Midweek Meals: Five healthy fakeaways to make at home this week

Ditch the takeaway menus and try a healthier alternative with these five tasty dishes

Curry, stir-fry, burritos and more...

Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Spinach Curry

This gorgeous curry with chunks of sweet potato and comforting chickpeas has added sweetness from the mango chutney. There is lots of sauce here, but you could add more veg and some vegetable stock to stretch it further.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 400g (14oz) tin of chopped tomatoes

• 400ml (14fl oz) tin of reduced-fat coconut milk

• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder

• 1 tbsp mango chutney

• 1 tbsp curry powder

• 1 tbsp ground cumin

• 1 tbsp garam masala

• 1 tsp honey

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

• 3 large, sweet potatoes, cut into small chunks

• 1 onion, sliced

• 1 handful of spinach

• 1 tsp peanut butter

• handful of fresh coriander, chopped

• 400g (14oz) tin of chickpeas, drained

• salt and pepper, to taste

• extra fresh coriander, to garnish

Method

1. Place all the ingredients, except the chickpeas, in the slow cooker, stir and season to taste.

2. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4-5 hours, then add the chickpeas and cook for another hour.

3. If it's more convenient, you could add the chickpeas from the start, but they might lose some of their texture.

4. Garnish with extra coriander.

Healthy southern fried chicken

A healthy version of fried chicken, this is absolutely delicious.

Servings

4

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 American

Ingredients

• About 12 chicken thighs, boneless and skin removed

• For the coating:

• 75g plain flour and 75g Cornmeal (polenta, gives a nice crunch)

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

• 1 tsp flaky sea salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• Low cal oil for spraying

• For the marinade:

• 200ml buttermilk

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tsp flaky sea salt

• ½ tsp onion granules

• ½ tsp dried Italian herbs

• For the coleslaw:

• 120g plain Greek yoghurt (fat-free)

• 60g light mayonnaise 

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 2 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• 200g finely shredded green cabbage

• 100g finely shredded red cabbage (optional)

• 200g shredded carrots

• 1 small red onion

• 1 tbsp granulated sugar (optional to cut through sharpness)

• To serve:

• Potato wedges

Method

1. For the marinade, this is so easy, just mix the ingredients together in a large bowl, add the chicken and coat well. Cover and chill overnight, or for at least four hours. This tenderises the chicken and gives it a nice bite from the buttermilk, adding an extra kick.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a large baking tray with foil or baking paper, you’ll thank me later!

3. For the crispy coating, mix all the ingredients together in a shallow bowl.

4. Shake off the excess buttermilk from your chicken and dip into the dry mix, turn to coat well on all sides.

5. Place on the lined baking tray. Spray each thigh about 4 times with the oil. 6. Cook for 20–25 minutes, or until crispy, browned and cooked through.

6. While the chicken is cooking, make the coleslaw. 

7. Grate onion with a box grater, it’s less bitter and doesn’t overpower the coleslaw, Scrape grated onion into a large bowl.

8. Add Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, pepper in a large bowl and whisk to combine. (Reserve a third of the mayo mix to a small container and add one clove of grated garlic, perfect for dipping wedges or chips!)

9. Finally add cabbage, carrots, toss to coat. This is a sharp tangy dressing which cuts through the sweetness of the chicken and just adds a yummy bite.

10. Serve with potato wedges.