You may have already figured out that meat is a huge deal in our house; our family motto may need to be meat with everything. Protein-rich snacks are a firm favourite for everyone including the cat.
We all know chips and dips are awesome, the downside is the bloating and carb coma. Enter the salty alternative to standard chips – porkips.
Pork whats?
These chips are just meat. They are crunchy and salty goodness. I usually break out these bad boys for special occasions like birthdays and Christmas. They last about 5 minutes once they are done, they are easy to make and if you can stop them being eaten as is go great with dips.
Line a baking tray with baking paper; layout slices on the baking paper
Bake for 10/15 minutes until crunchy then allow them to cool (if you can)
If they get to a point where they have cooled they are good to eat (you have also managed to get much further than we do), if they survive the day you can store them in an airtight container for about 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 122 calories; 7.5 g fat; 0 g carbohydrates; 13.5 g protein
Equipment
Baking tray
Baking paper or a silicone liner
Cooling rack
Nutritional disclaimer
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.
I have been on a mission to make simple and tasty meals. I aim to create recipes that can be prepared and cooked quickly on a busy weeknight. We all struggle to make healthy and delicious meals while keeping on top of everything else in life. So this recipe is designed to be healthy, delicious and easy to make. You can cook this meal on a single tray in the oven. The preparation takes no more than 20 minutes and is portioned to feed four adults.
More ways to eat chicken
As the kids get older 1 And they are more open to trying new foods and different flavours. Not long ago, the kids would have answered even the suggestion of Moroccan flavours with “It’s too spicy” and ‘I don’t like things like that’. Now I get responses like ‘I’ll try that’ and ‘mmm, that smells nice! We don’t always end up with a new kid-friendly meal, but it makes me happy they are willing to try. I’ll be honest that this recipe was not very successful with the kids; it was a winner for the grown-ups.
The spice mix I use in this recipe is one of my own creations, and you can always use one you like or make your own.
Friday night favourite
As with almost every other night, Friday night is busy; by the time I’ve picked up the little (not so little now) guy, we have done our weekly food shop and navigated the joy that is Auckland traffic, it is hard to find the motivation to make dinner. That is why I love this recipe; I can have dinner in the oven within 10 minutes of dropping the shopping bags in the kitchen. While this tasty and filling dinner cooks, I can empty the dishwasher, put the shopping away and get a load of laundry going before it needs any attention. What more could you want?
Mix together the salt, ground cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and black pepper in a bowl.
Add the butter, garlic and oil to the spices and mix to create a thick paste.
Cut the lemon in half, put one half to one side for later, but the other half into thin slices.
Take a large baking dish, place the lemon slices in the bottom of the dish next, add the aubergine and onions.
Add the chicken quarters to the top of the onions.
Spread the spice paste over the skin of each part of the chicken.
Bake in the oven for 30 40 minutes, the chicken should be cooked through, and the juices run clear.
Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 436 calories; 24g fat; 12.5g carbohydrates; 40g protein
Equipment
Knife
Chopping board
Baking dish
Mixing bowl
Fork
Measuring spoons
Nutritional disclaimer
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.
This recipe was born out of a collection of leftovers in the fridge. Most of the meals I make don’t lead to leftovers but on the odd occasion some. By the end of the week there is never a full portion of anything hanging around, just a few random bits and bobs. Normally I smash together a quick frittata or an egg scramble. This was rare, cauliflower rice sitting in there with some tasty steak, it seemed wrong to do something so bland with such amazing ingredients.
The combination of steak and onions is always a winner so adding the cauliflower, courgette and corn seemed like a good idea. A little ginger, sesame oil and left over teriyaki sauce on the steak brought it together nicely.
A little drizzle of mayo over the top was just what was needed to finish the dish off.
Teriyaki steak bowl
Good enough for everyone
When I’m cooking up a storm, the family is usually prowling around looking for a snack or an opportunity to have a nibble on something new. I love that everyone is open to tasting and trying new things, but there is always a danger I’m likely to lose my dinner. This experiment was an example of me almost missing out on my own creation. Three people asking if there is more than just one portion is usually a good sign.
Bigger portions
On this occasion, I managed to fend off the family, but the positive reaction to the recipe had me decided on turning it into a proper recipe. I did change much about the recipe; I just upsized the ingredients so that they will feed two people, but it can be easily scaled to feed four.
In a bowl mix together the teriyaki sauce, ginger and sesame oil, add the steak to the marinade and put in the fridge for 20 minutes.
In a frying pan over a medium heat fry off the sweetcorn, courgette and onion until the onion is soft.
