These irresistible Thai Red Curry Chicken Burgers are a fabulous alternative to the ubiquitous beef burger and perfect for eating al fresco (should the weather allow!) on Father’s Day.
Enjoy…..any dads out there!
Take a look at these delicious alternatives…
#fathersday
I lived on very uninteresting soups in the run-up to my holiday at half term – using up any veg in the fridge, cooked in stock and whizzed smooth. Tedious.
However, I’m back, full of beans and determined to eat better and far more exciting food.
Healthy need not be boring!
Here are three recipes from the Quick After-Work cookbook; they taste amazing and are full of good ingredients.
Enjoy!
Quick After-Work CookbookDelicious midweek meals that are easy to fit into your lifestyle.
Speedy recipes with big satisfying flavours that just hit the spot!
£8.99
#HealthyEatingWeek
#TripleTested
#QuickRecipes
Granulated sugar 50g (2oz)
Orange rind 2 broad strips
Gelatine 5 leaves
Sloe gin 175ml (6fl oz)
Sparkling white wine/Prosecco/Cava 350-375ml (12fl oz)
Blueberries and icing sugar to decorate (optional)
British gin exports have more than doubled since 2008, with our gin manufacturers dominating the EU market and with gin sales growing rapidly in the USA and the Far East.
The Gin Guild has identified around 280 active gin distilleries across Britain and over 860 UK gin brands!
With so many gin brands to choose from why not try something different this weekend?
Here are five of our favourite tipples.
HENDRICK’S GIN
Infused with the remarkable Bulgarian Rosa Damascena and specially selected cucumbers from the finest producers. Distilled in Scotland
TREVETHAN CORNISH GIN
Bold in flavour with subtle citrus and floral notes. Includes botanicals sourced from our the hedgerows in the Cornish countryside.
OPIHR ORIENTAL SPICED GIN
Made in the oldest distillery in England, where the botanicals are married with fine English spirit to produce an exotic oriental spiced gin.
BARRA ATLANTIC GIN
The spirit of Barra people inspires this unique gin. The main botanical, carrageen seaweed, is collected wild on the shores of the Isle of Barra.
MASONS DRY YORKSHIRE GIN
Delicately soft juniper and lavender mix with fresh lime and coriander notes for a sweet, subtle flavour and a slightly dry finish.
#chinchin
As the one always picked last in PE at school, I used to be something of exercise-phobic. I associated sport with humiliation and discomfort.
But now I have become something of a fitness evangelist!
Finding something that I enjoy, feel comfortable doing and can see the benefit from has been a revelation.
And if I can…..anyone can!
My joyful gym just happens to be a local place that runs various different fitness classes. It’s really hard work, but I’ve been made so welcome and had all my tiny successes applauded (not literally, just with a ‘well done mate’) rather than ridiculed that it’s kept me going back. And I feel fitter, healthier and happier as a consequence.
It just goes to show that you just need to find your ‘thing’.
From this feature in this year’s Dairy Diary, we explain how….
A large dose of the feel-good factor never goes amiss and one quick way to access it is to get moving. What better motivation is there to maintain suppleness and fitness levels than to have a fabulous time while you’re doing it? Give it a try!
When it comes to exercise, everyone has their likes and dislikes so choosing the right class is essential. There are plenty available and chances are at least one will suit you. Why not give several a try? You may be surprised. Your respiratory system, cardiovascular fitness and muscle tone will be all the better for it, and you’re sure to come out smiling because all that exercise releases endorphins, the happy hormones.
Aerobics, body sculpt or legs, bums and tums do it for some people. Yoga, Pilates and tai chi are all excellent and self-absorbing, improving focus, balance and posture. Classes in the swimming pool help to build strength while putting less strain on your joints since the water provides both resistance and support.
You can get rid of a lot of pent-up emotion, and lose weight, with boxing training, but if letting rip in a less aggressive way is your main enjoyment factor, think about the pleasures of moving to music. Even if clubbing is out of the question, dancing isn’t! It’s fun and sociable, and while you’re gyrating as energetically as you like, you’re getting a seriously good workout.
The trend of combining dance and exercise has caught on in a big way
Dance, dance, dance
The trend of combining dance and exercise has caught on in a big way. Getting fit has never been so much fun. Find a Clubbercise class near you and see if you agree. Luminous glow sticks at the ready, cue music and away you go. If you’re not fit before you go, you soon will be. There probably is a routine but under dim disco lighting, no one can see if a shape or two turns out not quite as expected.
Zumba is another where you follow an instructor as best as you can, this time to fast moving Latin rhythms.
For fans of the music of 1930s and ’40s America, swing is the one, made even better if you dress in style – swirly skirt at the ready. Swingtrain classes are billed as ‘high-intensity dance cardio workouts’, but they add ‘suitable for all levels of fitness’ – and everyone has got to start somewhere!
Swing evolved into jive and ceroc and although you need a partner for these, you may well find one at the class since it’s not unusual for people to go on their own.
You definitely need a partner for salsa, which is a mixture of Afro-Caribbean and Latin styles and as flirtatious as you would like it to be.
