I am desperately in need of some suggestions for really tasty low-calorie meals.
I bought Tom Kerridge's book, which is very good , and got some ideas from that, but some of it is a bit of a faff.
so please, I am sure the collective appetites of Wammers must have some good ideas.
Perhaps I can help. I actually qualified at college in cooking and food hygiene. Mrs. P has special dietary needs due to ongoing health issues.
Diets don't work, the trick is to have smaller portions. As long as you are having a balanced diet: carbs, vitamins and nutrients and acids . Substitute salt by seasoning your food with herbs and spices, such as dried oregano, paprika... if you crave a little salt, then fry some smoked bacon in a little olive oil and remove the bacon before adding other ingredients.
One dish that Mrs. P adores is a steamed chicken dish.
Chicken breasts; mushrooms; sun-dried tomatoes; Bell peppers; rice or cous cous or potatoes; mixed salad or veggies of choice
Method:
Char the peppers off under a screaming hot grill. Once the outside is blackened wrap in cling film or foil.
Bat the chicken breasts thin between brown parchment paper or cling film until really thin. Coat the breasts on both sides with dried herbs. Blitz the mushrooms to a fine powder and dry the moisture off with kitchen towel. Add the mushrooms and or sun-dried tomatoes to the centre of the chicken breasts. Then roll tightly in kitchen foil then add to the steamer. Steam on a medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how thin the breasts are.
You can stuff the peppers with the cooked rice or cous cous or mash the potatoes (use a little extra virgin olive oil or rapeseed oil rather than butter). Serve with your chosen veggies or salad.
You can use fish as an alternative or stuffed cabbage, which works really well. Including the prep it takes around 35 minutes, but you can grill the peppers in advance.
Hope this helps.