Dinner Time Food Prep Guide

Here are some great dinner ideas if you are looking to cut down on processed foods, sugar, and get in all of your 5 portions of fruit and veg. These options give a guide of what the eat and portion size, feel free to take out veg you do not like and add in Veg you do. Most of these dinner options are for 1 person so if you are cooking for the whole family, you will need to increase the amounts respectively.

 

Portion Size Explained

Portion size – In these dinner options sometimes there will be a given weight or amount of food but often when a portion is referred to, it is what you can fit in the palm of your cupped hand or 2 cupped hands depending on the food type. Please see the diagram below.

 

 

 

Pan Fried Salmon or White fish With Stir Fried Veg.

It should look something like this.

Ingredients

  • 2 x fingertip of butter
  • Palm size of salmon or white fish
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Cupped handful of peppers
  • Cupped handful of mushroom
  • Cupped handful of Zucchini
  • Salt/pepper or spice to taste

 

Method – Place a teaspoon of butter in a pan and heat with garlic, then place fish in the pan until cooked through (can add spices or curry powered to flavor). In another pan add another teaspoon of butter then add onion, peppers, mushrooms and Zucchini. Salt/pepper/spices to flavor and stir fry till veg is soft.

Place the veg and the fish on a plate and Enjoy!

 

Vegetable Chickpea Curry

 

Should look something like this

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons/fingertips of butter
  • Fresh or dried chili to taste
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 onion
  • 1 teaspoon/ fingertip of Ginger
  • 2 tablespoons of curry powered.
  • 1 teaspoon/fingertip of ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon/fingertip of grama masala
  • 2 tablespoons/fingertips of tomato paste
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 cans of chickpeas
  • Cupped handful of cauliflower
  • 2 Carrots (thinly sliced)
  • Cupped hand full of broccoli
  • 100 grams of creamed coconut milk

 

Method – Add 2 teaspoons of butter and heat in a pan (medium heat), add chopped onion and fresh or dried chili. Next add fresh garlic and ginger. Then add ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala, 2 tbsp tomato purée, ½ tsp salt and cook till soft. Then add 100g of creamed coconut with a little water and then the curry powered, add Cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and chickpeas. Cook till the veg is soft.

Pour into a bowl and enjoy!

 

Roasted Sweet Potato and Feta Salad.

 

Should look something like this.

Ingredients

  • 1 sweet potato. (medium size)
  • 2 cupped handfuls of baby leaf spinach.
  • 1 cupped handful of cucumber.
  • 1 cupped handful of Avocado
  • Tablespoon of feta cheese.

 

Method- Toss the sweet potato with the oil and some seasoning of your choice. Spread on a baking parchment-lined baking tray and roast for 30-35 mins until tender. Then let it cool.  Place some baby leaf spinach in a bowl, add cucumber and baby tomatoes. Then add the sweet potato and mix it all together. To finish crumble feta cheese over the top. Add olive oil, salt & pepper to flavor and enjoy!

 

Beef Strips with Vegetables and Noodles

 

Should look something like this

Ingredients

  • 2 cupped handful of broccoli
  • 1 cupped handful of beef strips
  • 1 cupped handful of spring onion
  • 2 cupped hand full of peppers
  • 1 cupped hand full of noodles

 

Method – Heat 2 teaspoons of butter over a medium–high heat in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the steak strips with garlic and chili to flavor or additional spice of your choice.

The steak strip will only take a few mins to cook, once cooked remove them and put to the side. The add peppers and onion for 3–4 minutes over a high heat. Then add in your noodles until all cooked and then put the beef back in and stir so its mixed in. (should only take a few seconds)

Pour into a bowl and enjoy

 

 

Chicken Fajitas

 

  • Should look something like this.

    Half a teaspoon of garlic powered.

  • Half a teaspoon of chili powder
  • Half a teaspoon of cayenne powder
  • Half a teaspoon of cumin
  • Half a teaspoon of Paprika
  • 2 cupped handfuls of peppers
  • 2 cupped handfuls of onion
  • Fresh chili to flavor
  • 1 palmful of chopped chicken breast chicken breast
  • Olive oil and lime juice for marinade

 

Method – Add a bit of olive oil (Half a cup) and some lime juice to create a chicken fajita marinade. Then allow the chicken to sit in the marinade while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Chop up the peppers, onions, and fresh chili. Then place the chicken and marinade in a pan and add chili powered, garlic powered, cayenne pepper, paprika and salt to taste. Keep stirring the chicken till it starts to brown. Then add in the chopped peppers, onion, and fresh chili. Stir until the veg is soft and the chicken is cooked through.

Topping ingredients

  • 1 cupped handful of Fresh chopped tomatoes
  • 1 cupped handful of chopped Avocado (can be mashed up with some olive oil and finely chopped red onion to spread easily)
  • 2 fingertips or teaspoons of sour cream per taco (I prefer flour tacos)

Roll up the chicken and veg mix into a taco, add toppings and Enjoy!