You’re going to be seeing a lot of new changes over the next few months as I try and make it an even more powerful community. You should find it easier to interact and share your views – and I think it’s much better on the eye too!

The spooky picture you see is of myself and my housemate’s daughter after carving some pumkins. I think the door will be active this evening… What are you getting up to? I’d love to hear your thoughts…

If you haven’t already downloaded the free Lunch Box Diet Pumptastic ebook then you can grab your copy here… it contains some great pumpkin recipes for you to make up if you haven’t already made plans.

The Halloween Fatactular offer is ending very very soon, so don’t miss out on it if you haven’t grabbed it already! Click here.

Okay, so I just made a quick tea this evening and I thought that I’d share the recipe. It’s healthy, low fat and I’ve cheated a little with an Ainsley Harriot product, but nothing wrong with that eh! Tastes great, fantastic if you’re in a rush and an excellent post training meal.

So, all you need to serve two is:

• Rump / Fillet Steak
• Tin of chickpeas
• Nandos Spicy Marinade, or your own
• Sugarsnap Peas
• Mushrooms
• Ainsley Harriot Cous Cous (this time I used the vegetable one)

Start by putting the marinade over the steak and slipping it under the grill. Leave for about 5 minutes. Pour the chickpeas into a bowl and crush them up, you can add any herbs and pepper here if you like. Put your sugarsnap peas and mushrooms together and you can either microwave them or steam them. Now boil some water and put a small cup full in water and add the cous cous. Now add the chickpeas and mix up until the water dissolves. Mix it up.

Just as the steak has been turned over and almost to your liking, add the chickpea and cous cous mix and spread it over the steak and put back under the grill for 5 minutes or until the cous cous is brown and crispy.

Serve with your veggies, put your feet up and watch something on telly that will make you smile. Come back to this page and let me know what you think in the comments!

Today, I wanted to share a cool little recipe for your evening meal, either side of your lunch box from the Lunch Box Diet: Breakfast & Dinner Cookbook as part of The Lunch Box Diet System (only available online). If you like it please tell me in the comments so I can carry on sharing stuff like this (or I won’t know if you like my emails and I’ll get sad) ! Remember, it’s not just about the box you’re eating throughout the day, your breakfast and evening meal is important too. So give this little recipe a try and let me know what you think…

Curry Chicken Breasts with Mango Chutney
and Couscous

Makes four servings
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoons dry white wine
¾ cup mango chutney
Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Melt butter in small
saucepan over low heat. Stir in curry powder and cook 2
to 3 minutes. Add wine and stir to blend. Remove from
heat. Place chicken breasts in baking dish and brush with curry
mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread
chutney over chicken. Continue baking for another 15
minutes or so, until done.
While chicken is baking make couscous.
Couscous
1 package couscous
¼ cup flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped)
3 green onions, sliced
½ cup shredded carrot
½ cup cucumber, diced
¼ cup salted cashews, chopped (optional)
Prepare couscous according to package instructions. Add
chopped ingredients and combine thoroughly. Adjust
seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Serve
immediately with chicken. Top with cashews, if desired.

For centuries watercress has been an integral ingredient in the British diet as it used to grow wild in abundance.  Watercress has been revered for its health giving properties down the ages.  Greek soldiers were given it as a tonic before going into battle and the 16^th century herbalist Culpepper claimed it could cleanse the blood.

Nowadays watercress is widely known as one of nature’s superfoods as it is brimming with more than 15 essential vitamins and minerals.  Grown in pure spring water, it contains more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach and is packed with useful antioxidants.  New research is showing how it is emerging as an important player in the field of cancer prevention.

Watercress is so versatile it can be used throughout the year, but particularly lends itself to summer menus.  As well as using this lush leaf as the basis for a refreshing salad, you can stir it into pasta, serve it with your burgers at barbecues, add it to sandwiches for perfect picnics and throw it into stir fries to give them a kick.

The following new recipes are easy to prepare and all contain satisfying and energy boosting ingredients.  They are also great for folic acid (needed for cell division and supports the immune system),  iron (essential for making red blood cells and to reduce tiredness), calcium and magnesium (for bones and teeth – magnesium also helps to reduce tiredness and is a nutrient that often goes short in people’s diets*) and vitamin C (for skin and nervous system health, and aids iron absorption). They also brim with body and skin protecting antioxidants – and the different nutrients and colourful plant compounds in watercress and the other ‘superfoods’ work together to optimise their health promoting benefits.

For an elegant summer meal, try watercress and salmon fish cakes.  A light summer salad which is bursting with goodness is watercress, quinoa, feta and broccoli salad or for an equally tasty dish which will impress guests at any summer occasion, try watercress, sweet potato and goat’s cheese salad. For a fresh and fruity meal, watercress, chicken and mango pasta salad makes the most of ingredients which are high in vitamin C, while watercress, spiced tomato and chick pea soup is reminiscent of the flavours of the Mediterranean.