When the vegetables are cooked remove them from the pan and set them to one side.
Take the steak out of the marinade and fry the steak over a medium to high heat
When the steak is cooked remove it from the pan and let it rest.
While the meat is resting re-heat the cauliflower rice in the pan that the steak was cooked in.
Plate up the cauliflower rice, top with the vegetables and the sliced steak, serve with some easy mayo on top.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 258 calories; 16 g fat; 13 g carbohydrates; 16 g protein
Equipment
Mixing bowl
Knife
Chopping board
Frying pan
Wooden spoon
Scales
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Nutritional disclaimer
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.
I have been on a mission to make simple and tasty meals. I aim to create recipes that can be prepared and cooked quickly on a busy weeknight. We all struggle to make healthy and delicious meals while keeping on top of everything else in life. So this recipe is designed to be healthy, delicious and easy to make. You can cook this meal on a single tray in the oven. The preparation takes no more than 20 minutes and is portioned to feed four adults.
Cajun inspiration
Shrimp and prawns don’t just make me think about BBQ; they make me think about Cajun food. This recipe brings together the spice of the chorizo sausage with the fresh flavours of the pawns and sweetness of the corn. The one tray meal makes it ideal for a busy night or something fancy for the weekend.
This one tray meal is easy to make and an excellent options for a weeknight meal
Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats
Ingredients
450g baby potatoes, quartered
4 ears corn, cut into three
450g hot chorizo sausage
450g prawns, peeled
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/ 400 degrees F.
Line a large baking tray with baking paper or a silicone liner.
Place the pieces of corn on the baking tray.
Place the potatoes around the corn, followed by the chorizo and then the prawns.
When everything is on the sheet mix together the Cajun seasoning and olive oil.
Spread the Cajun seasoning mix over the corn, potatoes, prawns and chorizo.
Bake for 20 30 minutes, the corn should be cooked and the potatoes soft.
Serve hot with a dash of hot sauce.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 414 calories; 21 g fat; 26 g carbohydrates; 26 g protein
Equipment
Baking tray
Baking paper or a silicone liner.
Scales
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Nutritional disclaimer
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.
One of my biggest challenges is eating enough food, crazy but true. I do a lot of activity, and that often means I need to get more calories in to make sure I have enough energy for the day. When you don’t eat processed foods, it can be hard to cram in calories that, you need to keep your body ticking over. Having snacks that I can keep in my bag and eat on the go have been vital in keeping me going recently.
Protein bars that don’t taste like cardboard
I’ve tried some protein bars and have to say most of them taste like cardboard, snacking on cardboard isn’t something I want to make a habit of so I came up with my own bars. These bars are a perfect mix of protein, fat and carbs without too much of any one thing; they are the ideal pre or post workout bars.
No fridge needed
It might be winter down here in New Zealand, but winter in Auckland isn’t freezing, which means keeping snacks safe to eat can be a challenge. I like to keep my snacks in my bag, so they are always close by and ready to be munched. This can be an issue when you use eggs in baking, that was a primary driver for using chia seeds in this recipe. These bars don’t need to be kept in the fridge, I pop one in my bag in the morning, and it is still perfect for eating on my way to yoga after work. I keep the batch in the fridge to make sure they don’t get funky, but they survive nicely for a day in my gym bag.
They are easy to make; don’t have any added nasties and they even pass the little boy taste test. If you want a balanced snack that will keep you going gives these bars a go.
bars. These bars are a perfect mix of protein, fat and carbs without too much of any one thing; they are the ideal pre or post workout bars.
Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats
Ingredients
2 cup cooked steel cut oats
1 cup ground pumpkin seeds
2 scoops protein powder
1/4 cup chia seeds, soaked
2 tbsp. cacao powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C/ 320 degrees F.
In a large bowl mix together, all of the ingredients to form a thick paste, if the mixture is too dry add a little coconut water to bring it all together.
Line a baking pan with some baking paper, add the mix to the pan and press it down.
Alternatively use a muffin pan and divide the mixture between the muffin pan.
Bake the mixture for 20 minutes.
Cut into bars or remove them from the muffin tin.
Allow the bars to cool on a cooling rack.
Store them in the fridge in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 128 calories; 5 g fat; 13 g carbohydrates; 8 g protein
Equipment
Bowl
Spoon
Spatula
Baking pan/ Muffin tin
Cooling rack
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Nutritional disclaimer
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.
I’m serious, Brussels sprouts are the only thing I like about winter. I hate the cold; I hate the rain and the wind and the shorter days, sprouts are the only highlight of the season for me.
