BEEF PARTY BITES under 50 calories

Here is a very simple recipe for leftover beef - and will keep your party guests happy too! You'll never believe these weigh in at under 50 calories each. If you are on a budget, these work out at around 2p each plus the filling - whichever you choose.
We used a mini muffin tin, making 18 beef party bites with this batter recipe:
75g plain flour, 1 egg, 115 ml milk plus 25 ml water (or use all milk). Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Put the flour, salt and pepper into a bowl and make a well, crack the egg into the well with a small amount of the milk. Using a whisk, gradually add the rest of the liquid. Leave to rest in the fridge for at least an hour - the longer the better.
Add a very small amount of fat (such as goose fat or lard) to the muffin tin. The tip of a teaspoon should be sufficient. Put the muffin tin into the oven while it's heating up.
Bake in a very hot oven 200ºC for 20 minutes.
Make a hole in the top of each pudding and insert (reheated) beef with a touch of horseradish sauce. If you prefer you can fill with freshly fried pieces of steak. We reheated brisket of beef in the microwave oven and added a dash of hot gravy too. Season with salt and pepper. Alternatively, fry beef chipolatas and put slices of these inside.

**********

Be who you want to be.

Do you know how many calories you can eat each day?

Our very first blog post about our weight loss journey - back in 2011.

You'll find our successful WEIGHT LOSS STORY here. Tweak what you eat and lose weight.

Copyright © forget dieting forever (2014), all rights reserved.

Please do not copy any of this material without our express permission.

SPICY PASTA WITH FETA

Pasta with feta with a refreshing yoghurt and pea dressing. 

Losing weight eating great food is also our secret to keeping the weight off. 

Give you body a good balance of everything to help eliminate cravings. 

Eat regularly, but most of all enjoy what you are eating. 

Calories in - calories out may sound too simplistic (and boring), but at the beginning of 2011we developed this simple equation into a very simple and successful WEIGHT LOSS PLAN, which helped us to lose over 7 stone between us. We learned there is no need to starve and no special foods are required.

Maintaining the weight seems to have surprised a lot of people - and almost 4 years later, we've continued to keep the weight off. Unlike lots of diets where the weight just piles back on once the diet is over.

To make this pasta dish, there are two stages - the yoghurt dressing can be made first and you can set it aside until you are ready to make the rest. We doubled up on the yoghurt dressing so we can use it again. In fact, you can double up on all the ingredients, as this is delicious eaten cold. Take it to work and your friends will be jealous of your tasty salad bowl.

Here's how we made this dish, adapted from an Ottolenghi recipe.

SPICY PASTA - serves TWO
Yoghurt dressing

60g natural yoghurt

25ml olive oil

50g frozen and defrosted peas

crushed clove garlic

salt/pepper

Blend yoghurt with 25ml of the olive oil, 50g of the peas and crushed garlic. Add salt and pepper.Mix until you have a pale green sauce. Set aside until later.

Spicy pasta

120g dried pasta

100g frozen peas

15g pine nuts (or chopped hazelnuts)

20 ml olive oil

1/4 teaspoon of chilli flakes (if you like it hot, use half teaspoon)

15g fresh basil leaves

50g feta cheese 

salt/pepper

Cook the pasta according to the instructions.  Add the frozen peas for the last couple of minutes.Drain well because the shells fill up with water, then very slowly, add the pasta to the sauce (so it doesn't split). 

Place the 20ml oil into a small frying pan. Add your chilli flakes and pine nuts. Cook gently until golden brown - 4-5 minutes.

Tear basil, crumble the feta and mix into the pasta. Top with the pine nuts and drizzle with the chilli/oil.

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Be who you want to be.

Eat great and lose weight. 

Copyright © forget dieting forever (2014), all rights reserved.

Please do not copy any of this material without our express permission.

CAVOLO NERO

We bought a pack of CAVOLO NERO - also called cavalo nero or black kale. I realise it's been a long time before trying this mysterious looking vegetable, but it has quickly become one of our favourites.
I like cabbage to have a bit of a bite, but sometimes it can be tough, especially the dark green leaves. We were pleasantly surprised - the kale gave just the right amount of bite yet was incredibly soft at the same time. The flavour was interesting, not bitter at all, and it was ready in minutes. Just remove the stalks and cut into 1.5cm squares then heat through in a saucepan with a small knob of butter and a couple of tablespoons of water.
After hunting around on the internet, we've seen cavalo nero used in a lot of pasta recipes too. Something for us to try later.
This time we enjoyed eating it with a roast chicken dinner. Follow this link, if you would like to know how to make the lovely chicken gravy. We make our gravy without stock cubes - only using the roasting juices.