Tap, line and ballroom dancing are all more structured – you have to concentrate so your co-ordination skills get a workout, too – and if you fancy something really different, give belly dancing a go, especially good for toning deep core, pelvic and hip muscles, or Bollywood style, blending classical Indian dance with hip hop and jazz.
So why not give it a whirl and find out what fun this exercise business really can be? Check websites for classes and availability near you.
Private workout
If you can’t make a class, or prefer not to, there’s no need to miss out. Through the NHS website (NHS Fitness Studio) you can access videos of various exercise workouts, including La Bomba (which is a combination of dance moves set to Latin American dance music, hip hop, Afrobeats and R&B), and belly dancing for beginners.
Try them out in the privacy of your own home. Invite friends round to join in, have a party and laugh yourself fit!
WEBSITES
If the weather is even briefly sunny, we Brits love to barbecue.
Enjoying time outdoors is a tonic for the soul.
Invite a few friends and enjoy two new mouthwatering burgers based on recipes from our Quick After-Work Cookbook; they are a welcome change to the ubiquitous beef burger.
To find out more about this wonderful cookbook click here.
Enjoy!
Harissa Lamb Burgers with FetaServes 2 Time 20 minutes Per portion: 586 Kcal, 35g fat (19g saturated)
Red onion 1 small, peeled and halved
Lean minced lamb 250g (9oz)
Harissa paste 1 tbsp
Feta cheese 110g (4oz), crumbled
Finely chopped mint 3 tbsp, plus extra to serve
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Cucumber ¼, diced
Greek yogurt 3 tbsp
Little Gem lettuce a few leaves
2 baps, halved and toasted
Cut a few slices of onion and reserve for serving, then finely chop the rest. Tip the lamb into a bowl and add the chopped onion, harissa, Feta, 2 tablespoons mint, a little salt (as the Feta is quite salty) and plenty of black pepper. Mix together well. Divide in half and roll each portion into a ball, then flatten into a burger shape. Chill in a fridge to firm up the burger.
Lightly drizzle the burgers with olive oil. Add directly to a hot barbecue and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side – take care not to overcook or they will dry out and fall apart.
Meanwhile, make tzatziki in a small bowl: mix the cucumber with the Greek yogurt and remaining mint and a little salt and pepper.
To serve, place some lettuce on the bottom half of each bap, top with a little torn mint, the burger, then some tzatziki and the reserved sliced onion and the top of the bap.
Mexican Chicken BurgerServes 2 Time 20 minutes Per portion: 447 Kcal, 24g fat (4.5g saturated)
Skinless chicken breasts 2
Smoked paprika 1 tbsp
Chipotle sauce 1 tsp
Mayonnaise 2 tbsp
Streaky bacon 2 rashers
Brioche buns 2, halved
Guacamole 2 tbsp
Sweet potato chips and green salad to serve (optional)
Put the chicken between two sheets of cling film and use a rolling pin to beat it out to make it about twice the size and of an even thickness: this will help it to cook more quickly. Dust both sides of the chicken with paprika.
Lightly oil the cooking grate. Place the chicken breasts on a hot barbecue and cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side, until juices run clear.
Meanwhile, stir the chipotle sauce into the mayonnaise.
When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the barbecue and keep warm. Carefully add the bacon to the barbecue; to avoid a grease fire do not place directly over the heat, alternatively, lay the bacon on aluminium foil. Place the cut sides of the baps on the barbecue to toast them. Turn the bacon to crisp it, and remove the baps when toasted.
Slice each chicken breast into two or three pieces. To serve, spoon some mayonnaise on the bottom half of each bun. Stack the chicken on top and spoon over the guacamole. Top each with a rasher of bacon. If you like, serve with sweet potato chips and green salad.
Cook’s Tips
Instead of the guacamole, add a few slices of avocado or a slice of your favourite cheese.
#NationalBarbecueWeek
#QuickRecipes
#TripleTested
With white chocolate, almonds, cherries and raspberry jam, these blondies are a little different to the norm and they only take 30 minutes to make.
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and mmmmmmmmm they are delicious.
This recipe is one of 80 in our fabulous new cookbook Quick After-Work.
At only £8.99, it’s a bargain and its speedy recipes mean that you can cook real, delicious food, any and every day of the week.
To find out more click here.
#TripleTested
#QuickRecipes
A warm welcome to all Dairy Diary and Dairy Cookbook readers... and future readers too.
I post a blog every week featuring food, family and fun. There are lots of useful household tips, crafty ideas, give-aways and delicious recipes that I think you will find irresistible.
From now on all new blogs and recipes will be posted on our new website DairyDiary.co.uk.
Please post your feedback there, I would love to hear what you think! Did you know you can also follow us on Twitter and become a fan of the Dairy Diary on Facebook?
If you would like further information regarding the Dairy Diary or cookbooks, or you just want to share a tip or recipe, I would love to hear from you.
You can email me at enquiries@dairydiary.co.uk
Emily
Dairy Diary Managing Editor
