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Last week, I tried a Riverford Organic recipe box. - It was so good that I ordered some more recipes for this week too. For this week I've ordered the garlic, chicken and cauliflower bake, and the smoky pepper, date and Spanish baked rice.
Lisa
The beetroot and black garlic risotto with maple walnuts
Before I get started on the newly arrived recipes though, I have one last remaining recipe from last week's box to use up - a beetroot and black garlic risotto with maple walnuts.
Riverford's beetroot and black garlic risotto recipe - the stages of cooking.
This recipe is topped with toasted walnuts coated in maple syrup and it tastes just like eating toffee popcorn!
In fact, the whole thing tastes like a dessert - I could just as easily be eating a bowl of sweet, creamy rice pudding, topped with toffee popcorn.
Hopefully though, despite the sweetness, this is slightly healthier than rice pudding with popcorn!
The garlic chicken & cauliflower bake
For Thursday & Friday nights I move on to the garlic chicken & cauliflower bake, and I'm definitely looking forward to my first meat dish in quite a long while!
I'm not sure how I feel about eating cauliflower though. Although I do eat it, I've never been particularly overwhelmed by the taste of cauliflower. It's always been one of my least favourite vegetables...
This is another 'stick in the oven and forget about it' dish, which pleases me. I love food that requires little time or attention.
Riverford's garlic chicken and cauliflower bake - the stages of cooking.
I don't think this is going to be the best thing to eat in terms of weight loss - it contains double cream, cheese, butter and breadcrumbs. That's OK though, because firstly, there's still plenty of good nutrition in this recipe - it's stuffed full of healthy vegetables, including an entire bag of spinach, plus plenty of protein in the chicken.
Secondly, it's OK because I'm happy with where my weight is at now. I know I've still got some weight loss and fat loss work to do - but I think I'm at the point where the occasional slightly more indulgent meal is not the worst thing in the world.
Lisa
A tonne of garlic
The recipe calls for 4 garlic cloves - but the recipe box generously contains a whole garlic bulb. I decide to go a bit crazy and put 7 big, chunky garlic cloves in the pan, as I do love garlic! It turns out to be a good decision - the smell of the garlic cooking is amazing.
A tonne of taste
And the taste is even more amazing - this recipe definitely is up there with the buffalomi traybake recipe from last week.
Perhaps cauliflower isn't so bad after all...
Cauliflower has now risen quite considerably in my estimation - it tastes amazing in this recipe. Perhaps the secret with cauliflower is to not overcook it into something soft and squishy - perhaps it tastes best when it has plenty of 'crunchy' bite. Perhaps also, it works so well here because it's mixed with the strong flavours of garlic, onion and cheese.
Smoky pepper & date Spanish baked rice
I'm back to vegetables to finish the week, with the smoky pepper & date Spanish baked rice.
Riverford's smoky pepper and date Spanish baked rice - the stages of cooking.
This one's lovely too!
It's sweet, sour and salty all mixed into one - sweet dates, salty olives, with sour lemon squeezed over the top.
Riverford Organic Recipe boxes compared to Mindful Chef
Riverford Organic recipe boxes win for taste and flavour. Mindful Chef are the winners for healthiness and weight loss.
Mindful Chef recipes do taste great - but in order to be super-healthy, the recipes are a lot more restrictive in terms of the ingredients used. Specifically, they use no simple, refined carbs, and all of their recipes are gluten and dairy free.
Likewise, Riverford Organic recipe boxes are healthy, and full of plenty of nutritional value - but if you're looking to lose weight and be super-healthy then Mindful Chef is the way to go.
I've still got a bit of weight loss and fat loss to achieve at the moment, so for next week it's back to Mindful Chef meals again for me. I'll definitely be ordering Riverford Organic recipe boxes again in the future though.
Riverford discount codes and offers
Riverford offer a 5% discount when you order at least two recipes, and also a 10% discount when you order three or more recipes. This is a permanent offer for all customers, new and returning.
Additionally, if you use my referral code when signing up, you'll get £15 credited to your account to use against your second order.
Weekly food diary
This week I have been eating...
Monday
Breakfast: Two Weetabix with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: A pain au chocolat.
Lunch: An avocado, egg, tomato and sweet chilli bagel with salad and crisps, from Little Man Coffee.
Snack: Two cups of tea, each with a dash of oat milk.
Dinner: Middle Eastern mushrooms, carrots and Ginger from Riverford Organic. A small glass of red wine.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Two Weetabix with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: A piece of brown, buttered toast with marmite.
Lunch: A Mindful Chef ready meal: aubergine moussaka with lentils (half a portion), with one poached egg.
Snack: A cherry and almond slice from My Loaf bakery. Two cups of tea, each with a dash of oat milk.
Dinner: Beetroot and black garlic risotto with maple walnuts from Riverford Organic. A small glass of red wine.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Two Weetabix with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: A piece of brown, buttered toast with marmite.
Lunch: A Mindful Chef ready meal: aubergine moussaka with lentils (half a portion), with brown, buttered bread.
Snack: Two cups of tea, each with a dash of oat milk.
Dinner: Beetroot and black garlic risotto with maple walnuts from Riverford Organic. A small glass of red wine.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
Thursday
Breakfast: Two Weetabix with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: A piece of brown, buttered toast with marmite.
Lunch: A Mindful Chef ready meal: butter bean and mushroom bake (half a portion), with brown, buttered bread and a poached egg.
Snack: One cup of tea with a dash of oat milk.
Dinner: Garlic chicken and cauliflower bake from Riverford Organic. Brown, buttered bread. A small glass of red wine.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
Friday
Breakfast: Two Weetabix with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: None today.
Lunch: A mini portion of Garlic chicken and cauliflower bake from Riverford Organic (the recipe I made last night was so big that there is easily enough for both lunch and dinner today).
Snack: Two cups of tea, each with a dash of oat milk.
Dinner: Garlic chicken and cauliflower bake from Riverford Organic. Brown, buttered bread. A small glass of red wine.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
Saturday
Breakfast: Two Weetabix with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: One piece of brown, buttered toast with marmite.
Lunch: A Mindful Chef ready meal: butter bean and mushroom bake (half a portion), with brown, buttered bread and a poached egg.
Snack: None today.
Dinner: Smoky pepper and date Spanish baked rice from Riverford Organic. Brown, buttered bread. A small glass of red wine.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
Sunday
Breakfast: Two Weetabix with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: One piece of brown, buttered toast with marmite.
Lunch: A scotch egg.
Snack: A caramel, almond and sea salt snack bar from Kind Snacks. A cup of tea with a dash of oat milk.
Dinner: Smoky pepper and date Spanish baked rice from Riverford Organic. Brown, buttered bread. A small glass of red wine.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
1. Garlic chicken & cauliflower bake 2. Smoky pepper & date Spanish baked rice 3. Beetroot & black garlic risotto with maple walnuts 4. Butterbean and mushroom bake
Up next: a 12 month review of my weight loss journey
Lisa
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Lisa