***

Be who you want to be.

Do you know how many calories you can eat each day?

Our very first blog post about our weight loss journey - back in 2011.

You'll find our successful WEIGHT LOSS STORY here. Tweak what you eat and lose weight.

Copyright © forget dieting forever (2014), all rights reserved.

Please do not copy any of this material without our express permission.

How to make sausage rolls

If you want to get ahead for Christmas, here's a very simple cheat's SAUSAGE ROLL recipe. It's one of our favourites and we make these ahead and freeze uncooked. Look out for good quality sausages with a lower fat content, as these will not only taste more meaty, but will also be lower in calories. Why not try flavoured sausages too?
You may have to make double the quantity because they are irresistible and disappear quickly! Here's the recipe:

FESTIVE SAUSAGE ROLLS

Ingredients

500g of good sausages with a high meat content 

500g packet of ready made flaky or puff pastry

one beaten egg (or milk) 

****

Roll out the pastry and cut into strips wide enough to take the sausage meat.  

Remove sausage skins, roll sausage meat into a longer sausage about 1.5-2cm diameter.

Place sausage meat onto the pastry.  

Wrap pastry around the sausage meat and seal the edges with a little milk or egg.

(At this stage, you can freeze on a tray provided you have used ingredients not previously frozen).

Brush the top with beaten egg or milk.  

Cut into whatever size you want and cook in a hottish oven, around 180ºC, until brown (approximately 20 - 30 mins).

****

Be who you want to be.

Do you know how many calories you can eat each day?

Our very first blog post about our weight loss journey - back in 2011.

You'll find our successful WEIGHT LOSS STORY here. Tweak what you eat and lose weight.

Copyright © forget dieting forever (2014), all rights reserved.

Please do not copy any of this material without our express permission.

RECIPE for leftover pork

What do you do with leftover roast pork? Once upon a time a Sunday roast dinner would carry on feeding a family throughout the week. We found ourselves - several days later doing just that.
Over the weekend we enjoyed roast shoulder of pork, and there was plenty of meat left.
Nothing was wasted; we made - A PULLED PORK SANDWICH and a second roast pork dinner.
In both cases, we wrapped the pork in foil and reheated thoroughly in the oven.
For the PULLED PORK recipe, you will need to shred the pork and coat lightly with the following ingredients (or use a ready prepared marinade):
One tsp smoked paprika, one tsp cumin, 2 small cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, a glug of tomato ketchup, 10-15ml honey, half teaspoon of black pepper & salt, one onion. Blend thoroughly then coat pork and place into a hot oven and cook until piping hot. Add crunchy lettuce and coleslaw to finish. 

****

Be who you want to be.

Do you know how many calories you can eat each day?

Our very first blog post about our weight loss journey - back in 2011.
You'll find our successful weight loss story here.

Tweak what you eat and lose weight.

Copyright © forget dieting forever (2014), all rights reserved.

MONKFISH SCAMPI

We saw MONKFISH SCAMPI being cooked on a television programme. This is how old fashioned scampi used to be made, although now scampi contains langoustines.
As monkfish was the only option at the supermarket, we decided to have a go at making our own scampi. It was surprisingly easy to make too.
SERVES TWO (as a starter):  Cut around 180g of monkfish into 8 pieces (approx 2cm each). The monkfish bone is easy to remove, alternatively you can ask the fishmonger to take it out. Season with salt, pepper and even add a bit spice if you fancy e.g. curry, chilli, smoked paprika then flour, egg and breadcrumb them. We used Panko breadcrumbs for two reasons - they deliver a light and crunchy result, and we had them in the cupboard. We served ours with mushy peas, to which we added a teaspoon of mint sauce. Shallow fry the scampi until golden brown - 4 to 5 minutes should be enough.
You know we ate this type of food while losing weight. We're now keeping the weight off. It's about eating food you really enjoy, and filling up. No need for hunger!

Be who you want to be.

Do you know how many calories you can eat each day?

Our very first blog post about our weight loss journey - back in 2011.

You'll find our successful weight loss story here.
Tweak what you eat and lose weight.

