Post Holiday Cleanse 

Last week we returned to the UK after a wonderful holiday in Croatia - truly a gem in the Adriatic! I've posted a few 'point and shoot' snaps of this wonderful destination and next week I will come back with some notes and recommendations. However, for the moment I thought I'd post a couple of 'post holiday cleanse' suggestions...

I am an all or nothing kind of a girl. I can do deprivation no problems (for a few weeks at least) but what I can't do is moderation! Therefore, after a few weeks of extreme holiday indulgence my body has begun to ‘cry out’ for a break. So this week I put the cork back in the bottle, put on my running shoes and started the working week with renewed zeal to be good and make up for my holiday excesses!


Generally when I'm being good I try to eat evening meals that are simple and quick to prepare and cook, include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables but exclude red meat, dairy, grains, refined sugars and I keep condiments to a minimum. Never the less I can assure you that the suggestions below are delicious and satisfying! (Quantities are to serve 2).   


Broccoli Mash with Orange, Dill and Garlic Salmon 


1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
1 floret of broccoli, roughly chopped (keep at least a 1/4 of the steam)
1 tablespoon of olive oil


Cook broccoli (either boil or steam, whichever you prefer) until tender but still bright green. Mash or break apart using a wooden spoon until you are left with small chunks. In a separate pan soften the onion until it starts to brown slightly, then add the broccoli. Mix through until combined well and season to taste. Set aside until ready to serve.


Orange, Dill and Garlic Salmon


1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 handful of fresh dill, chopped
Juice of 1 large orange
2 salmon fillets


Place the tablespoon of oil into a medium pan and once it is quite hot add the garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the garlic and oil start to bubble. Place the salmon fillets in the pan and sprinkle with half the dill. Cook for a couple of minutes and flip. Sprinkle with the rest of the dill,  pour half the orange juice over the fish and after a few minutes flip once again. Pour in the rest of the orange juice and continue to cook the fish until its golden brown (can be a little blackened if you like it this way). Once the orange juice and garlic start to caramelise its ready.

Lemon Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Juice from one lemon

2 teaspoons of maple syrup

1 teaspoon of English mustard (Dijon would be great as well)

Put all ingredients into a jar and shake until combined well. 

This dressing works well with both fish or chicken and can make an uninteresting combination (like chicken and salad) palatable and exciting!!

Last night I grilled some chicken and made a salad with leaves, cucumber, spring onions, a few tomatoes, an avocado and dressed the whole dish with the above. It was the perfect thing for a balmy summer evening and just so I didn't feel too deprived I opened a bottle of de-Alcoholised Sohnlien sparkling wine! So delicious and Chief Recipe Taster was suitably impressed!  

After a week of eating along these lines I'm feeling great and ready for the weekend ... when I shall once again indulge in all the things I've been depriving myself of this week!!