Following a weight loss diet in the past has required a lot of dedication, sticking to a rigid plan where you forsake flavour for positive results.

I have written existensively on the subject of Food Optimisation, a Slimming World term that describes the practise of substituting high fat ingredients for low or fat free alternatives. An example would be using Quark instead of a “Philadelphia” type soft cheese.

I recently came across a roasted potato recipe where the potatoes were roasted on a bed of melted Parmesan. Posh cheesy chips is one way to describe them. I also wanted to use up some mini chicken fillets so I hit upon the idea of pouncie chicken and chips whilst keeping the SYNs to a minimum.

Sesame & Honey glazed Chicken

This dish is a toned down version of the Oriental kitchen favourite, as I abstained from garlic, ginger and chili. Place chicken breasts into a deep bowl and marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes in a mixture of 1tbs Sesame oil, 3 tbs dark Soy sauce, 2 tbs Balsamic vinegar, 1 tbs lemon juice, 3 tbs runny honey and 2 tbs of sesame seeds.

Roast the chicken in a warm oven (200C fan) until cooked. Use a thermometer probe or cut into a piece – no pinkies thank you.

Roast baby potatoes on a crisp cheesy base

Taking about 450g of salad potatoes, half and add to a mixing bowl with a dash of Olive oil, a generous pinch of sea salt and even more generous sprinkling of thyme. Thoroughly combined and turn out on to a lined baking tray oiled with a couple of squirts of 1cal. Roast in the same oven as the chicken for just shy of 20 minutes.

I mentioned Food Optimisation, and we find a cracking example. The original recipe called for grated Parmesan which is quite high in SYNs. If one utilizes ‘Healthy A’ allocation and substitute in mature cheddar then 25g is SYN free. Use a reduced fat cheese such as ASDAs 50% reduced fat mature cheddar then you are allowed 40g free. I checked with Slimming World to make sure that melted cheese does not gain SYNs. So grate the cheese; I used 100g for 3 persons which easily could have stretched to 4.

Removing the potatoes from the oven make room on the tray and sprinkle the cheese and cover with potatoes. I would layer the tray with grease proof paper not foil. Return to the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and turned a light golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool so the cheese sets crispy.

Serve with the chicken and your favourite steamed vegetables, for a different take on the classic chicken & chips.

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