Brussels Sprouts are hands down my favourite vegetables; I would have them every day. Sadly, I can’t have them every day, so I just have to make the most of them when they are in season.
Brussels sprout carbonara
What could be better?
I like Brussels Sprouts on their own, but if I can sneak them into a meal, I like it more. In my world the combination of Brussels Sprouts and carbonara sauce are perfect. The saltiness of the bacon with the creaminess of the sauce and caramelised Brussels Sprouts make a complete meal. If you don’t like Brussels Sprouts but are willing to give it another go, I would highly recommend you give this recipe a go.
Brussels sprout carbonara recipe
Brussels sprout carbonara ingredients
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup cream
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
300g mushrooms, sliced
1 cup bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 shallots, finely chopped
300g Brussels sprouts, shredded
300g chicken breast, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Take a large bowl and add the eggs.
Take a large bowl and add the eggs
Add the cream and whisk.
Add the cream
Add the salt and pepper and whisk.
Add the salt and pepper
Add the parmesan to the eggs and cream.
Add the parmesan to the eggs and cream.
Take a large non-stick pan over a medium heated.
Take a large non-stick pan over a medium heated.
Sauté the bacon.
Sauté the bacon
Add the shallots to the bacon.
Add the shallots to the bacon
Sauté until the shallots start to colour.
Sauté until the shallots start to colour.
Add the mushrooms to the pan.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for around 3 minutes.
Cook for around 3 minutes.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for around 3 minutes.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook for another minute.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook for another minute. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for another minute.
Transfer the mix to a bowl and set it to one side.
Transfer the mix to a bowl and set it to one side.
Cook the chicken in the pan the bacon was cooked in.
Cook the chicken in the pan the bacon was cooked in.
Keep the chicken moving as it cooks.
Cook the chicken in the pan the bacon was cooked in.
Make sure to cook the chicken through.
Cook the chicken in the pan the bacon was cooked in.
When the chicken is cooked, add the bacon and mushroom mixture back to the pan.
While the chicken is cooking start cooking the sprouts.
When you have cooked the sprouts add them to the pan with the chicken and bacon mixture.
When you have cooked the sprouts add them to the pan with the chicken and bacon mixture.
Mix well.
Mix well
Add the cream and egg mixture to the pan and turn off the heat.
Add the cream and egg mixture to the pan and turn off the heat.
Mix well to coat all of the chicken and sprouts in the sauce.
Mix well to coat all of the chicken and sprouts in the sauce.
Take a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and cream with the salt and pepper.
Take a large non-stick pan over a medium heated.
Sauté the bacon and shallots until the bacon is starting to colour
Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for around 3 minutes.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook for another minute.
Transfer the mix to a bowl and set it to one side.
Cook the chicken in the pan the bacon was cooked in.
When the chicken is cooked, add the bacon and mushroom mix back to the pan.
While the chicken is cooking start cooking the sprouts.
In a pan over high heat melt a little coconut oil.
When the pan is hot, add the shredded Brussels sprouts.
Keep the sprouts moving in the pan, so they do not burn.
You want the sprouts to develop a deep caramel colour.
When you have cooked the sprouts add them to the pan with the chicken and bacon mixture.
Add the cream and egg mixture to the pan and turn off the heat.
Mix well to coat all of the chicken and sprouts in the sauce.
Serve while hot.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 442 calories; 35 g fat; 13 g carbohydrates; 22 g protein
Equipment
Bowl
Non-stick pan
Whisk
Wooden spoon
Measuring cups
Scales
Knife
Chopping board
Nutritional disclaimer
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.
I have been on a mission to make simple and tasty meals. I aim to create recipes that can be prepared and cooked quickly on a busy weeknight. We all struggle to make healthy and delicious meals while keeping on top of everything else in life. So this recipe is designed to be healthy, delicious and easy to make. You can cook this meal on a single tray in the oven. The preparation takes no more than 20 minutes and is portioned to feed four adults.
Orange dinner anyone?
I like to eat the rainbow as often as possible, but sometimes you just have to pick one colour and run with it, today I’m running with orange. This week my recipe is all of the orange foods, that aren’t actually oranges, in one meal.
OK I know salmon isn’t really orange but it kind of looks orange with the carrots and sweet potato.
One tray salmon carrot and sweet potato bake recipe
This one tray meal is easy to make and an excellent options for a weeknight meal
Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats
Ingredients
4 salmon fillets
2 carrots, cubed
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C/ 350 degrees F.
Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone liner.
Place the salmon fillets on the tray.
Add the carrots and sweet potato to the baking tray.
Sprinkle the garlic powder and thyme over the salmon and vegetables.
Bake for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 367 calories; 18 g fat; 20 g carbohydrates; 30 g protein
Equipment
Baking tray
Baking paper or a silicone liner
Knife
Chopping board
Measuring spoons
Nutritional disclaimer
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.
I have been on a mission to make simple and tasty meals. I aim to create recipes that can be prepared and cooked quickly on a busy weeknight. We all struggle to make healthy and delicious meals while keeping on top of everything else in life. So this recipe is designed to be healthy, delicious and easy to make. You can cook this meal on a single tray in the oven. The preparation takes no more than 20 minutes and is portioned to feed four adults.
Must be an English thing
Roast dinners are probably one of the most requested meals from the family. I do love a good roast dinner but feel that the return on investment is crap. For a traditional roast dinner, I spend an average of 2 hours in the kitchen, preparing veggies, roasting and basting meat, mashing potatoes and making gravy. This considerable effort results in a meal that is an impressive spread that is completely gone in less than 20 minutes. Everyone is full and happy, but I have lots of dishes to do.
Simple but still a roast
For me, the ideal roast dinner is one that can be put together in under 20 minutes and doesn’t leave me with enough pots and pans the fill the dishwasher twice. This recipe is the perfect solution. One dish, chicken, broken down into small pieces which will cook quickly, vegetables that won’t go mushy and flavours that work well together. If you want a roast dinner that doesn’t take a lifetime and still keeps the family happy give this recipe a go.
One tray roast chicken dinner recipe
One tray roast chicken ingredients
Ingredients
4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
3 sweet potatoes, cubed
2 courgettes, chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper,
1 tsp. garlic powder,
1 tsp. dried rosemary,
1 tsp. ginger powder,
1 tsp. sweet paprika,
1 tsp. Chicken stock powder
1/4 tsp. chilli flakes
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. olive oil
One tray roast chicken fresh from the ovenReady for platingEat up
This one tray meal is easy to make and an excellent options for a weeknight meal
Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats
Ingredients
4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
3 sweet potatoes, cubed
2 courgettes, chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper,
1 tsp. garlic powder,
1 tsp. dried rosemary,
1 tsp. ginger powder,
1 tsp. sweet paprika,
1 tsp. Chicken stock powder
1/4 tsp. chilli flakes
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees c 350 degrees f.
In a bowl mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, ginger, paprika, chicken stock powder, chilli flakes and ground cinnamon to make a spice mix.
In a baking dish place the chicken thighs skin side up in the corners and sprinkle with some of the spice mix.
Add the chicken drumsticks to the dish around the thighs and sprinkle with some more spice mix.
In a bowl mix together the vegetables with the remaining spice mix and the olive oil.
Spread the vegetables over the top of the chicken in the baking dish.
Roast in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, the chicken should be cooked through.
Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 473 calories; 26 g fat; 30 g carbohydrates; 30 g protein
Equipment
Baking dish
Small bowl
Large bowl
Fork
Spoon
Measuring spoons
Knife
Chopping board
Nutritional disclaimer
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.
For once I have a ‘rice’ recipe that doesn’t use cauliflower, I know right. This risotto is parsnip based, it easy to make, packed with flavour and is a great base that can have more yummy ingredients added.
Paleo risotto with chicken
Base recipe
I like to have basic recipes, it means they can be made in bulk and then different things can be added depending on what you are in the mood for. This is a perfect example of a basic recipe. I like to add some chicken to this recipe so there is a good dose of protein for those ‘I can’t be bothered to do anything else’ moments. When you are feeling more inspired you can add:
bacon,
mushrooms,
turmeric,
kale,
chorizo,
pumpkin;
the possibilities are endless.
Parsnip risotto recipe
Paleo parsnip risotto ingredients
Ingredients
4 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 cup chicken stock
Equipment
Food processor
Knife
Vegetable peeler
Chopping board
Saucepan/Cast iron pan
Wooden spoon
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Nutritional disclaimer
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.
I have been on a mission to make simple and tasty meals. I aim to create recipes that can be prepared and cooked quickly on a busy weeknight. We all struggle to make healthy and delicious meals while keeping on top of everything else in life. So, this recipe is designed to be healthy, delicious and easy to make. You can cook this meal in a single pan. The preparation takes no more than 20 minutes and is portioned to feed four adults.
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.
Easy Clean Eats 