Recipe for Spicy Carrot and Lentil Soup

Delicious and nutritious, this low-fat soup is easy to make, packed with goodness and tastes much better than soup out of a tin! It'll leave you feeling all warm inside...perfect for the British winter!

What you'll need:

300g carrots, washed and grated (un-peeled)
70g split red lentils
1 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of chilli flakes
1 tbsp olive oil
500ml hot vegetable stock (using stock cubes is fine)
60ml semi-skimmed milk (make dairy-free by using reduced fat coconut milk instead)
wholemeal rolls or pittas to serve (no butter)

based on meal for two, takes 25 mins (1o mins prep, 15 mins cooking time)

1. Heat a large saucepan and quickly dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for approx 1 minute, or until they start to dance around the pan! Spoon out about half of the seeds and discard. Measure 500ml boiled water and add stock cubes (to own desired strength or taste). Add the olive oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have softened.
2. Pop the soup into a food processor (or use a stick blender if you have one) and blend until smooth. Serve with warmed pittas or rolls and enjoy all winter long!

Per Serving (without roll or pitta) - 238 kcals, 11g protein, 34g cardohydrates, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 5g fibre, 0.25g salt and no added sugar.

Feel fab loves...

Dry mist spray tan!

With sun beds growing more and more out of fashion in recent years (great news for skin), most of us ladies have turned to faking it instead (the tan that is)! I love fake tan but often it seems more hassle than it's worth. So after trying various gels, mousses, sprays and lotions, a lovely lady at Boots suggested I try a dry mist spray instead. I use Garnier's Ambre Solaire, (though there are a few brands that do it) and I must say, I love it! It's so easy and quick as it dries pretty much instantly, but best of all and you don't rub it in. So no more orange fingers or scrubbing away, just a lovely golden glow that you can top-up all winter long.

Get perfect pins for party season...

It's 6 weeks to Christmas which means it's almost time to dig out your old party dress (or even better, buy a new one) and show of those legs! Lunges are one of my favourite exercises as not only do they target your thighs and calves, but they're just great for perking up your bum too! Lunges can be done anywhere (at home, in the gym, even waiting for the bus!?) so why not give them a go and get those legs ready to party....

Here's how:

1. Stand with feet hip width apart and hands on your hips.
2. Take one large step forward and get into your starting position with your front leg bent (knee not to go beyond toes at any time) and your back leg straight with heel off the floor.
3. Relax your shoulders, pull abdominals in and lower the back leg towards the ground, stopping just short of the floor before returning to original position.
   
4. Count 2 seconds as go down (inhaling), then 2 seconds back up (exhaling).
5. Repeat the movement, aiming for 10-15 repetitions (20 reps for experienced exercisers).
6. At the end of the set, swap legs and repeat.
7. Allow approx 1 minute rest at the end of both sets and repeat sequence all over again, starting with initial leg once more.
8. Once legs are feeling and looking more toned after several weeks, apply a little tan (or cheat with tights) and go strut your stuff!

Lunges should be done as part of a well-rounded exercise programme and should be performed 3-4 times per week, allowing rest days in between. Always team with cardiovascular exercise and healthy eating if wanting to lose weight. See www.feelfab.org.uk for more tips, special offers or to contact me for more info.

Recipe for Spiced Chicken with rice and peppers

A good old classic chicken dish with a spicy little twist! This is another great tasting, low fat meal with the added benefit that it's low in cholesterol too. Like turkey, chicken is a great source of protein and is readily available. For a veggie option, try swapping the chicken for green beans and sliced red onions.

What you'll need:

2 large chicken breasts
1 tbsp sunflower oil (or use '1 Cal Spray' to make it even healthier)
2 tsp curry powder 1 green pepper, sliced
1 orange pepper, sliced
100g basmati rice (white or brown)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp raisins
85g frozen peas 1 tbsp
chopped mint and coriander
pinch of saffron
4 heaped tbsp of low-fat natural yogurt


based on meal for two, takes 35 mins

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Brush the chicken with 1 tbsp oil ( or use 1 Cal spray), then sprinkle the curry powder over each chicken breast or vegetables. Toss the peppers in a little oil. Put the chicken and peppers in a roasting tin. Bake for 25 mins until the chicken/veg is fully cooked and the peppers are crisp, stirring the peppers aprox halfway through .
2. Rinse the rice, then put in a pan with the cinnamon, saffron, a pinch of salt and 300ml water. Bring the rice to the boil, stir once, then add the raisins and cover. Gently cook for 10-12 mins until the rice is tender, adding the peas halfway through.
   