Copyright © forget dieting forever (2014), all rights reserved.

Recipe for leftover lamb

If you are wondering how to use up leftover lamb, this SPICY LAMB WRAP recipe proved to be a big hit.
With around 100g of leftover lamb, we wondered what to make. There wasn't enough for the usual shepherd's pie.
I don't know about you, but cold lamb looks very uninspiring. However, it resurrects beautifully because of the fat content.
We opted for a wrap, but wanted something spicy and interesting.
Unlike most TV celebrity chef's we just do not have every ingredient to hand. Using the ingredients we did have transformed leftover lamb into a very tasty budget meal.
You can add a sprinkle of your own favourite spice - harissa, chilli etc - before you reheat the lamb, or season with salt and pepper.
The shredded lamb can be heated through in a hot oven, dry fried or microwaved. If you want crispy lamb, as we did, use the oven or pan.
The SECRET here was the combination of cheese and lamb, which makes it oh so spectacular, and something you would easily pay good money for.
Here's our recipe:

Making perfect gravy

If you're after the PERFECT GRAVY here is a gadget you shouldn't be without. Cooking a  Christmas roast dinner can be daunting - so why not try this gravy making tip.
We know some meats are much fattier than others, especially lamb, and we always use a fat separator to remove the fat. It's a well used gadget in our kitchen. Removing the fat does not remove the flavour.
Here's how we make our gravy. Unlike a traditional chef (roux) method - using flour and fat - we find this way of making gravy so much easier.
When you roast a joint of meat or a chicken, put chopped carrots, onions, celery and herbs at the bottom of the roasting tin. Sit the joint of meat on top of the vegetables, add water to cover the vegetables and roast in the usual way. We cover the roast with foil for half the roasting time.
Around half way through the roasting time, pour off half of the roasting juices.
Carefully tip the juices through the fat separator (you will see the fat layer forming at the bottom of the jug). When you pour the juices out, the fat remains at the bottom. Put the juices aside in a small saucepan.
After roasting the meat, take the remaining vegetables and roasting juices and press through a sieve. Discard the vegetables.
Next, pour the remaining juices through the fat separator and add to the saucepan. Add cornflour to thicken, bring to the boil and cook for a couple of minutes. Finally, season to taste - salt, pepper and a little Worcestershire sauce should be all that's necessary.

***

Be who you want to be.

Do you know how many calories you can eat each day?

Our very first blog post about our weight loss journey - back in 2011.

You'll find our successful weight loss story here.
Tweak what you eat and lose weight.

Copyright © forget dieting forever (2014), all rights reserved.

EASY CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

Cream of mushroom soup packed full of flavour ! How can you make this without lots of effort? For a busy cook, this can be made the night before and finished off later. Take a look at the recipe below.
Using a little cream made a very light and tasty lunch just a little more decadent - without the calories. Each 300ml bowl of soup was around 200 calories; no need to spare the bread!
After ordering a mushroom veloute in a restaurant the other week, we thought we would try to make it ourselves. For a first effort, this was surprisingly good.

Be who you want to be.

Do you know how many calories you can eat each day?

Our very first blog post about our weight loss journey - back in 2011.

You'll find our successful weight loss story here.
Tweak what you eat and lose weight.

Copyright © forget dieting forever (2014), all rights reserved.

Here's the easy recipe:

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

This SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN recipe was from Ottolenghi's website.
The interesting technique here was to brine the chicken beforehand. It all sounds very technical, but I can assure you it was easy enough. It's not time consuming either, as you can prepare the brine the night before and leave the chicken to 'marinate' for 24 hours.
One good reason to brine the chicken is so that it remains very moist on the inside. The spicy coating was intriguing and very more-ish. You could easily adapt this so why not experiment?
What's the verdict - for a first attempt too? Does brining chicken make a difference? Would we make this again?

Fabulous Toad in the Hole

A good Toad in the Hole is crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. Never soggy.
There are so many recipes for this (Yorkshire pudding) batter. On this occasion we made a batter with just whole milk. Sometimes we use milk and water. Using all milk gave a soft doughy base and perfect, well risen crust. The best tip for a great result is to leave the batter to rest (see why below).
Here's the recipe we used:

QUICK ONION BHAJI RECIPE

This onion bhaji recipe was an instant hit in our household despite having no gram flour. The spicy snack went well with refreshing raita and a small side salad. A squeeze of lemon was all that was needed for a delicious starter. 

