Recipe help??

brokeinwales

I've been posting on the Health & Beaty board about my OH who wants to start losing weight in the New Year (his initial target is around 2 1/2 stone)
Originla post is here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1372997

Basically, he's enthusiastic about a low carb/atkinsy plan - but this seems costly, and dpoesn't fit very well with me being vegetarian - although he seems open to other ideas (he prefers specific "plans" he can follow, as he likes to have quite rigid guidelines rather than just trying to eat healthier.).

Anyway, the guys on the other board seemed to think you guys may have some recipe ideas for us as a couple. Both of us quite enjoy cooking, and don't mind a bit of effort in the kitchen. For info:
- I'm completely vegetarian, he's not, but doesn't mind eating vegetarian for his meals at home (he gets one meal per shift for free at work, which helps us out a lot, and they do do some healthy options)
- We are on quite a tight budget, so the cheaper the better.
- I eat dairy produce, but am really not keen on creamy and white sauces (like in cauliflour/ macaroni cheese etc).
- We'd prefer more Meditteranean, Indian, Chinese Arabic type dishes, rather than traditional British food. OH doesn't like "dry" food (i.e. without any sauce)

Hope you may be able to point me in the right direction - be really nice to be able to whip up a few nice dishes for him in the days after Christmas to get him started!

Thank yoooo

SunnyGirl

Hi!

I would reccommend the Weight Watchers cookbook. I freecycled mine a couple of months ago so maybe a good starting point? I lost 5st with them 3 yrs ago having tried every diet known to man including Atkins which was, as you say, very expensive & gave me rotten migraines & raised blood pressure after 2 months. WW is a low fat eating plan with the emphasis on being in control of what you eat yourself. Nothing is banned & it teaches you that if you have a choc bar/McDonalds/pizza/chippy/night out at the pub etc etc that you have to cut down later in the day or week to compensate. This was something that I'd never done hence I ended up obese so it was a good lesson for me personally.

My dh followed the plan with me not because he needed to lose any weight but because he loved the food! Our favourite evening meal was grilled chicken breast (not for you though obviously), oven roasted red onions, garlic cloves, various coloured peppers, herbs & for the carby hit roasted butternut squash. I also used to make a sauce to go with it by dry frying chopped onion, garlic, herbs & adding a tin of toms then whizzing it with stick blender. This was so yummy poured over everything & so filling. I also kept a pan of mixed veg soup with tinned toms & small handful of lentils made up. I'd have it for lunch with a salad & fruit and before my evening meal. I needed to be full so I didn't have that 'need something sweet' craving afterwards.

You could easily adapt sauces & flavours to suit whatever mood you're in - Italian, Chinese, Indian etc.

I didn't mean to ramble on for so long but hope it helps! Good look to your oh.

Skint_Catt

Hi broke - I mentioned SW to you over on the other board.

We make a lot of Quorn curry's/chilli's and stirfrys aswell as Quorn spag bol/Quorn lasagne - I make all these from scratch though so you know whats in it, not the ready meals. All quite cheap and if you cook double and freeze half its a good quick meal another time. Omlettes are another good one as you can throw anything in that you have to hand (mixed veg/quorn/mushrooms)

Roasted veg is always good (potato's, peppers, garlic, butternut squash, sweet potato, parsnip anything really!) - he could add meat as an extra to his if he wants or you ould both have veggie sausages/fillets.

Don't underestimate soups too - could live on them at the mo!