The Hairy Dieters Recipe Books Review

One of the only things I have inherited from my mum is my love for cooking and when I spend time at home from university I cant wait  to flick through all of her new recipe books and magazines. This Christmas I bought her The Hairy Dieters cook book to add to her endless collection. I didn't think I would really find anything I would like to try out myself in there but one evening I decided to have a gander anyway. 

I came across a recipe for moussaka, a dish I had only tried once before and absolutely loved but had often avoided making in the past as the mix of lamb and cheese sauce has always been considered a greasy/fatty dish. So coming across this low fat version I jumped at the chance to make it for my family. 

Moussaka

The recipe was lengthy and the list of ingredients was endless (obviously not literally but it was extensive) however as I was at home I wasn't paying for ingredients and didn't really have any time pressures so this didn't bother me. The traditional white sauce for the moussaka consisted of a mixture of cornflour, skimmed milk, nutmeg and a small amount of Parmesan which made the dish lower in fat than its traditional counterpart. The outcome was absolutely gorgeous, the mixture of layered aubergine and courgette with the meat sauce was full of flavour and simply delicious! I loved this recipe so much that I decided to buy the books for myself so that I could bring them back to uni and cook more of their meals for myself! 

Spicy Bean & Vegetable Stew

The two books have a vast range of recipes from the usual diet suspects like soups and salads, to revised stodgy classics like chicken pie and chicken balti! Since being back in Cardiff I have tried out the Paprika Chicken and the Spicy Bean and Vegetable Stew, which were both really tasty and flavoursome. The stew included a really nice range of vegetables and was enjoyably light so didn't leave me feeling bloated like stews often do. I also loved the crunchy-ness of the peppers combined with the spicy sauce in the Paprika Chicken. However both dishes tasted quite similar, a theme that I noticed throughout the books, many of the meal recipes use a lot of the same ingredients, therefore flavours can become a bit repetitive and for some one like me who likes exciting food it can be bland. 

Looking back I think the moussaka was a bit of a delicious anomaly. The books do provide great low fat meal ideas for people looking to stay healthy or lose weight, but the  recipes aren't simple and take a long time to prepare, all the dishes that I have made took over an hour to prepare. Furthermore the ingredients lists are long therefore can become quite expensive, especially for a student like me!  I wouldn't recommend the books as a way to diet as they aren't practical for everyday use, but they do include a good range of  ideas and provide great alternative recipes for take-away favorites! 

Paprika Chicken with Wholewheat Pasta