The cookbook: Trisha’s Transformation: Beat the Bulge and Still Indulge, by Trisha Lewis, published by Gill Books, RRP €19.99.

Who is it for: Anybody who is interested in achieving sustainable weight loss, or who just wants to add some healthy and tasty new recipes to their repertoire.

Why we love it: Trisha Lewis – who hails from a dairy farm in Limerick – has gained a following of over 150,000 people on Instagram since she started sharing her weight loss and fitness journey in 2018, when she was 26 stone.

Trisha, however, is also a trained chef, which means that this book delivers on two levels; it’s both a brutally honest – and often raw – account of how she turned her life around, while it’s also packed with recipes that are full of flavour, if not calories.

Not that the book really dwells on the “C” word. Instead, Trisha shares indulgent brunches, quick lunches, healthy but hearty dinners, takeaway alternatives and on-the-go snack options that would go down well in any Irish household. Practicality is to the fore; most of the ingredients are store cupboard-staples and many of the recipes can be made ahead of schedule or frozen in batches.

In fact, we found it hard to pick just two recipes to share here in Irish Country Living; but we think you’ll enjoy Trisha’s chicken tikka with basmati rice and lamb burgers with tzatziki and a red pepper rocket salad!

Recipes

Trisha Lewis's chicken tikka with basmati rice.

Chicken tikka with basmati rice

I love to make this fragrant takeaway favourite at home for lunch or dinner. You can prepare it all in one pot and it will suit the whole family as the spice level is moderate! This is gluten free.

Preparation: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2

75g basmati rice

olive oil

2 onions, diced

2 tsp frozen garlic (or 2 garlic cloves, chopped)

2 tsp frozen ginger (or a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and diced

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp cracked black pepper

½ tsp curry powder

½ tsp garam masala

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

75ml light cream

To garnish:

3 tbsp natural yoghurt

a handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped

  • 1 Start by putting on your basmati rice to cook according to packet instructions.
  • 2 Heat a medium-sized non-stick pan and add some oil. Sauté off your onions, garlic and ginger until softened. Add your chicken pieces and stir fry until cooked through. Add in the diced red pepper and stir to combine.
  • 3 Next, tip in all your spices and lightly fry so that the fragrances get released.
  • 4 Add in your tomatoes and simmer lightly for 5 minutes, then finish by stirring through your cream.
  • 5 Serve with the rice, and garnish with some natural yoghurt and fresh mint.

    • Lamb burgers with tzatziki and a red pepper rocket salad

    The simplicity of this burger is so appealing. When buying your mince make sure that it is less than 5% fat as this will keep your calories low.

    Preparation: 10 minutes

    Cooking time: 30 minutes

    Serves: 4

    400g lean lamb mince

    1 tsp paprika

    25g breadcrumbs

    2 red onions, finely diced

    1 free range egg

    50g fresh mint, chopped

    salt and black pepper

    4 toasted burger buns (optional)

    For the tzatziki:

    ½ a cucumber, grated (don’t use the middle, seedy part as it is too moist)

    100g natural yoghurt

    2 tsp chopped fresh mint

    juice of ½ a lemon

    1 garlic clove, chopped

    a pinch of sea salt

    For the salad:

    100g rocket leaves, washed

    6 black olives, stoned

    8 gherkins, chopped

    1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped

    house dressing (see below)

  • 1 Preheat your oven to 180°C.
  • 2 In a bowl mix your lamb mince, paprika, breadcrumbs, onions, egg, mint and salt and pepper. Make sure everything is mixed completely – you may want to use your (clean) hands to do this!
  • 3 Shape the mixture into burger shapes and fry on both sides on a hot pan to seal. Finish on a baking tray in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
  • 4 To make your tzatziki, get the moisture out of the grated cucumber by squeezing well over the sink. Mix in a bowl with the yoghurt, mint, lemon juice and garlic. Add some sea salt to taste.

  • 5 Assemble your salad by tossing the ingredients together in a bowl with some house dressing.
  • 6 When your burgers are done, serve with the salad and tzatziki on the side. You can also serve with layers of tomato, lettuce and onion in a toasted bun.

    • House dressing

    Mix 60ml extra virgin olive oil, 20ml sherry vinegar and some salt and black pepper in a clean, screw-top jar. Put the lid on tightly and shake it up. It will last in the fridge for two weeks.

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