Creamy basil chicken on pumpkin taglietelle [paleo, banting, low carb]

This is a real Winter warmer and is packed with flavor. The pumpkin taglietelle is a great low carb alternative to wheat taglietelle and is naturally gluten free. Swop the dairy cream for coconut cream for a paleo friendly version of this delicious dish. 

Ingredients: 

Serves 4

2 large chicken breasts (chopped) 

2 tablespoons coconut oil 

1 red onion (finely diced) 

1/4 red bell pepper (diced) 

1/4 yellow pepper (diced) 

2 tablespoons crushed garlic 

1/2 tablespoon ground ginger 

1 teaspoon mild  curry powder 

0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1 tablespoon paprika 

1/2 tablespoon dried origanum 

Fresh coriander

1 handful fresh basil 

1 tablespoon basil pesto 

3 Tablespoons tomato paste 

100ml water 

3 Tablespoons cream cheese or cream of your choice 

500g pumpkin taglietelle or spiralized vegetable of your choice 

50ml water for the taglietelle 

20ml olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Method:

20 minutes preparation time

Heat a pan over medium to high heat and fry the chicken breasts till white. Add the onion and fry while stirring till the onions are translucent. Add the peppers,  curry powder, nutmeg, ginger and garlic. Fry for 5 minutes then lower the heat to medium. Add the  tomato paste, paprika, basil pesto,  cream and 100ml water then cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add chopped coriander and some basil and simmer on low heat for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

 In a separate pan, add the pumpkin and 50ml water. Cover and steam until  the water runs out. Drizzled with olive oil and some salt. 

Garnish with some fresh basil and sliced radish. Serve with some salad and a glass of shiraz. 

Bon apetit! 

Home-made Peach Iced Tea to fight a bloated stomach and indigestion (low carb, low sugar, banting, paleo, Vegan, gluten free)

You can use virtually any tea for this recipe but I chose this specific combo for its anti-inflamattory and anti-bloat benefits. Ginger and fennel are excellent for indigestion  and really refreshing. 

Ingredients: makes 1 litre 

4 herbal tea, tea bags or rooibos  and fennel teabags

10g of fennel

One peach 

One orange

Handful of mint

Xylitol/erythritol or honey

1 litre of water

Method: 

8 minutes to mix

8 hours to infuse

Total: 8hours8minutes

Place four tea bags of your choice into a glass jar. Add sliced peach,  sliced lemon,  sliced orange,  bruised or crushed  mint leaves and a tablespoon  of xylitol/erythritol /honey. Top up with hot water and let it infuse for a eight hours or overnight. 

Enjoy with some ice. 

Creamy Chicken and zucchini Lasagne (banting, paleo, low carb, lchf)

I absolutely love Lasagne, it’s in my top ten list of comfort foods. This recipe is different from my other Lasagne recipe in that I used chicken instead of beef and I used zucchini sheets instead of shirataki noodles. It’s really easy and tasty. For a paleo version  just skip the cheese and drizzle the sauce leftover from the chicken.

Ingredients: Makes 4 servings 
500g chopped chicken breast

2 tablespoons coconut oil 

3 tablespoons coconut cream 

Basil 

Parsley 

Origanim 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

Salt

Pepper

6 baby marrows or zucchini (thinly sliced) 

0.5 chopped red onion

1 tablespoon crushed garlic 

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 cayenne chilli (chopped)  

Method:

15 minutes cooking time

30 minutes baking time

Total: 45minutes 

Place a pan over medium to high heat. Add the chicken breasts then fry in coconut oil till white. Remove. Fry half a chopped red onion then add the chicken, two tablespoons crushed garlic and fry for 5 minutes. Then add a tablespoon of crushed ginger  and one chopped chilli. Add salt and pepper. Then add three tablespoons  of thickened coconut cream (place can in fridge till cream rises) then mix well and simmer for 5 minutes. Add some parsley, sweet basil and origanim and mix well.Slice some zucchini and layer with the chicken and cheese and bake for 30 minutes. 

Enjoy with a crunchy side salad

Brocolli Leaf Wraps with Spicy Lamb, Yoghurt and Cauliflower [Gluten-free, Banting, LCHF, Low Carb]

What do you do when you need a delicious yet light meal on a hot Summer’s day/evening? Brocolli leaf wraps of course. I discovered these leaves by chance actually while doing my shopping at the local Checkers store. They come in a bag with some kale leaves. I took the plunge and decided to try them with some scrambled eggs one day and I was sold. THEN, the genius idea hit me and I thought let me try the brocolli leaves as wraps. Why not? They are ‘almost’ big enough so I guess you could also call them brocolli tacos lol. I used left over lamb that I made using my Spicy Lamb Marinade .