Watercress, Spiced Tomato and Chick Pea Soup

Preparation: 10 mins Cooking: 15 mins Serves 4

Per serving: 162 calories, 5.4g fat, 0.4g saturates, 1.12g salt. Counts as 4 of your 5-a-day and contains around 1/4 of the RDA for iron and folic acid, and over half the RDA for vitamin C

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2-1tsp crushed flaked chilli

2 (397g) cans chopped tomatoes

1 (400g) can chick peas, drained then a few reserved for garnish

750ml/11/4pt vegetable stock

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 (100g) bag watercress

a squeeze of lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.     Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and saute for 4 mins until soft. Stir in the garlic and chilli and cook for 30 seconds.

2.     Add the tomatoes, chick peas, stock and puree, stir well and bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 mins.

3.     Transfer to food processor, add the watercress, then blend until just smooth. Return to the pan, add the lemon juice, then season to taste. Gently reheat then serve in bowls. Decorate with the reserved chick peas and more watercress if liked.

Watercress and Salmon Fish Cakes

Preparation: 15-20mins Cooking: 30-35 mins Serves 4

Per serving: 491 calories, 16.9g fat, 3.2g saturates, 2.1g salt. Contains around 1/4 of the RDA for iron and calcium and 1/5 RDA for magnesium, 1/3 of the RDA for folic acid,  44% of the RDA for vitamin C and over 100% RDA for vitamin D (needed for calcium absorption and bone health).

700g/1 1/2lb old potatoes

1 (418g) can red salmon, flaked

1 (100g) bag watercress, chopped

2 large eggs, beaten

125g/41/2oz dried natural breadcrumbs

a little flour for dusting

oil for brushing

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the watercress mayonnaise:

90ml/6tbsp virtually fat free mayonnaise

juice of half a lemon

5ml/1 tsp wholegrain mustard

50g/2oz watercress, finely chopped

1.     Peel the potatoes and cut into even chunks. Place in a pan, cover with cold water, add a little salt, cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15mins or until tender. Drain well and return to the pan.

2.     Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan, 200C/Gas or Mark 7. Place a baking tray in the oven to heat up. Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add the salmon, watercress, one of the beaten eggs and seasoning to taste. Divide the mixture into 8, then shape each pieces into a round cake.

3.     Place the other beaten egg in a shallow bowl, and the breadcrumbs on a plate. Dust the cakes in flour, then dip in egg, then the breadcrumbs. Repeat until all the cakes are coated. Brush each cake all over with a little oil, then place them on the hot baking sheet.

4.     Bake for 20-25mins or until golden brown. Meanwhile, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, watercress and ground black pepper to taste, spoon into a bowl. Serve the cakes with the watercress mayonnaise a few more watercress leaves and lemon wedges.

Watercress, Sweet Potato and Goat’s Cheese Salad

Preparation: 10 mins Cooking: 40 mins Serves 4

Per serving: 287 calories, 14.6g fat, 3.2g saturates, 0.52g salt. Counts as 2 of your 5-a-day and contains around 1/6 of the RDA for iron and 1/5 of the RDA for calcium and magnesium, 29% of the RDA for folic acid and well over 100% of the RDA for vitamin C

500g sweet potatoes

30ml/2tbsp harissa paste (see cook’s tip)

50g/2oz almonds

2 red peppers

1 (100g) bag watercress leaves

75g/3oz goats cheese, crumbled

15ml/ 1 tbsp olive oil

15ml/1 tbsp lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.     Preheat the oven to 220C Fan, 200C Gas or Mark 7. Peel the potatoes then cut into long chunky wedges. Place in a baking tray with the harissa paste and toss until coated in the spice paste. Bake for 20 mins or until tender. Toast the almonds on a baking tray in the oven for 5 mins or until golden, then roughly chop.

2.     Roast the whole peppers on a baking tray below the potatoes for 15 mins or until charred and tender. Remove the peppers from the oven and place in a plastic bag to cool for 5 mins. Peel the skin off the peppers, discard with the core and seeds. Slice the flesh into thin strips.

3.     Toss the peppers, nuts and leaves together on a large platter with the olive oil, lemon juice and a little salt and plenty of ground black pepper. Scatter over the cheese and nuts and serve topped with the warm roast potato wedges.

Cooks tip

Harissa paste is used commonly in Tunisian and Moroccan cuisine. Most UK supermarkets sell it alongside the curry paste. It is a blend of spices, including chilli in a paste form. If you haven’t got any, mix a half teaspoon each of ground cumin, chilli and paprika along with a couple of spoonfuls of oil instead.

