A healthy meal which is also a treat?

Many of my super-fit sporty friends live on a strict diet of protein-y pulses, iron-rich spinach, porridge and very lean meat, avoiding alcohol at all costs, counting calories, weighing their protein and generally being quite strict. One of the reasons I love training my ass off all week is to enjoy food, healthy portions and some treats which you feel are well deserved. Salad is not a meal. Carbohydrates are the order of the day.

Here is my alternatives to a healthy meal which also feels like a treat:

Healthy Fish and sweet potato chips with a red pepper sauce and minted peas
- Serves 2
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 x garlic clove, finely chopped
1 x red onion finely chopped
2 x red peppers, de-seeded and chopped
1 x can tomatoes
1 x small bunch of basil, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
2 x fish fillets; cod, hake, bream or anything you fancy
1 x egg
Flour
1 x lemon
1 x small bunch of parsley, chopped finely
2 x handfuls of white breadcrumbs
2 x sweet potatoes, sliced into thin wedges
Cayenne pepper (optional)
Frozen peas
Fresh mint, finely chopped

Method:
- Pre heat the oven to 180C
- Add the sweet potato wedges to an oven tray, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper (optional)
- Heat some olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and chopped red onion until softened but not browned, then add the red peppers until soft, then the can of chopped tomatoes, and simmer.
- Prepare 3 bowls; 1 with flour, 1 with the egg mixed, and one with the breadcrumbs mixed with the zest of 1 lemon (reserve the lemon for later), salt and pepper and the finely chopped parsley
- Take each fish fillet and coat in flour, then egg then breadcrumb mixture
- Place onto a greaseproof oven tray and bake in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness of the fillet. To check, inset a knife into the middle.
- Boil your frozen peas for 5 minutes, drain and season with salt and pepper and add the chopped mint.
- Mix the fresh sliced basil into the tomato sauce (only at the end otherwise it loses it’s bright green colour)
- Serve the fish with the tomato sauce on the side, accompanied by the sweet potato wedges and minty peas.
- Fish by squeezing the zested lemon juice over the top of the fish and garnishing with a fresh basil leaf.


Healthy Lemon Cheesecake with summer fruits
Serves 2
Ingredients:
8 tbsp of natural yoghurt
1 lemon, zest and juice
Summer fruits; raspberries, blueberries and/ or sliced strawberries
Honey
Chocolate, grated

Method:
- Take 2 glasses/ ramekins
- Mix the yoghurt and lemon zest and juice
- Add 2 tablespoons of museli to the bottom
- Place the yoghurt mixed with lemon zest and juice on top
- Followed by the washed and sliced summer fruits
- Finish with a drizzle of honey and/ or grated chocolate