Brocolli Leaf and Lamb wraps with yoghurt

Ingredients:

Makes 4 wraps

4 Brocolli Leaves

3 lamb ribs, deboned and chopped

0.5 onion finely chopped

4 Tablespoons of plain yoghurt or greek yoghurt

4 Tablespoons of fried cauli rice (herbed and spiced as you please or lightly salted with some himalayan salt and pepper)

1 Avocado (skinned, pip scooped out and thinly sliced)

Method:

15 Minutes Preparation

Place the brocolli leaves in some hot water for 3 minutes in order to soften them or leave them as is if you prefer them crunchy. Take one leave and place a tablespoon of rice, a little bit of avocado, a little bit of lamb ribs, onion and a tablespoon of yoghurt. Secure with toothpicks. Do the same with the rest of the brocolli leaves. You could also do this with blanched cabbage leaves, swiss chard, lettuce or whatever leaf you fancy the most. But let me just say, that the brocolli leaves are by far the most filling ;-).

lamb and brocolli leaf wraps

 

Get creative and enjoy!

Banting and Paleo Friendly Spicy BBQ Marinade [gluten-free, Dairy-free]

What is a BBQ without proper marinade?skip the processed stuff and whip this quick marinade up for your next braai or BBQ. 

Ingredients:

Enough for 1kg-1.5kg of meat 

4 tablespoons Paprika 

0.25 tablespoon Salt

0.5 tablespoon Pepper

0.5 tablespoon chilli flakes 

1 tablespoon Garlic powder 

2 teaspoons Ginger powder 

1.5 teaspoon Nutmeg 

6 tablespoons olive oil 

4 tablespoons Apple cider 

2 tablespoon raw honey

Few sprigs of Thyme (chopped – for chicken meat) 

Few sprigs of Rosemary (chopped – for lamb meat) 

Method:

5 Minutes 

Mix the above ingredients and then cover your meat and marinade for at least 8 hours or overnight. 

Pop your meat in the oven and let it roast or cook it over the fire for that lekker  braai taste. 

 

Cheesy aubergine bake [egg plant, brinjal, banting, veggie recipes, lchf, low carb]

Egg plant,  brinjal, aubergine – whatever you call it. This plant is delicious and easy to make, and also quite low in the carb department so perfect for keeping that waist slim. So if you’ve been giving egg plants the evil eye, you might be pleasantly  surprised here.  This delicious bake is perfect for disguising veggies from kids and is really tasty. Cheese lovers  beware, it is divine!

Ingredients:

Serves 2-4

1 large aubergine (I’m talking big so make two medium sized ones if you don’t have a large one) 

2 Tablespoons olive oil 

Paprika

Garlic powder 

Ginger powder 

Salt

Pepper 

Chilli flakes 

Chimichurri spice or substitute with garlic, coriander and ground nutmeg  (step into your closest Woolworths or Grocery store to find the chimichurri) 

1 cup grated mature cheddar

0.5 cup grated mozarella

125ml cream

Method:

5 minutes to assemble 

30 minutes to bake 

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Take  your egg plant and sliced it into thin slices. Drizzle olive oil onto an oven dish. Placed layer of sliced egg plant. Sprinkled with salt,  pepper, paprika, chilli flakes, garlic, Chimichurri spice and ginger powder. Drizzle about 4 tablespoons of cream, top with grated cheese. Repeat these layers till egg plant is used up. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is beautifully browned. 

Enjoy 🙂

10 Minute Healthy Budget Meal: Braised Cabbage and Canned Fish [Paleo, Banting, Gluten-free, R15 Meal]

This meal is super easy. I literally whipped it up after gym which made for a quick and tasty healthy meal that is packed with nutrients. If you are not a fan of canned fish then you can use fresh cooked fish or even cooked prawns. The possibilities are endless 🙂

Braised Cabbage and Tinned Fish

Ingredients:

Makes 2 Servings

1 Can of fish (Pilchards or Middle Cut)

0.5 Red onion: Sliced

1 green baby cabbage: Sliced

2 teaspoons of crushed garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder

0.5 teaspoon ground ginger or 0.25 teaspoon ginger powder

0.5 teaspoon himalayan pink salt

0.25 teaspoon crushed black pepper

0.25 teaspoon paprika

0.5 teaspoon garam masala or curry powder of your choice

2 tablespoons of coconut oil

0.25 teaspoon dried sweet basil

0.25 teaspoon dried thyme

0.25 dried chilli flakes

0.5 cup of crushed tomatoes

Method:

Do you have 10 Minutes?