3. Serve the rice onto your plates, top with the chicken and scatter the peppers over the top. Stir the mint and coriander into the yogurt and serve on the side.

Per Serving (using sunflower oil)- 495 kcals, 45g protein, 63g cardohydrates, 9g fat (2g saturated fat), 5g fibre, 0.39g salt and no added sugar.

Feel fab loves...

1 calorie spray!

Want stir fries with less calories? Yes please! Fry Light sunflower oil or olive oil is exactly as it says...just 1 calorie per spray! Compare this with normal Sunflower oil (which contains 120 calories per table spoon) and you'll see just how easy it can be to reduce the amount of calories in some of your meals.

I use Fry light for loads of 'fried' foods/meals such as chicken or veggie stir fries, bacon, eggs and omlettes to name just a few. Food tastes non-greasy and lighter in general which means no feeling guilty! :-) You can buy it from most supermarkets, it costs about £2.80 and, best of all, it lasts for ages. A cupboard must-have if you're wanting to lose weight!

1 unit or 2?

We all know that alcohol contains plenty of calories (our arch enemy when trying to lose weight!), but do we ever really know how many units it contains? Check out this great guide which shows just how many are in each drink. It can be difficult to know if we're within the 14 units recommended per week (21 for men), so why not give the calculator a go and see how you fare....

http://units.nhs.uk/

Go Pink!

This month is Breast Cancer awareness month, and showing your support has never been easier. There are so many products donating to Breast Cancer Charities this year, from pink Ghd's to Energizer's pink batteries, that even buying simple household products means you're doing your bit. But my absolute favourite product has to be the pink Cadbury's Flake... gorgeous chocolate now in a gorgeous pink wrapper. Go on, treat yourself.... it's for charity!

Recipe for Cajun Turkey

This meal is just scrumptious and is very low in fat, in fact it has only 1.75grams of fat per 100g turkey (skinless and cooked). Turkey is a good lean source of protein and, what's more it's cheap to buy. Simply follow the recipe and enjoy...

What you'll need:

225g of new potatoes
125g runner beans (or green beans if preferred)
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
2 turkey steaks
1 tbsp olive oil
finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
1/2 garlic glove, crushed
1 tomato, seeded and cut into chunks (or own choice of veg)

based on meal for two, takes 30 mins

1. Boil the potatoes for 8 minutes. Add the runner/green beans, cover pan and boil for further 6 minutes.
2. Whilst veg is boiling, sprinkle cajun seasoning on to both sides of each turkey steak. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large shallow frying pan and fry the turkey steaks (medium heat) for 3-4 minutes each side until they begin to blacken. Add the lemon zest and juice if desired and fry for an extra few seconds. Reduce heat to keep warm.
3. Drain the potatoes and beans and put 2 tablespoon olive oil into the pan. Add the garlic and tomatoes (or choice of veg) and cook for 1-2 minutes, mixing vegetables and potatoes through until coated in the oil.
4. Serve with the turkey steaks, pour on pan juices for extra taste. For a lighter option, serve with small side salad of own choice (no dressing) in place of potatoes.

Per Serving (with potatoes)- 326 kcals, 34g protein, 23g cardohydrates, 12g fat (2g saturated fat), 3g fibre, 0.21g salt and no added sugar.

Feel fab loves....

dry shampoo!

Perfect for those accidental lie-ins or post work-out hair, it acts as a light powder spray which dries out any greasy bits!

But brunettes beware...too much and it will look a bit, well, grey. I find it's best to spray a light mist (at least 10cm from hair), brush through and repeat until hair looks like new again!

There's loads of different ones out there, but Batiste is a personal favourite of mine with a choice of different scents plus it comes in a handy 'on the go' size too!