Onion bhajis are usually made with gram and/or rice flour which we didn't have. But… the overriding spicy crunch more than compensated for the lack of authentic ingredients. Buying ingredients can soon become an expensive pastime, and we try to use what we have available. 

Take a look at how we made these tasty morsels:

Leftover chicken Thai style

Thai style chicken salad, using leftover chicken was the order of the day. What a tasty way to use leftover chicken (or stretching a pack of pre-cooked chicken) to make a wonderful meal.
We cooked dried noodles - following the instructions on the pack, and cooled them down with cold water. To this we added a selection of crunchy chopped salad vegetables - carrot, iceberg lettuce, red onion, red pepper and cucumber. There was also half a red chilli pepper lurking in the fridge, so we used that and added fresh coriander that we had planned for something else.
The salad was tossed in a lovely Thai dressing - you can buy one or make your own; here's our recipe which we love and keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Make twice as much of this salad/dressing and enjoy in your lunch box the next day - your friends will be jealous!

Thai dressing

1 tablespoon of oil (we used sesame but use whatever you have)

teaspoon of honey

juice of half a lime (you could add some zest too if you wish)

coriander - I used a good sprinkle of dried as I had no fresh

half a red chilli - deseeded and chopped
salt (or a drop of fish sauce)

Finishing touch
add a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds

***

Be who you want to be.

Do you know how many calories you can eat each day?

Our very first blog post about our weight loss journey - back in 2011.

You'll find our successful weight loss story here.
Tweak what you eat and lose weight.

Copyright © forget dieting forever (2014), all rights reserved.

Please do not copy any of this material without our express permission.

Leek and potato soup recipe

LEEK & POTATO soup is a classic recipe - add cream or use milk. But what type of milk should you use?  Full fat or semi-skimmed milk? The reason I prefer to use full fat milk is because it doesn't split when heated. There is the potential for semi-skimmed milk to split. So what happened when I used semi-skimmed milk today because I didn't have any full fat milk? I was surprised to find the milk didn't split, although the top of the soup looked very frothy and messy. I was being more careful and ensured the soup was cooked on a very low heat. Simmering rather than overheating. All this didn't matter at all, once it had gone through the blender. It tasted just as I would have expected.
Soups are generally quick and easy to make and very economical.  One of the local supermarkets was selling 500g packs of leeks for just 65p this week. The great thing is, leeks are now in season and taste so much sweeter. With very few calories, you could add a couple of spoonfuls of double cream to the finished soup. Who would think this creamy soup is low in calories too - at around 150 calories per portion.
Here's our recipe for a creamy leek and potato soup:

LOSE WEIGHT - EAT FROM A SMALLER PLATE?

Can you lose weight eating from a smaller plate? I tested this theory - unintentionally - and was surprised at the results.
I was preparing a couple of salads using two different plates, the one on the right being slightly smaller by 3cm.
Having dined on soups and stews for a few days, while studying, I was really looking forward to lots of crunchy vegetables. Before I realised there were two large salads staring at me, and they looked about equal in content. Then I thought, why not weigh them and of course deducting the weight of each plate. That's when I found the smaller plate weighed 50g more than the large plate on the left. Without thinking, I was actually adding more food to my (smaller) plate, almost as if I was trying to make up for the difference in size. I suppose it didn't really matter, as 50g more salad wouldn't really make a difference to the number of calories on the plate.
If you're thinking of using the smaller plate to help lose weight, then you may be eating more than you think! A good set of scales will set you on the right track.

Be who you want to be.

Do you know how many calories you can eat each day?

Our very first blog post about our weight loss journey - back in 2011.

You'll find our successful weight loss story here. Tweak what you eat and lose weight.

Copyright © forget dieting forever (2014), all rights reserved.
Please do not copy any of this material without our express permission.

How to cook a tender steak

How to cook steak? The secret to a good steak is more to do with the resting of the meat than cooking. Resting, will keep the juices inside the meat allowing it to relax and the steak will be more tender as a result. 

For this 170g piece of fillet steak, we cooked each side for about 2 minutes then placed in the oven for 4 minutes (medium rare). Then we let the meat rest for 5 minutes, covered with foil, briefly returning it to the frying pan and flash frying before serving. The juices were added to the sauce for more flavour.

