Sweet & Sour Chicken (2g fat per
serving)
Children and teenagers will love to make and eat this. Note the
easy sauce using readily available store
cupboard ingredients. Also no real weighing out and genuine
low fat fast food.
9 tablespoons tomato ketchup
3 tablespoons malt vinegar
4 tablespoons muscovado sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into bitesize cubes
1 small onion, roughly diced
2 sweet red, yellow or orange peppers, de-seeded and cut into
chunks
227g can of pineapple pieces in juice, drained
2 teaspoons cornflour
110g (4oz) sugar snap peas or mange tout, snipped with
scissors
A handful of roasted cashew nuts
Method
In a large glass bowl mix the ketchup, vinegar, sugar and garlic
thoroughly with the chicken, onion and peppers. This could be done
the night before and kept covered in your fridge as a marinade,
ready to cook when you rush home from work, shopping or school.
Microwave on high for 8 mins stirring halfway through. The sauce
will be sizzling and the chicken starting to cook. Mix the
cornflour with 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice and stir this into
the hot dish with the pineapple pieces and sugar snap peas then
return to the microwave for a further 4-5 mins depending on the
size of the dish. Smaller dishes will have denser contents which
means the microwave activity is less efficient. The chicken should
be completely cooked and the sauce hot and bubbling. Leave to stand
for a few minutes, then stir in the cashew nuts.
Serves Four.
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Chargrilled Pork Fillet with Apple Salsa
Pork, apples and cider are made for each other! Pork fillet is a
lean cut of meat and so quick to cook, you could even prepare the
meat and leave in the fridge for a few hours until you are ready to
make your meal.
Try serving this with a mustardy new potato salad.
450 g (1 lb) pork fillet, trimmed
100 ml (3½ fl oz) plus 60 ml (4 tbsp) cider
15 ml (1 tbsp) light muscovado sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs rosemary, bruised
30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
2 lemons
30 ml (2 tbsp) golden sultanas
5 ml (1 tsp) fresh thyme leaves
2 dessert apples
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Trim the pork fillets of any fat and cut into 1 cm / ½ inch
thick rounds before placing in a non-reactive bowl. Mix together
100 ml (3½ fl oz) cider with the sugar, mustard, garlic, rosemary
sprigs, olive oil, the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 15 ml (1
tbsp) lemon juice. Pour over the pork and rub all over the meat.
Cover and chill until needed.
2. To make the salsa:- Finely grate the zest from the remaining
lemon and place in a small mixing bowl with 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon
juice, 60 ml (4 tbsp) cider, the sultanas and thyme leaves. Peel,
core and finely dice the apples, one at a time, mixing them in as
you go to prevent from discolouring. Season liberally and set
aside.
3. Remove the meat from its marinade and season with salt and
freshly ground pepper, place under a preheated grill and cook for 3
minutes per side and remove as soon as it is just cooked through,
so that it retains its tenderness. Serve with the apple
salsa.