I have been doing quite a bit of experimenting in the kitchen the last few weeks with my BodyBAM online fitness program in its final stages of creation! I’m one of those types of people who have rare bursts of creativity and once I find something I like, I’ll happily eat it day in day out for months on end. And having maintained a very healthy diet for many years now, my preferred taste has become what some may even describe as quite bland. But BodyBAM needs to cater to more than just myself, so I’ve had to step outside my comfort zone a little to experiment to find that balance between healthy and flavoursome… And I’m happy to say I’ve successfully turned some amazing traditional dishes into much leaner, healthier versions.
A few weeks ago I discovered the range of Mingle seasonings, which has definitely made creating clean meals that are full of flavour really easy! Unfortunately I can’t give away all my secrets just yet (BodyBAM is due out late August), but I will share with you a few of my favourites that are super simple and easy to make… and best of all will eliminate the need for any nasty sauces!
Pumpkin chips
You will need about 300g of your favourite pumpkin (I use butternut because I can get it from the supermarket already chopped up and I’m lazy haha). If its not already cut up for you, you will need to cut your pumpkin into chip shape/size.
Spray lightly with olive oil and sprinkle on the SAMMY (all-purpose) seasoning. Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes on 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) until lightly browned and eat! Perfect for a filling snack that will keep you lean!
Mexican Chicken
Cut up your chicken and put it in a plastic bag with some of the SOFIA (spicy) seasoning. Shake it around to coat the chicken well. You can leave it in the fridge for a few hours (or all day) to marinate, or just cook it up right away either in the oven or frypan with some lemon juice – this stops it from drying out. Serve it with a salad of lettuce, tomato, red onion and avocado, and a little creamed cottage cheese (instead of sour cream) and cheese on the side. Or throw your salad into a high-fibre, wholegrain wrap and eat it like a burrito!
Baked Fish
Probably the easiest one of the lot! Just squeeze some lemon juice and the SIENA (herb and garlic) seasoning onto the fish and cook it in the oven (best) or frypan (you’ll need a little spray of olive oil). No tartare sauce needed… WINNING!
Chicken and Egg Ranch Salad
You will need some cooked chicken, a boiled egg (I like mine soft-boiled so it’s a little bit runny in the salad), chopped up baby spinach (if you chop it up you can fit more in the bowl 😉 ), a slice of ham cut into shreds, ¼ avocado cut into small pieces, and ½ a tomato diced. Then, sprinkle on the SALLY (ranch) seasoning and toss it all together. Easily my favourite.
Smoky BBQ chicken
Cut the chicken into strips, or butterfly it, and then in the same way as the Mexican chicken, put it in a plastic bag with some SASS (smoky) seasoning and shake it up to coat evenly. Whack it on the BBQ with a bit of lemon juice to stop it going dry until it’s completely cooked through. If you liked steak (I don’t) then I imagine SASS would also go really well on a BBQ steak. Saves on the BBQ sauce… Did you know BBQ sauce is 55% sugar?
Anyway, I was so impressed with the Mingle range that I got in touch with the owners and they’ve agreed to give all my followers 10% off when you purchase the 5 pack… Just put in my code “AVRIL10” at checkout. You can thank me later. When you’re a dress size smaller 😉
Happy Mingling!!
Avril
