Healthy Fish & Chips

Healthy Fish & Chips

Not many people can resist a greasy Fish & Chips every now and again. With this recipe, ditch the grease and enjoy more regularly without the guilt. I've substituted the deep fried batter for a crispy herb and breadcrumb topping, and the fatty chips have been replaced by roasted Sweet Potato wedges!

Things you'll need:
Serves 2

• 2 x White Fish Fillet*
• 1 x Sweet Potato
• Tsp Breadcrumbs
• Tsp Tarragon (Optional)
• 200g Frozen Mixed Vegetables

* I used Cod, but any white fish will work. The cheapest option is to buy them frozen (see here)
I also highly recommend Frozen Mixed Vegetables: they're a lot cheaper than fresh vegetables and still have all the goodness locked in the pack. (see here)

Price overall: £1.55
Per serving: 78p

Cooking Instructions:

1. Wash and slice the Sweet Potato into wedges. Put in a roasting dish with a splash of oil + salt and pepper (Optional). Put in the oven on 180 degrees. These will need 10 minutes cooking ahead of the fish.
2. Meanwhile, mix together the Breadcrumbs and Tarragon. Lightly oil the fish and then cover with the breadcrumb mixture. Put in the oven with the wedges for 15-18 minutes until cooked.*
3. For the last 3 minutes of cooking, put Mixed Vegetables in small amount of water in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 3 minutes on high. Then drain and serve with your Fish & Chips.

Enjoy fish & chips without all the extra calories and save yourself a stack of money! A really quick and easy alternative to satisfy your fast-food temptations.

Creamy Salmon Spaghetti

Smoked Salmon, Courgette and Pea Spaghetti

This meal is super quick to put together and under a £1 per portion! It's creamy and packed full of veggies, accompanied by wholewheat spaghetti, a complex carbohydrate which doesn't leave you with that bloated feeling. Wholewheat means it's packed full of fibre so you stay fuller for longer.

Things you'll need:

Serves 2

• 150g Wholewheat Spaghetti (75g per person)
• Half a Courgette
• 25g Frozen Peas
• 1 x Spring Onion
• 80g Smoked Salmon
• Tbsp Low Fat Creme Fraiche

Total price: £1.46

Per serving: 73p

Approx, based on Tesco pricing.

Cooking instructions:

1. Cook the Wholewheat Spaghetti according to package instructions
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a small frying pan and gently fry the chopped Spring Onion and sliced Courgette until tender.
3. Add the tbsp of Low Fat Creme Fraiche and stir in the Peas and Smoked Salmon. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Do not boil.
4. Drain the cooked Spaghetti, stir through the sauce and serve.

My cheapest dinner option to date, and it only takes 10 minutes to put together. This beats any processed creamy sauce you might pick up in supermarkets and is tons better for you! You can also experiment with more vegetables such as Asparagus and Leeks - the more veggies the better.

Creamy Tarragon Chicken

Tarragon Chicken, Brown Rice and Vegetables

Tarragon is a herb which isn't used often, especially by students, but tastes great with Chicken! Combined with a low fat creamy sauce, this recipe can easily be put together quickly and any leftovers can be frozen for another day. This recipe goes well with any sort of rice, potatoes or crispy bread*, as well as lots of vegetables - as many as you want!

*This recipe is based on the above meal combination: brown rice and vegetables.

Things you'll need:

Serves 2

• 2 x Chicken Breast
• 100 ml Chicken Stock
• 200 ml Low-Fat Creme Fraiche
• 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard 
• 1 tbsp Tarragon (Dried)*
• 50g Brown Rice
• Mixed Vegetable Selection (see here)

*You can use fresh Tarragon (in which case it's 2tbsp!) But dried works just as well and it more cost-efficient!
I suggest you buy the cheaper Chicken breasts which have been frozen from fresh (see here)

Price Overall: £1.30

Per Serving: £67p

Approx, based on Tesco prices.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Fry the chopped Chicken in oil until brown.
2. Meanwhile, put your Brown Rice on to boil (or potatoes)
3. Turn down the heat and add the Chicken Stock. When it bubbles, add the Low Fat Creme Fraiche, Herbs, Dijon Mustard. Stir in the mixture and simmer until the sauce has reduced.
4. Meanwhile, boil/steam your Vegetables. Then serve!

You need to think about your timings depending on what you're eating your Tarragon Chicken with! For example, Brown Rice tends to take a lot longer than normal rice, or if you're mashing potatoes you'll need to put those on earlier too. Read your timings on the packages and everything will work out fine.

This recipe is taken from the 'Eat Yourself Thin' cook book! You can view some of their other recipes online here.