Here's the recipe for the sauce. You can swap the peppercorns for sliced mushrooms if you prefer. If you do this, add them to the pan along with the shallots.

Peppercorn sauce

Ingredients



2 finely diced shallots


1 clove garlic (chopped)


2 teaspoons 

Worcestershire sauce


2 tablespoons of Brandy 


90ml of beef stock (or half a stock cube)


fresh double cream


1 teaspoon peppercorns 


1 teaspoon Dijon mustard


salt/pepper 
*


Lightly fry the shallots until soft and stir in the garlic.
 

Add the Worcestershire sauce, Brandy, stock and mustard.


Simmer for around 20 minutes - to reduce it to about a third.


Sieve out the onions and garlic.


Season with salt and pepper - taste the sauce first as the Worcestershire sauce/stock can be salty.

Add peppercorns.

Turn off the heat.

Stir in the cream - we used around 3 tablespoons. 

*

Be who you want to be.

Do you know how many calories you can eat each day?

Our very first blog post about our weight loss journey - back in 2011.

You'll find our successful weight loss story here. Tweak what you eat and lose weight.

Copyright © forget dieting forever (2014), all rights reserved.
Please do not copy any of this material without our express permission.

What to do with CARROTS

When carrots take centre stage, they just have to be good. These were no exception.
Roasted spicy carrots on a bed of cool yoghurt was a hit.
If you are stuck for a simple but very tasty vegetarian dish and love spice as we do, then why not give this recipe a try?
Not only is it satisfying, but it will suit all budgets and be ready in no time at all.
We served ours with home made couscous and a rocket salad. If you don't have time, why not buy a ready made pot of couscous for convenience.
This would make a great starter or light lunch.
Here's how we made this dish:

SPICY CARROTS

Ingredients - serves 2

400g carrots

half teaspoon of Harissa - dry spice mix (not the paste)

two teaspoons of oil 

a pot of plain yoghurt (we used full-fat Greek yoghurt)

half lemon, zested

handful of chopped flat leaf parsley and/or mint

optional: za'atar spice (see my note below) or paprika 

salt and black pepper

*

NOTE: We had the za'atar spice in the cupboard and used this to sprinkle over the yoghurt. If we hadn't had that spice, we would have sprinkled a few pinches of paprika instead. The flavour is essentially in the marinated carrots. 

*

Mix the Harissa spice with the oil and place into a plastic bag. 

Cut the carrots in half, lengthways. Place into the bag and distribute the spice mix. Leave for at least half an hour. 

Heat the oven to 180ºC. Place carrots onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast, covered with foil for 30 minutes. Remove foil, turn carrots over and continue to cook for a further 10-20 minutes until soft.

Spread the yoghurt onto a plate and sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and a few pinches of either paprika or za'atar. 

Place carrots onto yoghurt. Sprinkle the lemon zest and scatter chopped herbs - we used parsley today, as that's all we had. You could use mint and/or coriander. Why not experiment. 

Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve with rocket salad. Add couscous if you like or perhaps crumble some salty feta cheese. 

*

Be who you want to be.

Do you know how many calories you can eat each day?

Our very first blog post about our weight loss journey - back in 2011.

You'll find our successful WEIGHT LOSS STORY here. Tweak what you eat and lose weight.

Copyright © forget dieting forever (2014), all rights reserved.
Please do not copy any of this material without our express permission.

What to do with MINCED LAMB?

This SPICY LAMB ROLL recipe is a take on a sausage roll, but it's much more than that. Turn a snack into a main meal without spending a fortune or investing a lot of time.
For a first attempt, the results were memorable and we couldn't get over just how soft and tender the lamb was.
We served with a quick and easy spicy coleslaw (recipe to follow).
Testing the spice level was most enjoyable: take a couple of spoonfuls of the mixture and lightly fry. Everyone's tastebuds differ, so adjust the spiciness to suit. Although we both agreed on the portion of spice (as per the recipe below), we could have been a little more adventurous and added more. Once the lamb roll had cooled down, the spiciness was less obvious.
The recipe can be adapted to make lots of small sausage rolls, and we're sure your guests will love them.
Making the pastry was easy enough using a small hand blender/chopper. It made light work of the old fashioned 'rubbing in' process; leaving behind sticky fingers with the finished breadcrumb texture visible in just seconds.
Here's the recipe:

Hot smoked salmon salad

This hot smoked salmon salad is very quick and easy to assemble. 

