Buttermilk Chicken...

Buttermilk Chicken is an American classic... chicken marinated in buttermilk overnight, then dredged in flour & deep fried in corn oil to give that golden crispy coating that we'll recognise from southern fried chicken dishes... Oh and lets not forget all the artificial flavourings that get added to the commercially produced version. So yeah, let's make a healthier but equally tasty dish....

I love how marinating chicken completely changes the flavour and texture of the meat with minimal time and effort. My version of buttermilk chicken will melt in your mouth it's so tender, and with the addition of the Parmesan and seed coating, it's wonderfully crispy.

For the buttermilk marinade: 

• 1 chicken fillet
• buttermilk 
• 1 onion chopped in half
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• salt & pepper

Add all the above to a deep bowl (you just need enough buttermilk to ensure the chicken is fully immersed)..

Place in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours before cooking. 

For the coating: 

• 1 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 tbsp finely grated parmesan 
• 2 tbsp mixed seeds 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric 
• salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 170d. 

Toss the ingredients for the coating together until combined and lay on a shallow plate. 

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk & roll in the seed mixture to coat well. 

Place in a heatproof dish, drizzle with a little melted coconut oil and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with salad & sweet potato chips. 

For an awesome quick dip for your fries, mix equal parts Greek yoghurt with Frank's Hot Sauce. Yum!!!

My favourite part about a meal like this? It's really simple & quick to make, but still fits in with my nutrition plan whilst tasting absolutely awesome! Give it a go... and for those of you with children, they'll love this too! 

Spicy Meatloaf

I'm always on the go with appointments all over the place so it would be incredibly easy for me to blame a lack of routine in my week for eating badly. Instead, I choose to prepare extra dinner, or plan food in advance and take it with me. Packed lunches don't have to mean dreary salads..

Meatloaf has a bad rep for being dry and bland... Let's face it, it's not the prettiest dish on GLBTK... so ugly in fact, I had someone almost refuse to even taste it recently.. once he did, he pretty much swallowed it whole... Just goes to show that appearances can be deceptive...It's basically a giant really awesome tasting burger!

This meatloaf is really nice hot or cold, and is a great recipe to make in advance for when you need nutritious food in a hurry.. It seems like a really long ingredient list, but they're all items you're likely to have or be readily available in the supermarket & they're not expensive :)

For the meatloaf: 

• 1.5lb minced beef
• 100g chorizo, finely chopped
• 1 egg

Add to a bowl & set aside. 

Vegetable mix:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 large onion
• 1 red chilli, deseeded
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper

Add all the above to food processor & pulse until finely chopped. Do not over mix or you'll end up with purée...

Add to meat mixture.

Seasoning mix:

• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 3 tbsp  Frank's Hot Sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Toss in bowl with meat & vegetable mix. 

Using your hands mix well to combine. 

Press into a 2lb loaf tin lined with cling film, or just shape with your hands. 

Place in oven at 170d (fan) for 45 minutes until cooked through. (Cover with tin foil for the first 35 minutes... this traps the steam keeping the meatloaf moist & prevents burning)... 

For the Hot Sauce Topping... 

• 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 3 tbsp Frank's Hot Sauce

Simply mix the greek yoghurt & hot sauce together and spread over the top of the meatloaf. 

Serve with sliced avocado & salad.