Perfectly Poached Paleo Chicken

Ingredients
1 medium whole chicken (free range, organic...the best you can afford)
2 carrots
2 onions
3 garlic cloves
1 leek
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3 litres water

You will also need a large deep pan that can hold this volume of liquid plus a whole chicken.

Don't be afraid of this cooking method - poaching makes the chicken really tender and juicy and unlike roasting or pan frying you don't need to use any oil, leaving you to add your fat 'blocks' via other ingredients in your meal. This method also produces a great tasting stock which you can save for another recipe.

1) Peel the carrots, onions and garlic and roughly chop. Wash the leek and chop, using all of it including the dark green bit at the top.
2) Place the veg in a pan with 3 litres of water, thyme and bay leaves.
3) Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins. Skim any foam off the surface.
4) Then add the chicken and simmer for 75 mins. Cooking should be very gentle, do not boil!
5) If chicken is not submerged add a little more water.
6) When cooked remove the chicken and allow to rest (the chicken, not you!).
7) Strain the stock through a sieve and refrigerate or freeze as required.

TIP: We served our poached chicken with steamed winter greens.

TIP: If you don't have a big enough pan you could use chicken supremes (basically a chicken breast with skin on, bone in and with wing still attached ) and adjust the cooking time. I've never seen chicken supremes in supermarkets but your local butcher will be able to sort you out.

Bolognese Wraps

Serves: 4 x 3 blocks protein, 2 blocks carb, 2 1/4 blocks fat (plus baby gem lettuce leaves for serving)

Ingredients
18oz / 510g turkey mince (12 protein)
1 cup / 100g onion, chopped (2 carb)
1 cup / 100g carrot, grated (2 carb)
1 1/2 cup / 400g tin tomatoes (2 carb)
1 1/2 cup / 120g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced (3/4 carb)
1/2 cup / 60g celery, finely diced (1/4 carb)
1/2 cup / 125mls passata (sieved tomatoes) (1 carb)
1 Tbsp olive oil (9 fat)
2 garlic cloves
2 Tsp dried oregano or mixed herbs
Celery leaves, chopped
Worcestershire sauce
Black pepper


To make the 'wraps' we served this on baby gem lettuce leaves.


1) Saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in the olive oil for about 5 mins until starting to soften.
2) Add the turkey mince and cook until browned.
3) Add the tin tomatoes, passata, mushrooms, dried herbs and reserved celery leaves if you have some. Season with black pepper and a good splash of Worcestershire sauce.
4) Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and gently simmer for at least 30 mins. The longer you can leave it simmering the thicker the sauce and the richer the flavour. Keep an eye on it and add a splash of water if you need to.


TIP: If like me you have someone in the household who doesn't like 'chunks' of veg in their bolognese sauce and your knife skills are limited, you could always whiz the onion, carrot and celery in a processor to finely dice...they will never know!

Thai Turkey Kebabs

Makes: 6 blocks protein

Ingredients
9oz / 255g lean turkey mince (6 protein)
1 lemongrass stalk
1 red chilli
1 spring onion
Coriander, small bunch
1 Tsp nam pla (fish sauce)
1 Tsp soy sauce
Black pepper

1) Either finely chop or whiz in a processor the lemongrass, chilli, spring onion and coriander (use the stalks as well).
2) Add the nam pla and soy sauce, and season with black pepper. You should end up with a course paste.
3) Add paste to turkey and mix thoroughly.
4) Divide into 6 equal sized portions. Shape into balls / patties and if you can be bothered thread onto skewers.
5) Cook over a medium heat on a griddle (or frying pan) for about 4-5 mins on each side.

Really quick to prepare and tastes great the next day as well.

Saltimbocca Style Haddock

Serves: 1 x 3 blocks (plus 1 slice parma ham)

Ingredients
4 1/2oz / 127g haddock (3 protein)
1 slice parma ham, excess fat trimmed off
2 cups / 165g green beans (2 carb)
3/4 cup / 80g mange tout (1 carb)
1 Tsp olive oil (3 fat)
Lemon zest
Fresh sage
Black pepper

1) Season fish with black pepper, lay a single sage leaf on top and wrap with the parma ham. Bake in oven for about 12 mins or until cooked (when opaque and flakes easily).
2) Meanwhile steam the veggies for about 5 mins. When cooked dress with olive oil and lemon zest.

TIP: This would also work with other white fish such as cod.