So simple yet so tasty. 

The zesty yoghurt dressing is perhaps our favourite component. If you are looking for a simple, low calorie potato salad recipe, this dressing is a must. 

We bought chilli flavoured hot smoked salmon today. Alternatively you could use smoked trout, as we have done in the past. 

The potatoes work well warm or cold, so why not make a large batch of potato salad? A great lunchbox idea too. Here's the recipe:

Easy vegetable curry

What a colourful vegetable curry. 

After a relaxing break away eating mainly fish, we felt the need for vegetables. 

We had planned a full Sunday roast, but the weather was so unusually warm - and spending time in a hot kitchen was out of the question. 

This easy curry recipe was ready in no time - and we managed to use all the vegetables we had bought. A great budget recipe too.

EASY VEGETABLE CURRY
Serves 4

Ingredients 

half medium cauliflower
2 medium carrots
2 onions
1 parsnip
1 red pepper (optional)
two large potatoes e.g. Maris Piper
50-75g green lentils (optional)
olive oil

4 teaspoons mild curry powder

one large green chilli - (include seeds for a bit of a kick)

one inch grated ginger

two cloves garlic

couple of onions (chopped)

salt/pepper

one large tin chopped tomatoes - or equivalent chopped fresh tomatoes (about 5 large)
150ml water or stock
plain yogurt to serve

****
Pre-cook the lentils (if using) according to the packet instructions. Set aside.

Chop the onions and lightly fry until soft. Add chopped garlic, curry powder, chopped chilli and ginger.  Cook for 5 minutes then transfer to a large saucepan.

Chop potatoes, parsnip, carrots and pepper into 1cm cubes. Add to the pan with the water/stock.

Chop tomatoes - or use canned tomatoes and add to the pan.

Divide cauliflower into small florets and add to the pan.

Season with salt and pepper. Cook for approx 15 minutes.

Add the lentils and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked to your liking.

Taste and season again if necessary. Yogurt will take out some of the heat if required. It's difficult to judge the heat of a chilli, and this can be a bit of trial and error.
***

REMEMBER: We all have a calorie allowance - do you know yours?

We began our weight loss journey in January 2011. Since then we have lost 7 stone between us and more importantly, we haven't put the weight back on.
You'll find our first blog post (here).

Read about our successful diet and find out how you can lose weight eating the food you really prefer like many others have too.
Copyright © forget dieting forever, all rights reserved

POTATO ROSTI WITH AN UNUSUAL HINT OF SPICE

POTATO & BACON ROSTI with an interesting spicy twist.
While making these potato cakes, we experimented with the flavours and were more than pleasantly surprised with the results.
The combination of ingredients is not something that instantly springs to mind when thinking of savoury dishes using potatoes. However our tastebuds were delighted with the outcome.
You often see cinnamon and bacon paired together in a savoury bread roll, and this was partly our inspiration. You also see similar spices used to flavour ham.
The gentle warmth from the Speculaas Spice mix certainly livened up the whole dish in an unusual and surprising way. The spice mix contains nine different spices including cinnamon, cloves and ginger, all contributing a subtle depth of flavour to the potato.
Our recipe below would make a perfect breakfast or a light supper meal with the addition of eggs.

HOW MANY CALORIES IN CHICKEN CHASSEUR

CHICKEN CHASSEUR is a hearty casserole yet  light on calories - and a great budget meal.
Eat with fluffy mashed potatoes or crispy roasters for a bit of crunch.
With a small amount of preparation, this one pot meal will take care of itself in the oven. We leave most of the skin on the chicken while the dish is cooking, as this helps keep the meat moist and adds flavour to the sauce. Just trim off the excess fat underneath the thigh.
Be careful with the tarragon, as a little goes a very long way.
We've maintained our weight loss by keeping an eye on 'calories'. Estimating calories has worked for us - keeping our weight stable, without having to resort to precise calorie counting. When we eat out we can only guess at the ingredients, and try to make an informed estimate based on what we've learned about calories. This dish has such a complexity of flavours, you would possibly imagine it is loaded with calories as a result, but it's not. We would estimate this dish at around 450 calories.

REMEMBER: We all have a calorie allowance - do you know yours?

We began our weight loss journey in January 2011.
You'll find our first blog post (here).

Read about our successful weight loss story and find out how you can lose weight eating the food you really prefer.
Here's the chicken chasseur recipe: