I love cooking…when I have the time.
When I don’t have time…I hate cooking.
I just want to eat anything that is easy and more often than not it’ll end up being take out. But after spending some time shopping and cooking I’ve come up with a few dishes that I’ll cook regularly, and when I did cook them, I made enugh to last a few weeks…in the freezer of course.
Last week I promised you recipes and here they are. (there’s links to more at the end)
It’s more than likely you know them and have cooked them in the past, but you may have forgotten about them as I have. It’s time to visit or re-visit them again, this time with a strict emphasis on fat loss.
Once again we are sticking to the 10 Food Rules for Fat Loss.
If you don’t know them, you can find them here: www.travissawyer.com/category/the_ten_food_rules
Apricot Chicken
Cost: about $13 to feed 3-4
Ingredients:
Apricot chicken powder mix (Maggi)
French onion soup powder mix
400g can of apricot nectar or 400g can of apricot halves
2 chicken breasts or 500g diced chicken
1 onion
1 red capsicum
The first time I made this a few weeks back I used both the apricot nctar and apricot halves. It was too sweet and too thick. Use one or the other.
Brown the chicken in a pan on medium heat. Then add the onion for a minute or so before pouring in the apricot nectar/halves and both the packet mixes. Mix it all up and simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes. Add the diced capsicum a minute or two before you turn it off so it stays crisp. You may need to add a little water if it starts drying out.
Serve with extra steamed vegetables or as is. If you have just had your workout, then you can add a small serve of rice or potato.
Chili Con Carne
Cost: about $12 to feed 3-4
Ingredients:
500g beef mince
Chili con carne mix (maggi)
1 diced onion
400g can of red kidney beans
500-600g jar of tomato pasta sauce or 400g can of diced tomatoes or 2-3 large diced tomatoes
Brown the beef mince in a large frypan on medium heat. Throw in the onion for a minute or so before adding the tomato sauce/tomatoes, the packet mix and the kidney beans. Stir it all together and simmer for 5-10 minutes. You may need to add a little water if it starts drying out.
Serve with extra steamed vegetables or as is. If you have just had your workout, then you can add a small serve of rice or potato.
I will often make chili with my own blend of herbs and spices. I can’t tell you what it is because it is different every time, but includes cajun spices, paprika, chili, cayenne pepper, onion flakes/powder, ginger, sea salt, and whatever other blends of chili or hot’n’spicy mixes I have at the time.
Beef Chow Mein / Savoury Mince
Cost: about $10 to feed 3-4
Ingredients:
500g beef mince
chow mein or savoury mince mix (Continental)
1 onion
500g mixed frozen vegetables
Brown the beef mince in a large frypan on medium heat, then add the onion for a minute. add half a cup of water and the packet mix and stir through. Then add the entire pack of vegetables and stir it through as well, simmering for 5-10 minutes.You may need to add more water if it starts drying out.
Traditionally this is prepared with sliced cabbage through it. I just threw in whatever I had and you can do the same. Just cos the recipe says, doesn’t mean it has to.
Serve as is. If you have just had your workout, then you can add a small serve of rice or potato.
Turkey Chili
Cost: about $12 to feed 3-4
Ingredients:
500g turkey mince (i got it from coles)
500-600g jar of tomato pasta sauce or 400g can of diced tomatoes or 2-3 large diced tomatoes
Chili con carne mix (maggi) or your own spices
1 onion
1 red capsicum
500g frozen green beans
400g can of red kidney beans
Brown the turkey mince in a large frypan on medium heat. Throw in the onion for a minute or so before adding the tomato sauce/tomatoes, the packet mix and the kidney beans. Stir it all together then add the green beans and simmer for 5-10 minutes. You may need to add a little water if it starts drying out.
Serve as is. If you have just had your workout, then you can add a small serve of rice or potato.
Thai Green Chicken Curry
Cost: about $11 to feed 3-4
Ingredients:
500g chicken mince or diced chicken or 2 chicken breasts
400g can of coconut milk
Sachet of Thai green curry paste
1 onion
1 red capsicum
1 green capsicum
Brown the chicken in a large frypan on medium heat. Throw in the onion for a minute or so before adding the coconut milk and the curry paste. Mix together thoroughly, then simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the capsicum a minute or two before you serve it. You may need to add a little water if it starts drying out.
Serve with extra steamed vegetables or as is. If you have just had your workout, then you can add a small serve of rice or potato.
If you like it hot, add your favourite spices too. It’s good for the sinuses!
Shopping List
If you’re heading to the shops keen to try the preceding dishes, heres your shopping list. You also have the choice to make double the quantity of the dishes as I did so you have more leftovers. It’s not hard to double quantities as long as you have a frypan big enough.
2 chicken breasts or 500g diced chicken
2 x 500g beef mince
500g turkey mince (i got it from coles)
500g chicken mince or diced chicken or 2 chicken breasts
5 onions
3 red capsicums
1 green capsicum
500g mixed frozen vegetables
500g frozen green beans
chow mein or savoury mince mix (Continental)
2 x Chili con carne mix (maggi) or your own spices
Apricot chicken powder mix (Maggi)
French onion soup powder mix
Sachet of Thai green curry paste
2 x 400g can of red kidney beans
2 x 500-600g jar of tomato pasta sauce or 400g can of diced tomatoes or 2-3 large diced tomatoes
400g can of apricot nectar or 400g can of apricot halves
400g can of coconut milk
Here’s some other meal ideas we’ve had on the blog for a while:
www.travissawyer.com/2012/03/20/healthy-low-carb-breakfast-ideas-for-weight-loss
www.travissawyer.com/2012/05/03/healthy-lunch-dinner-ideas-for-busy-people
And for those of you on facebook you can check out www.facebook.com/FitnessRecipes. I’m not saying all their recipes comply with our food rules but there’s plenty more ideas there for you.