The Italian word “saltimbocca” is a great name for any recipe. It’s a contraction of “salta in bocca,” meaning “[it] jumps into the mouth"...yum!

Valentine's Day Paleo Treat

Forget the predictable card and flowers....give your time, and say it with cake!

Zesty Courgette Cake

Ingredients
6 eggs, separated
1/2 cup / 150mls honey
1 1/2 cups / 200g courgette, grated
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp orange juice
3 cups / 330g ground almonds

You will also need a 9 inch cake tin (preferably one with a removeable bottom).

1) Pre heat the oven to 170c.
2) Beat the egg yolks and honey in a bowl, then mix in courgette, orange and lemon zest, and ground almonds.
3) In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until you can form soft peaks.
4) Gradually fold the egg whites into the courgette mixture, a bit at a time and taking care not to knock the air out. Don't over mix.
5) Prepare the cake tin by lightly greasing and lining with baking parchment.
6) Pour in mixture and cook for 50-60mins. To test whether the cake is cooked, stick a skewer in the middle and if it comes out clean it's done. Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack.

TIP: If the cake starts to colour too much before it's cooked, cover with tin foil.

Ginger Cashew Chicken

Serves: 1 x 3 blocks protein, 3 blocks carb, 6 blocks fat

Ingredients
3oz / 85g chicken breast, cut into strips (3 protein)
1 yellow pepper, sliced (1/2 carb)
1 red pepper, sliced (1/2 carb)
1 cup / 100g fine green beans (1 carb)
1/4 cup / 90g black beans (1 carb)
1 Tsp sesame oil (3 fat)
9 cashew nuts (3 fat)
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 Tsp ground ginger
1 Tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tsp dried chilli flakes
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce

1) In a bowl mix the ginger, cinnamon, chilli flakes, sesame oil and chicken. Leave to marinate for about 15 mins if you can.
2) Meanwhile, I find it easier to partially cook the green beans before stir frying. So, in your wok put a bit of boiling water and steam / boil the beans for a couple of mins until just about done. Drain the beans, wipe dry the wok and you're ready to go.
3) Heat the wok (or frying pan) and when hot add the chicken. Cook for about 5 mins and then add garlic, veggies, black beans and nuts. Cook for a further 5 mins or so. You gotta keep everything moving. Chicken should be cooked through, and peppers should be soft and slightly charred.
4) Add soy sauce and oyster sauce and cook for a further min or two.

Egg Curry

Serves: 4 x 3 block meals

Ingredients
12 eggs, hard boiled & peeled (12 protein)
1 cup / 100g onion, chopped (2 carb)
3/4 cup / 400g tin tomatoes, drained (1 carb)
1 cup / 200g chickpeas (4 carb)
4 1/2 cup / 440g aubergine, large chunks (3 carb)
2 2/3 cup / 380g courgette, large chunks (2 carb)
4 Tsp veg oil (12 fat)
Large bunch coriander
1 Tsp ground cumin
1 Tsp garam masala
1 Tsp turmeric
1 Tsp chilli powder
2 garlic cloves
400 mls veg stock
Black pepper
Optional to serve: 0% Total Greek yogurt

For the paste
1) Whiz the coriander (stalks n' all) in a processor with all the spices, add a splash of water until you have a thickish paste.

For the curry
1) Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onions and garlic on a medium heat until soft, adding a splash of water will help steam the onions and prevent them burning.
2) Add the paste and cook for a couple of mins.
3) Next chuck in the tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes and chickpeas, mix well. Cover with the veg stock and cook over a medium heat for 20-30 mins. Keep an eye on it, you want the veg to be cooked through and most of the liquid evaporated. If it looks too dry add a splash more stock.
4) Whilst waiting for the veg, hard boil your eggs.
5) When veg is soft but not mushy, season with black pepper and divide into 4 equal sized portions.
6) At this stage, off the heat I add a small spoonful of Greek yogurt to each portion. This combines the curry and makes it nice and creamy. Totally optional, as it will give you a little extra protein and carb, but less than a 'block'.
7) Serve with halved eggs on top.

NB: I've adapted this from an Antony Worrall Thompson recipe, he uses the heady combination of potato, sweet potato and peas in his! I reckon cauliflower and spinach would also work well in this.

TIP: Don't know how to hard boil an egg? Click here... http://www.deliaonline.com/how-to-cook/eggs/how-to-boil-an-egg.html