Turkey Tikka

Curry is one of the most simple things to make. There are of course a million different ways and everyone has their own tricks of the trade. This is my very simple and quick Turkey Tikka curry! Completely wheat and gluten free of course!

Ingredients:

1 can of coconut milk

2tbs tikka powder

2tbs of natural yogurt

1 whole pepper

1 whole onion

5 small mushrooms (feel free to add a mixture for extra flavour and texture, I just had chestnut to hand)

3 cloves of garlic

2 turkey breast fillets (obviously you could use chicken or pork)

1 packet of microwave brown rice

Step 1

Chop your meat of choice into small cubes and brown in a little oil. About 4-5 minutes, on a high heat, depending on the size of your chunks.

Step 2

Chop all the veg into chunks and add to the browned meat. Cook for a further 5-6 minutes. Making sure to keep stirring.

Step 3 (optional)

If you like you can add some spices to cook off with the meat and veg. I had some fennel seeds to hand do added them. Anything you have in the store cupboard like saffron could be added for extra spice. It’s totally up to you!

Step 4

Once all the meat/ veg is browned add in your can of coconut milk and 2tbs of tikka powder.

You can also add at this stage 2tbs of natural yogurt which will help thicken the sauce or if you have some corn flour then mix some of that bad boy up and add it in.

Step 5

Leave all that to simmer for about 10 minutes on a medium heat and your curry is done!

Step 6

2 minutes before the end of your cooking time, pop the microwave rice into la microwave… 2 minutes… BOOM! Your good to go.

These are a total god send. I take them to work all the time and my cupboard is never without them! Seriously, why go to the hassle of boiling rice ever again! I stock up when they are on offer as they last forever!! This particular verity was 2 packets for £1.50! Total cheat BUT and absolute bargain!

Plate up and enjoy. I like to add a spoon of yogurt on top. Looks nice and cools it down if it’s extra Spicey!

Pill Poppin… Green Tea Extract!

Green tea in it’s bag brewing form is just as effective as these supplements, but these are just a great way to get a quick hit of all that goodness without the hassle of brewing the kettle… which can be oh so taxing!

Green Tea Extract does the following and much more:

Helps fight infection: It’s antibacterial and antiviral which means it helps all sorts of whatever ales ya!

Helps to fight cancer and liver disease which, are just two things ya dont want! Anything to help not get them is a bonus in my book!

Amazingly, apparently… it helps slow the aging process. By this i think its far less controversial to say that it helps give you a better complexion and various other signs of aging. it also aids in the growth of health hair and nails.

It also aids weight loss by increasing your metabolism. Obviously, this is only going to be in conjunction with a healthy diet. You can jam 5 burgers down you gullet, pop 3 of these and loose weight! This basically will just help you when you do exercise making you able to burn more calories and thus… loose weight. Taking it on its own will loose pounds, it must be taken while doing exercise and with a balanced diet.

Office Essentials… Nuts!

The thought of eating a handful of nuts to most people is met with comments like ‘its rabbit food’, ‘horrible’ or hell no!’. Truth is, if these people ate a handful of nuts twice a day they would dramatically reduce their calorie intake by curbing hunger. Try swapping a chocolate bar or bag of crisps for a handful of mixed nuts with some dried fruit! Ok, it doesn’t taste like a Mars Bar, granted, but here’s a few benefits you’ll get from the smallest of handfuls:

Nuts contain all the good monounsaturated fats which are great for a health body and mind.

They are rich in protein which is great for people who are on a high protein diet and need a snack between meals.

They contain essential minerals including magnesium, potassium and copper.

They are packed with fiber which is so important for a well balanced diet to help with digestion.

They are full of antioxidants.

AND

They curb cravings, leaving feeling fuller for longer!

All nuts… are good for you! However some are just plain better like almonds, walnuts and pistachios. These bad boys are jam packed with protein and can in some cases help lower cholesterol.

My favorite kind of nuts are pistachios. However, these can be quite expensive but taste amazing! Plus trying to get the suckers out of the shells like a work out in itself!

