Another evening where possibly expectations were challenged? Although the reduced calorie idea conformed to the post Christmas asceticism norm, it was actually a meal full of flavour and interest which made a great meal in combination. Great suggestion!

Starters

Julie – Smoked mackerel pate

A tasty combination of smoked mackerel and Philadelphia with seasoning. Because she thought it was a bit easy, Julie also made some spelt crackers which included the marmite ingredient of, well, marmite…. The pate was lovely, but the crackers absolutely made it sing.

Jane – Crab salad with courgette and avocado

This was tasty and light, and the chilli and lime made the dressing pop. Mint and mustard was a surprising combo, but very flavoursome. And it was thought to look better on the plate than the photo in the book, an unlikely win for my presentation skills!

Mains

Karen – simple chicken casserole

The first of two lovely chicken dishes, using mushrooms, carrots and tomatoes to produce something really luscious. This is a staple in Karen’s cooking armoury and we could see why, it’s a comforting old school casserole, perfect for the winter.

Debrah – chicken with cannellini beans

Debrah cooked and froze this a week or so before we ate it, it reheated really well. A different vibe to the other casserole with more Mediterranean ingredients of rosemary, celery and lemon, but also unctuous and tasty.

Sides

Sue – chickpea and spinach bake

This recipe was from the web instead of the actual book https://thefast800.com/high-fibre-recipe-saag-with-chickpeas/ using a jar chickpeas with fresh spinach and lots of spices. Sue reported it as being very easy to make and quick too.

Justine – broccoli, asparagus and quinoa salad with mint yogurt

This was a lovely tasty meal with a vibrant dressing that didn’t taste anything like what Janet thought it looked like! The veg were cooked for longer than instructed, partly because Jus prefers her veg properly cooked, not crunchy, but also because Mojo got out during the cooking time….

Puddings

Janet – orange and almond loaf

This included a whole orange that had been microwaved and then whizzed into the mixture, together with prunes and almonds. It had a very orangey taste, and was surprisingly light. Lovely served with a fruit coulis.

Tracey – double bubble!

Almond and raisin chocolate pennies

It’s always a good thing to have more pudding! These little chocolatey treats went down a storm, and being made of 85% chocolate, were full of the good stuff in the form of polyphenols. Yum.

Byron Bay Bars

Another delicious treat, inspired by a cafe in Australia. They felt verging on healthy, but we’re also coconutty, moist and not too sweet.