Recipe: Thai Green Fish Curry

Recipe: Thai Green Fish Curry

This is a great recipe for a quick and nutritious dinner. My sister first introduced me to this recipe, in her version she used chicken, however I use a fish pie mix. At home, we generally have bread with it as it seems to work well with the thin curry sauce. Pictured below is a Low GI Multiseed Loaf which is great for slow releasing energy and has not been highly processed.

It is such a useful recipe as you can throw it together in 30mins and can use up any vegetables you need to. Using fish is great as it will count towards one of your two portions of fish a week. Coconut milk can be very beneficial in the diet too, however it is relatively high in saturated fat and it is best to have in moderation. I love using lots of different colours when cooking as it looks good and supplies you with a great range of vitamins and minerals.

This is a great recipe to get creative with and you can adjust it to your preferences really easily.

To make it you will need:

(Serves 4)

Half an onion (Red onion works well too)

A fish pie mix selection

A can of light coconut milk

A couple of sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (ordinary potatoes work well too)

A selection of vegetables chopped into chunks, most work well but I like to use a selection of peppers, peas, sugar snap peas and spring onion (you can save some to make a nice garnish)

A heaped desert spoon of thai green curry paste (or just add to taste)

A table spoon of low fat cream cheese

1.       Soften the onion in a saucepan. To do this I used a 1kcal spray cooking oil. However, to reduce the fat used, microwaving them a little is always a good idea.

2.       Add the can of coconut milk and cook on a medium heat.

3.       Add the fish pie mix and bring to a gentle simmer.

4.       Add the potatoes.

5.       Add the vegetables according to cooking times.

6.       Once all the vegetables are in, add the curry paste according to taste and the cheese. The low fat cheese. A spritz of lime would work well to cut into the flavour and give a little zest!

7.       Serve with warm bread and enjoy!

To find out more about Coconut Milk and the benefits associated with it in moderation in the diet follow this link to an article on the BBC Good Food website.

To find out more about why fish in the diet is so important click here to view helpful guidance on the NHS Livewell website.

Happy healthy, wholesome eating everyone.

Motivation – Or lack of…

When it comes to fitness classes or sessions or indeed any recreational activity, it seems that periods of lack of motivation are inevitable. Well, they are in my case at any rate!

I often find myself getting increasingly despondent at the thought that I simply don’t want to go for a session – for whatever reason that may be. I get bogged down in the ‘failure’ kind of thoughts, because, well, ‘I should go and get some exercise’ or ‘I should go to dance – I’m committed’.

On many occasions, I have found that once there (or maybe once I’ve completed the said session) I forget about how I’m feeling. However, on other occasions I am perfectly able to hold my hands up high and say that truthfully, I did not enjoy all those Burpees and I actually did not find that Grande Batemon exercise challenging in a fun way! No, ‘pushing my limits’ was not ‘fun’ in the slightest.

It is these sessions which I find hard to battle with. If I’m not careful, I let these ‘not so fun’ sessions affect my other sessions.

I could just not go, enjoy a nice relaxing evening in front of the telly. I could go, just force myself to try extra hard. Both these ideas are good ones on different occasions, sometimes I think I could really benefit from a chilled out evening and yet I don’t want to let people down when I am actually perfectly capable of going.

However, I still get that guilty feeling, that sense of despondency that I’m not enjoying something that, surely, I should be enjoying!

Recently, I’ve been trying to learn to let things go a lot more. I think on those challenging days it might help to ask myself - does it matter that last week I could press twice this weight!? Or run for twice as long or fast?

Obviously, progression is good and motivating when we achieve any goals or reach any targets. But, perhaps on these days being happy training at what our body feels up to would be a good idea. A nice easy session, with no goals, no plan; complete freedom to exercise how our body wants to and for how long. Then, with any luck, the enjoyment might return along with those lovely chappies called endorphins and hopefully, in my next session I might be able to ‘pump iron’ as it very much were.

Breakfast... the most important meal of the day?

Breakfast… the most important meal of the day?

There are few better ways to start the day than with a cooked breakfast! Whatever lies ahead in your day, be it a lazy Sunday or a busy day full of toing and froing, a good breakfast can make all the difference in how you can respond to the events that unfold.

I have always been a breakfast lover. If I’m ever running late in the morning it’s because I have taken too long enjoying my breakfast! It helps me to get ‘in the zone’ as it were; it helps me to mentally and physically prepare for what I may face in the day to come. The whole process from boiling the kettle for my morning tea, chopping my fruit or carefully selecting my cereal and then taking time to eat my first meal of the day seems to calm me. It’s like someone is pressing pause on the frantic film that was running in fast forward.

The feeling of being prepared or unprepared as the case may be has a great effect on my mood. This is why I feel breakfast is such an amazing tool in setting you up for the day. Last week I had a long and busy day ahead and knew that it would be a long time before I could eat something again. The need for a decent breakfast was colossal – my breakfast that day could make the difference between a weary, hungry, grumpy Jo flagging in the afternoon and a slightly worn out, peckish, just about chirpy Jo (well, that’s in my own breakfast lover’s case).

I decided to top a piece of wholemeal toast with the left over baked beans in the fridge, and a poached egg. I have to say the real butter just made it that extra bit special! After this meal I felt I could not only face the day but seize the day. Making this rather nutritious breakfast in a low fat and healthy way meant that I could keep going until I had the chance to have a little something later.

After this breakfast I was ready. It’s the same every day - once I’ve had my tea I’m ready for powering on through that weary feeling you get before starting work. Once I’ve munched my way through my cereal and fruit concoction I am ready to embark on my first activities of the day. Once I’ve taken the time to enjoy some space and quiet, I am ready to engage with whoever may cross my path.

Of course, breakfast can be a very sociable meal too. I have many happy memories of leisurely breakfasts shared with family and friends on special occasions or weekends. Taking time to share a long, relaxed meal first thing with loved ones can be very special. Often, first thing in the morning our guard is down somewhat, we seem to be more ‘real’, we haven’t quite got round to putting on those extra layers of ourselves we gradually throw on throughout the day that may hide our imperfections or insecurities. Allowing other people to spend time with you at this time of day is a great way to show how comfortable you are with them and how much you trust them. Sharing a meal with people can be a great way to bond and get to know people better and I think that having breakfast with friends and family has the power to enhance these relationships.

Clearly, I have strong feelings about breakfast. I realise though that many people really don’t get on with eating so early in the morning. I think that maybe the reason why I like breakfast so much is how it is an opportunity to take time out before you start your day. While, I believe it is important to set yourself up well nutritionally speaking, you can still get this opportunity for a period of space with a coffee or a tea or on your commute to work. In fact there are lots of opportunities that appear throughout the day, so happy days everyone! I hope your next breakfast is a cracking one!