GO NUTS!

Friday feelin!

Its not every day i have a morning like this but my boss very kindly said i could start at 9:30 (instead of 7am) which was just epic! Instead of being lazy i decided to have a small lie in and get up at 7 and head to the gym before work! going at that time really is great as hardly no one goes at that time and i can make use of all the weights i want!

So i got up and had a very healthy breakfast of… steak and eggs lol its was pretty epic, though im not sure i can eat this every morning. Though it did taste amazing!

I then cycled to the gym and did the following:

3 sets of squats

3 sets of backwards lunges

Dead lifts starting on 50kg, two sets of 60kg and then one small set of my biggest weight yet 65kg

3 sets of standing 20kg barbell lifts

3 sets of barbell pull ups

2 sets of chest cable flys on 10kg each side

3 sets of trip-cep cable pull downs starting on 10kg and increasing each time

Finished it all off with a 10 minute HIT on the treadmill. Jogging for 3 minutes then running as fast as possible for one, then 2 minutes, 1 minute, 2 minutes and a final 1 minute.

All in all a great way to start the day! I wish every day could be like this! Best get and do some actual work!!

Basket Case…

So, this is a typical shop for me week to week. I try and eat as healthily as possible. Trying, as much as possible to stick to the ‘Paleo’ or ‘Paleolithic’ diet. Sometimes referred to as the ‘caveman diet’ its basis is built upon a diet of plants an animals.

It’s mainly consists of fish, meat, fruit and vegetables… nuts, grains, legumes and dairy. So, i know what your think, thats basically everything! Which essentially i guess it is, but thats just it… its a diet where meals are broken down to their bare ingredients. All of the meals i eat do not contain one jar of processed sauce, not one single microwave side dish or anything remotely processed. I still eat all the good stuff like curries, bolognese and good old sausage and mash! I make everything from scratch and as much as possible wheat and gluten free (as found i’ve found to be intolerant to these).

Ok, i’ll confess now that im night totally as holy as i make out. I’d say that on average im 95% process free. I will sometimes eat things that have been processed which include hummus, corn chips and im gonna include all my dairy as im no milk maid! But on the whole i try and make everything i want from scratch.

I’ll be showing you guys loads of fantastic recipes on how to make healthy alternatives to all your family favorites; all of which will be wheat and gluten free! I will cheat now and then as not all of us are desperate housewives with endless amounts of time to sit and churn butter milk!

I work 6 days a week and go to the gym every other day so need meals that are quick, cost effective and still taste great!

As you can see this basket it’s full of healthy goodness and i’d say will last about 10 days. I’ll have to pop to the shop now and then for the odd essential ingredient but on the whole my basket always includes;

Fresh Tomatoes

Banana’s

Natural Yougert

Mixed Nuts

Honey

Meat (either beef, turkey or chicken)

Eggs

Fresh Garlic

Tinned Tomatoes

Milk

These are just some of the items i use on a regular basis. All of which are wheat and gluten free! Bonus! You can make a plethora of meals from these basic ingredients and its so so easy! I’ll be bringing you

Office Essentials… Mint Tea!

This stuff is never far away from me! I practically live on it.

Mint or peppermint tea is the most amazing thing to drink for a great many reasons!

Firstly, its caffeine free. A lot of people might not realiae that regular tea in-fact has caffeine in it. Obviously small amounts of caffeine are not going to harm you, however too much can be . I’ll talk more abut the pro’s and con’s of caffeine at a later date.

Secondly, it has many health benefits which include the ease of bloating, IBS (irritable bowl syndrome) and things like nausea, headaches and even bad breath.

I drink it as it considerably helps with my digestion. As i eat a lot of protein and vegetables, foods which can cause bloating ie excess gas in the stomach, drinking the mint tea helps alleviate this. Thus giving me a calmer stomach!

As well as all this, its simply a great way to get that all important water which our bodies need to survive. Drinking up to 8 glasses of plain water a day can be pretty dull. This way with the mint tea means it tastes good and im getting all the water i need!

Drink after or with your main meals!