Me? Cook low fat by choice?

Don't tell anyone, because it seems to herald failure, but I am trying, ever-so-slightly, to improve my diet. Nothing radical, but trying to have less days where I enjoy butter, chicken skin and all things creamy. I know that healthier food can be just delicious, but I loath 'diet food'. I'd much rather a recipe just happen to be low fat. Asian food is good there. Generally I don't go in for recipe books where the food is consciously healthy. Well, I have bought them in the past, but they tend to gather dust much more than my other cookbooks!

One book that I enjoy cooking from just because it's got some lovely recipes is The Hi Lo Cookbook High-Energy Low-Fat Recipes. It's a book from Silvana Franco. Most of the recipes I've tried from this book (and I admit it has been a while since I used it) don't give me the feeling I am depriving myself. Having said that, there is a recipe for burgers that uses 250g of meat and is said to be 6 serves. I wonder about that one.

Today's recipe though has a sense of the generous about it. The recipe serves 4, and though we are 5 two of ours can enjoy a single adult serve fairly comfortably. Especially if I ensure a big pile of pappadums and salad as well. Here's how I approached the recipe only some small changes;

Simple Spiced Chicken Biriyani

4 skinless, chicken breast fillets, cubed
1/4 tsp (or less) cayenne
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground coriander
salt to taste
1 large red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp flavourless oil
1 tbsp rosemary needles
300g basmati rice
750ml chicken stock
grated rind and juice of 1 lime
1 bunch roughly chopped coriander, stems and leaves kept separate
freshly ground black pepper
mango chutney and pappadums to serve

Toss together the chicken, spices, and salt and set aside while you get on with the rest. Finely chop the rosemary leaves.

Heat the chicken stock up in a jug in the microwave or on the stove top if you prefer.

Slice the onion, heat the oil, and sauté the onion until it starts to turn golden. Add the chicken and microplane the garlic right in, adding the rosemary as well. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Continue to stir about for a couple of minutes, or until the onion has turned a light brown.

Tip in the rice and pour the hot stock over, sprinkle over the coriander stems, bring to the boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes. Don't lift the lid until the 12 minute mark. Continue to cook if there is still visible liquid when you push the rice aside.

When the rice is cooked, fluff it a little. Stir in the lime zest and juice and sprinkle over the coriander leaves.

Serve with mango chutney and pappadums.

Serves 4

I've noticed there seems to be a significant difference in fresh coriander leaves. The stuff bought from the supermarket which is a soft leaf, quite young, usually clean, wrapped in a plastic bag, no roots attached to the plant, and in my opinion not really any flavour either. There is then the coriander I buy from our Asian grocer. It's tied together with an elastic band. A big bunch, dark green and often sandy, roots attached and flavoursome to the max! The curious thing is the coriander I think of as 'coriander for coriander haters' because it's doesn't really taste very coriandery costs twice as much (when you look at quantities) as the real stuff. How is that possible? Insane.


This afternoon was lovely. The children were busy making a cucumber and mint raita (the Greek style fat free yoghurt works ok in this) and a tomato salad while the head chef (that would be moi) cooked the main and the pappadums. Miss Seven has announced she needs to 'train' for next year's Masterchef Junior! Often the children disagree over who gets to do what, but this time, they went about their chores happily. The challenge was keeping Master Two from eating everything once it was at the table!

It's an interesting combo the rosemary with the coriander and spices, and when it first went into the pan, the aroma felt like a challenge to my senses. It was unfamiliar, but very quickly became a happy sensation. The partnership works. In fact it really works. This is a fabulously flavoured dish. We loved this, and we even have leftovers. The Lovely Man couldn't be happier. According to the book this has 461 calories per serve. Sounds good. It didn't taste like diet food, just tasted goooood.