Everybody has a different metabolism. Diets that work for one person may not work for you. However, some recipes can help anyone lose weight. That being said, here’s a list of some best healthy recipes that are recommended by experts.
Aubergine Tagine with Lemon and Apricots
Ingredients you’ll need:
- 2-3 aubergines cut into chunks
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2-3 onions, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger
- One and a half teaspoons of ras el hanout
- One and a half teaspoons of sweet smoked paprika
- A pinch of saffron
- 300 mil of chicken stock (you can also opt for vegetable stock)
- 1-2 lemons, roughly chopped
- Greek yogurt (optional)
- Wholemeal bulghar wheat (optional)
- 2-3 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped mint
- 120 grams of fried apricot, cut in halves
- 200 grams of tomatoes, chopped into chunks
- 1-2 tablespoons of honey
- Lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
Instructions to make the Aubergine Tagine with Lemon and Apricots
Step 1: You start by heating a pan and adding around two tablespoons of olive oil. Then, add the aubergines and let them cook until they become golden brown on all sides. However, make sure it doesn’t turn soft in the middle.
Step 2: On a heavy-based shallow lidded pan, heat some oil and pour in the ginger, spices, onions and then fry until they turn into a soft and golden mixture.
Note: While the onions are being fried, you can add the saffron to the chicken stock (or vegetable stock) to soak.
Step 3: Add the lemon, tomatoes, apricots, honey, lemon juice and saffron stock to the onion and spice mixture. Cook for a few seconds and then add in the aubergines. Now, cover it properly with a lid and let it cook for around 25-30 minutes.
Tip: The aubergines should be tender. And, don’t forget to season with salt and ground pepper, if you want.
Step 4: The last phase includes adding the lemon zest, chopped mint, chopped parsley and sesame seeds. You can serve it with Grek yogurt and wholemeal bulgar wheat.
Reviews:
“I made this in a slow cooker and without the preserved lemon because I don’t have a tagine and I couldn’t find preserved lemons. I think I would make it again, but with half the amount of apricot and honey and perhaps a can of chickpeas for texture. It was flavoursome but very sweet. However, my veggie-phobic toddler cleaned her plate, so can’t complain!” – From Sam
“I was so looking forward to this food but it was really bad! I love Aubergines, but this recipe has too many sweet things I think. Also I added preserved lemons, I had to use sliced ones as I couldn’t find whole ones. The taste and smell of the preserved lemons was like weird washing up liquid and mixed with all the other sweet ingredients in this, it totally ruined the taste. I didn’t even serve it up! I won’t try this again, its put me off aubergines for a while too.” – From Louis
Pesto Chicken Salad
Ingredients you’ll need:
- 2-3 tablespoons of pesto
- 2 tablespoons of fat-free yogurt
- 50 grams of couscous
- 2 cooked chicken breast
- A few leaves basil leaves
- 1 cucumber, roughly chopped
- 2 sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced
- Lettuce leaves
- 2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts
Instructions to make the Pesto Chicken Salad
Step 1: You start by pouring the couscous into a large heatproof bowl and then adding around 100 ml of boiling water. Add one tablespoon of pesto and then cover the bowl. Set it aside for around 5-10 minutes.
Step 2: After fluffing the couscous with a fork, add the remaining pesto, the yogurt and the seasoning. You can stir in the chicken, cucumber, tomatoes and basil.
Step 3: Now, garnish some pine nuts and basil leaves over the couscous mix.
Step 4: Take a few spoons of couscous mix and add to lettuce leaves.