Heat a pan over high heat and then add the coconut oil. Once melted add the onion and cabbage and fry till the onion is translucent. Add the garam masala, paprika, garlic, ginger and mix well while frying. Add the fish and stir well. Add the crushed tomatoes and mix for about 2 minutes then add the salt, pepper, sweet basil, thyme and chilli flakes.

Braised Cabbage and Tinned Fish

Voila!

10 Minute Prawn and Chicken Stir Fry [Low Carb, LCHF, Paleo, Banting, Gluten-free, Dairy-Free, Quick Meal]

I used leftover chicken breasts and frozen cooked prawns for this meal so it is really quick and easy, not to mention very tasty.

Ingredients:

(Makes 4 Servings)

4 Cooked chicken breasts (sliced)

150g cooked prawns (About 2.5 cups)

0.5 red onion finely chopped

2 teaspoons of garlic powder

2 teaspoons of ginger powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoons sweet basil

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 cups chopped spinach/kale/swiss chard

1 cup chopped green beans

1 cup sliced baby marrows/zuchinni/courgettes

Salt

Pepper

2 teaspoons of butter

half a lemon (to serve)

Method:

10 Minutes (I kid you not)

Heat a pan over high heat and add the coconut butter. Add the sliced baby marrow and onion and fry for 2 minutes on high heat. Add the green beans and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the spinach, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon garam masala and mix well then cover for 1 minute. Add the prawns, chicken breast, sweet basil,butter, salt to taste and pepper, and the rest of the garlic and ginger. Keep stirring while frying for a further 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and serve with some fresh lemon.

prawn and chicken stir fry

Slow Cooked Lamb [Sunday Lunch Ideas, Low Carb, Gluten-Free, Banting, Healthy Sunday Lunch]

Nothing beats a slow cooked lamb that simply falls off the bone. This dish is perfect for a dinner or a Sunday lunch where you want to fill up your guests with a delicious yet effort-less meal.

Ingredients:

Serves 6

1.5 kg Stewing Lamb

1 Large onion (roughly chopped)

4 sprigs of fresh origanum OR 2 teaspoons of dried origanum

3 sprigs of fresh  Thyme OR 2 Teaspoons dried thyme

Paprika

Himalayan Salt

Black Pepper

2 teaspoons dried Chillie flakes

2 Cups of crushed tomatoes (you can blend them or buy them already crushed)

6 Tablespoons of thick cream

1 Cup water

2 sprigs of rosemary OR 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary

3 sprigs of fresh parlsey OR 1 tablespoon of dried parsley

100g Chopped Spinach

100g Sliced cabbage

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

Method:

4 Hours

Pre-heat the oven to 180 Degrees Celcius. Arrange the lamb on a baking tray and sprinkle with some salt, pepper, dried chillies and some fresh origanum and thyme. Place in the oven and roast for 45 Minutes.

Remove from the oven and place in a slow cooker or large pot. Add the cream, crushed tomatoes, parsley, rosemary, water, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 hours on high in a slow cooker OR in a normal pot over low heat. After 2 hours: Add the spinach, tomato paste and cabbage and continue cooking till the three hours is up.

Serve with some crusty bread or roast vegetables.

Enjoy 🙂

Slow Cooked Lamb

Cauli Rice and Chicken Wings – Low Carb Style [lchf, banting, paleo]

This is just one of those easy soul-full meals packed with flavour. Please be generous when spicing the chicken – you want your wings delectable. The wings are roasted instead of being fried so they are allowed to cook until tender.

Ingredients: Serves 2

The Chicken Wings:

500-600g chicken wings

Black Pepper

Salt

Paprika

Garlic Powder

Coriander Powder

Chilli flakes

Olive Oil

Lemon

Savoury Cauli Rice:

1 head of cauliflower

0.5 chopped onion

0.5 chopped green pepper

0.5 chopped red pepper

1 Tablespoon Paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 Teaspoon garam masala

0.5 teaspoon Garlic

0.5 teaspoon ginger

Black Pepper

Salt

2 Tablespoons coriander

50ml fresh cream or thick coconut cream

Chopped Green beans (50g)

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Method:

50 Minutes for the Chicken Wings

15 Minutes for the Cauli Rice

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Place the chicken wings on a baking tray and dust allover with the spices. After that, drizzle with some olive oil and roast for 45 minutes turning half way through. Then allow to grill for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and squeeze some lemon juice over the wings.

For the cauli rice: Grate the cauli rice then fry over high heat. No oil is required at this stage, just dry fry it till the water evaporates. Once the water evaporates, add the coconut oil, onion, peppers and green beans. Fry for about 3 minutes then add your spices and mix well. Add the fresh cream or coconut cream and allow to simmer for 3 minutes.

Bon apetit!