Watercress, Chicken and Mango Pasta Salad

Preparation: 15mins Cooking: 8-10mins Serves 4

Per serving: 328 calories, 7.0g fat, 1.4g saturates, 1.64g salt. Counts as 1 of your 5-a-day and contains a quarter of the RDA for iron, around 1/5 of the RDA for folic acid and magnesium and over 100% of the RDA for vitamin C.

150g/5oz wholewheat linguine or spaghetti

3 cooked skinless chicken breast fillets, about 100g each

4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

45ml/3tbsp chopped fresh coriander

1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced

1 mild red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

2.5cm/1in piece root ginger, peeled and grated

zest and juice 1 lime

30ml/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

15ml/1 tbsp sesame oil

1 ripe mango, peeled, stoned and diced

1 (100g) bag watercress leaves

45ml/3tbsp mixed seeds (optional)

1.     Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for 8mins or according to the pack instructions, until tender.

2.     Whilst the pasta cooks, break the chicken into bite sized pieces and place in a shallow bowl. Add the spring onions, coriander, pepper, chilli ginger, lime, soy and oil and mix well. Leave to marinate whilst the pasta cooks.

3.     Drain the pasta in a colander rinsing in cold water until cold. Drain well then transfer to a salad bowl. Add the mango and watercress to the pasta, along with the chicken mixture, then toss well to mix. Scatter over the seeds if using and serve.

So it’s just a few days to go before Kate & William tie the knot and I’ve just got off the phone with the Whole Foods Market in Kensington about putting together the ultimate Royal Lunch Box but I need your help naming it – you can win The Lunch Box Diet System & my new Harley Street Lunch Box Diet: Weight Loss Mind Power For Life (when it’s released soon) worth over £200 if I pick your cool lunch box name.

Just in case you’re around London with a pocket full of cash, watching the wedding on friday in a sunny park, here it is, The Royal Lunch Box – ‘put name in here’  yet to be named…
Here’s the recipe

The Royal Lunch Box
‘you decide on the name’

Lo Rosso Italian Lettuce, Spinach, Artichokes, Asparagus, Sundried Tomatoes

150-200g Organic Aberdeen Angus Fillet Steak or Chilean Seabass with Caviar

Truffle Oil, Black Pepper, Toasted Hazelnuts

Side Dish (be rude not to!)

With Truffles on the side in olive oil and olives.

This box would set you back anything between £24.50 and £350+ with the truffles / caviar. Of course, you can make standard tasty boxes for a couple of quid, but it’s time to take my boxes to another level.

So, what should I call this Royal Lunch Box? Do you have a good idea for a combination of ingredients for a royal box? You decide and win the system and my cool new product to help you subconciously battle all of those negative thoughts and conquer your weight once and for all.

Take a standard size slab (500g) of mince meat (lowest fat as you can find and most content beef as you can find) and add 1 egg, then mix with about twenty twists of a chilli grater thing (lol), or a few sprinkes of chilli flakes, chilli chutney, red onion, mustard, mixed herbs and black pepper. Get messy and mix together until you get a nice texture.

This should make about 6 to 8 small burgers. Serve with salad! Easy peasy. Have a lovely bank holiday weekend. I’m off to chat with my buddies and maybe, just maybe have a few magners and enjoy the sun! x

Let me know what you think below…

Hey – it’s sooooo hot down here in Exeter today, so I thought what a better way to celebrate the english summer (for as long as it lasts) than to offer a massive 50% off all of my recipe packs – that’s over 100 recipes for breakfasts, smoothies, evening meals and of course lunch boxes. This offer will end at 12pm on Friday, so if you’re in the mood to lose weight with some delicious recipes that will give you a flat tummy, then don’t miss out. All you have to do is enter ‘slimforsummer‘ in the code section in the shopping cart, then click ‘update’ and then hit the paypal button. Oh, here’s the page to find the recipe packs.

1. Add to cart or click here

2. Enter ‘Slimforsummer’ then update cart

3. Click the Paypal checkout button

I also did this quick video tutorial…

Mixed Salad Leaves, Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, Feta, Sun Dried tomatoes. Tikka flavoured chicken breast slices, jalapeno chutney, herbs and black pepper. Oh yes, this box was bursting full of taste and it took me all of 30 seconds to throw together. I wasn’t being too active today, so I didn’t include the active carb, I had plenty of energy from the box. Remember, if you want to lose weight, don’t overkill on the carbs. Your body will tell you when you need them and remember, veggies contain carbs too!

So, what’s in your box? You can check out loads of tasty recipes in my low fat ebooks…

Better Than Average, Spicy Beans on Toast

Makes one serving

1 slice whole wheat bread

½ teaspoon butter

½ cup canned beans

½ teaspoon country style (grainy) mustard

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Jack cheese (shredded)

Heat beans in medium saucepan. Stir in mustard and pepper. While beans are heating, toast bread.

Butter toast lightly, top with beans and shredded Jack cheese. Serve.