp it up under the grill if you have the time, otherwise just pop it in the microwave for around three minutes and enjoy its natural gooey deliciousness.



Feel free to make your mixture from scratch if you'd rather. I'm only leaving it to Sainsbury's because, well, who the heck has the time to make homemade stuffing?!

Chop your iceberg lettuce into strips and throw it into a bowl with the rest of your leaves. Dice your cucumber and toss it all together good 'n' proper.

Whilst your stuffing is cooking, knock together your dressing. In a bowl, add your cranberry sauce, olive oil, mustard, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar before giving it a stir and crushing in your garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

At this point, your roast chicken should be ready. Remove it from the oven and squeeze over the lemon juice. I like mine really lemony, so I use a whole half.

When it has cooled, chop it up into bite size chunks and season.

Divide your salad between two large bowls (you should have enough left over for tomorrow's lunch, you lucky devil) and scatter your chicken pieces on top.

When the microwave pings, take out your stuffing and break it into little pieces. Pop them on top of your salad and whatever you do, make sure you lick the spoon.

That, my friend, is a vital step.

Drizzle over your homemade cranberry dressing and dive in totally guilt free.

Ridiculously delicious and totally acceptable in January, much like the the following joke:

What do you do with epileptic lettuce?

You make a seizure salad! 

Low Carb No 'Flower' Pizza

It's the third of January and I'm feeling decidedly plump. With this in mind, I think it's probably a good time to share my dieting philosophy with you.

You might have noticed from my Christmas Holiday post that for me, festivities and food go hand in hand. Christmas is certainly not a time for calorie counting. It's about good champagne, a succulent turkey and mildly overdone yorkshire puds.

January, however, is about rectifying the delicious damage left in December's wake.

This month I'll be chowing down on my favourite low carb, gluten and wheat free meals in order to whip myself back into shape. First up, Low Carb No 'Flower' Pizza.





 



It's almost too good to be true.

A molten cheese and tomato lake spread over a dough-like base with a crisp and crunchy crust, weighing in at around a quarter of the calories in a normal pizza. Better still, it's completely gluten and wheat free and counts towards your five a day.

To make two good sized pizzas, you're going to need:
2 x small cauliflowers
1/2 cup of grated strong cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of pre-grated mozzarella. Don't use the fresh mozzarella balls for this, the extra moisture can leave your dough soggy and wet and nobody likes a floppy pizza.
2 x eggs
2 x finely chopped cloves of garlic
2 tsp dried oregano

As for the toppings, choose whatever tickles your pickle. I went for chorizo, sliced chilli's and a scattering of basil. Just make sure you pop them on top of:
2 dollops of tomato pizza sauce
2 cups of grated mozzarella
1/4 cup of strong cheddar cheese
2tsp dried oregano

Whack the oven up to 220°c and let's get cracking.

Strip and grate your cauliflowers until you're left with only the gnarly, stubby bits. At this stage, you want to feel as though your bicep might explode. I tend to use this as a sign to stop what I'm doing and pour myself a glass of wine.

Alas, this is diet month. Sacrifices must be made, so lemon juice with pomegranate seeds will have to do. As long as it's served in a jam jar with a dashing straw. Deal.

Gather up your shredding and put it into a large microwavable bowl. Cover it with cling film and put it on full whack for around eight minutes.

When it's done, pour it out onto a clean tea towel and leave it to cool.

Next, grab your grated cheeses. Cheesi? Cheeseses? Whatever they are, just try not to eat them. Throw everything into a mixing bowl and return to your cooled cauli.

Pick up the corners of your towel and ring it out over a sink. You need to get rid of as much moisture as possible. Personally, I had a hunky male to do this part for me, so feel free to do the same. It's not called cheating. It's called employing a sous chef.

With that done, add your 'dough' to the cheesy mixing bowl.

Along with your garlic, eggs and oregano.

Give it a good stir before dividing your mixture between two sheets of baking paper.

Then, form your dough into a pizza base. Once you're happy with the shape pop them onto a pre-heated baking tray and into the oven for around ten minutes.

When the sides are crisp and the cheese has browned and bubbled, it's done. Remove your bases from the oven and get your toppings on, starting with your pizza sauce.

Pop them back in the oven until the cheese is all melty (technical term) and it's looking really, really gouda! I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. I'm just so cheesy!

I like to serve them with a little bundle of salad on top and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

And of course, with my jam jar of lemonade and pomegranate seeds (I may or may not have added a hearty glug of prosecco, but I wont tell if you don't, secret agent.)

Not too shabby for a January diet, huh?

I'd love to know how yours turn out. Instagram me photo's right here!