Author: Dr Nancy P

Recipes

Quorn ‘chicken’ catchyuppy!

Dr Nancy P

This is an adaptation of an old favourite of mine. It’s actually a cacciatore but I always used to call it catchyuppy as a child so the band has stuck! I used to use left over roast chicken for this (and you obviously can too) but this version is vegetarian and lower in calories, but still just as yummy and filling! It’s also quick and easy to make.

I like to use the quorn chicken fajita strips in this but you can use any of the chicken pieces if you prefer. You can use any veg you like and if you’re short on time you can use the frozen packs of roasted veg (they usually contain courgette, pepper, onion, aubergine). Also it’s worth noting that Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies so if you’re vegetarian then double check – Biona and other companies make one without the use of animal products and it’s widely available.

This serves 4 at about 270 cals per portion.

You will need:

Approx 300g quorn chicken (2 packs of fajita strips)

400g passata

300g mixed vegetables (either a pack or 1 onion, 1 pepper, 1 courgette, 1 small aubergine)

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 tsp mixed herbs

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 vegetable stock cube

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

1/2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp of sugar

Salt and pepper

If using fresh veg then prepare it and chop it up. Heat a little oil in a pan, add the onions and pepper first, allow to soften then add the courgette and aubergine (if using a pack then just throw it all in at once). Add the quorn chicken and allow to brown a little.

Cook for a couple of mins and then add the passata. Stir well and bring to a slow simmer. Add the stock cube, all the spices, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and stir well. Add the sugar (this brings out a richer tomato flavour).

Bring to a simmer and allow to cook through for about 10-15 mins.

Serve with green veg and grains.

enjoy 🙂

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Meal frequency and weight loss

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Meal frequency and weight loss 🥘🥗

There’s lots of confusion about meal frequency and weight loss: eat more often to lose weight, or eat less often to lose weight? Actually how much you eat matters more than how often you eat. If you want to lose fat the most important thing is to reduce your calorie intake.

Eating more small meals = faster metabolism = more weight loss?

Sadly not – yes digestion increases metabolic rate BUT it depends on the amount of cals, not how often you eat. Eating 1200 cals in one meal or 3 small meals makes no difference. Studies have shown that when total cals are controlled eating more or less often makes no difference. What it might do though is affect your ability to stick to those calories!

Skipping meals is bad? Scientifically it’s not, it won’t suddenly cause you to enter starvation mode and magically store fat – it all comes down to calories. What it may do is make you hungrier later or cause you to snack more or make bad choices, equally it could mean you don’t have the energy to workout and make you less active, burning less cals. So stick to what works for you.

Consider eating less often if:

⁃ many small meals doesn’t fit your lifestyle

⁃ you don’t want to think about food all the time

⁃ you have any digestive problems (longer breaks between meals gives your body a chance to digest)

– you enjoy larger portions

Consider eating more often if:

– you struggle not to snack and want to spread your cals over the day

– you’re trying to gain weight and can’t eat enough in one meal

– you have an active job and high cal demands

– you’re an athlete

– you feel “hangry” all the time

There’s no magic number of meals per day for weight loss. Trust yourself – if you like smaller meals more often then go for it, if not stick to 3 meals or whatever. Whichever you choose though? stick to it as studies show that meal irregularity can have negative health impacts – so whether it’s 2, 3, or 6 meals a day that’s fine. But don’t forget – regardless of how many meals you split it in to, it’s the total calories that matter!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

xx

Recipes

Squashed eggs!

Dr Nancy P

We had a bumper crop of squashes in the garden this year so I’ve been thinking about different ways to cook it and thought I’d try this! There’s a little bit of prep time involved but other than that this is really simple to make and tasty too! This made enough for two people, at about 324 cals for a portion.

You will need:

2 medium squashes (ours produced about 550g of flesh)

1 bunch spring onions

1 red pepper

1 chilli

4 eggs

Feta (or your cheese of choice to crumble over the top – approx 60g)

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp mixed herbs

Salt and pepper

Prepare the squashes – chop and peel and remove the skin and seeds. Grate the flesh using a processor or hand grater and pop in a large bowl. Sprinkle with a little salt and mix well, then transfer to a colander and allow to drain for about 30-40 mins. You want to remove as much liquid as possible so transfer the flesh to a tea towel and ring out any excess water (you can be quite rough with it). Place to one side.

Preheat the oven to 190 C.

Chop the spring onions, peppers and chilli and heat up a little oil in a frying pan. Pop the onion and peppers in and allow to soften, add the chilli and cook for a further minute.

Add in the squash, paprika, herbs and seasoning and mix well. Cool until the squash is tender (5 – 7 mins).

Add a little oil to an oven proof pan or tray (whatever you have) and transfer the mixture, ensuring it’s spread evenly. Make 4 indentations in the mixture and crack an egg in to each one. Crumble feta over the top.

Pop in the oven to bake for 10-15 mins, until the whites of the eggs are set and the yolks are at the desired firmness.

Serve with a salad! Enjoy!

🙂

Xx

Recipes

Quick Healthy Banana Pancakes

Dr Nancy P

Another one of my faves! These work great as a breakfast, or light lunch or afternoon snack! They’re quick and easy to make and taste amazing! If you want something more substantial you can add some protein powder in to the mix but I tend not to bother. This makes two small pancakes, enough for one person, and comes in at approx 200 calories, plus the fruit.

You will need:

1 banana

1 egg

2 tbsp flour (any flour you like)

Cinnamon (optional)

Fruit of your choice

Mash the banana with a fork in bowl, add the egg and mix well.

The mixture will vary in consistency depending on your banana size and ripeness, and egg size – it really doesn’t matter though. Add the flour and cinnamon and mix well.

The batter will be lumpy – that’s fine too! Heat a little oil in a pan and then add the batter. Leave to cook on one side, then flip.

Serve with fruit (if you need it you can also add some maple syrup or other liquid sweetener but I find the fruit is sweet enough)

Enjoy 🙂

xx

Recipes

Spicy Peanut Quorn ‘Chicken’

Dr Nancy P

This is one of our current favourite dinners. It’s quick and easy to make and tastes amazing! You could of course use chicken instead of quorn but even if you’re not veggie I’d definitely recommend the quorn (saves calories too!). This makes 4 servings at 312 cals per serving.

You will need:

350g Quorn “chicken” (1 pack)
1 onion
1/2 pepper
100g peanut butter
400g chopped tomatoes (and some water to rinse out the can)
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tbsp soya sauce

Dice the onion and peppers. Add a little olive oil in a non-stick wok or frying pan and pop the onions and peppers in to soften. Add the quorn and allow to brown.

Add all your spices and stir well (if you’re not sure how spicy you want it then just add a little chilli here and save the rest to add later). Add the peanut butter and stir.

Then add the chopped tomatoes and use some water to rinse the can out and add that too. Finally add the soya sauce. Mix really well and allow to simmer.

Taste it and add more chilli if required. Allow to simmer for approx 5 – 10 mins. Serve with your grains of choice, or cauliflower rice.

Enjoy 🙂

Xx