Diets are wrong on so many levels and I know that because I attempt one at least once a year with disappointing results and an even more disappointing mood, but let’s face it: sometimes we come back from a long holiday and feel that a little detox is needed.
Needless to say most people turn their noses up at “healthy recipes”, thinking they will be bland and flavourless: they couldn’t be further from the truth.
And please rest assured that I could not betray myself and my belief that food makes this world a better place by going for weight-loss shakes or suggesting you eat only a teeny-tiny salad; if you want to keep up healthy eating habits the grub has to be decent.
I enjoy snacking on rye crackers dipped in roast garlic and aubergine puree (no mayo, just olive oil, lemon juice and cumin), raw broccoli and hummus, a little pot of curried red lentils or a cheeky slice of granary toast with honey.
And when dinner time arrives I go for simple meals like grilled mackerel sprinkled with lemon juice, parsley and garlic; a grilled pork chop with roast cauliflower and red onion smothered in ground coriander; skinless roast chicken seasoned with lemon grass paste and vegetarian rice noodles as a side.
But my all-time favourite is the easiest and tastiest recipe of them all: a little salmon of oriental inspiration.
Serves 2
2 salmon fillets or steaks
Juice of an orange
Ground or grated ginger to taste
1 garlic clove crushed (or 5 if you love garlic)
4 tablespoons soy
1 teaspoon clear honey
Place the salmon in a baking dish lined with tin foil, rub the garlic and ginger on it and pour the orange juice, honey and soy sauce over it.
Now, this is the tricky part, make a parcel with the tin foil and place the salmon in the oven (gas mark 6 – 180C) for 20 minutes.
Once cooked get it out, serve with a little brown rice and steamed broccoli and eat to your heart’s content.
Can you see that guilty conscience hovering over you? No, me neither.
