So, I’m doing the 5:2 diet.  I’ve been doing it since November, and (when I do it properly) I’ve seen such results.  In the first month, I lost a stone!  I was never massive, but went from 9 stone to a comfy 8.

With the wedding coming up, I wanted to be my strongest, healthiest weight – I wanted to feel good inside and out, but I’ve never been a dieter (impossible, I love food too much)!  Apparently it’s good for your mental health as well as physical health, and it certainly makes me feel more alert and healthy – it is actually a great break, for someone like me, from the ‘treat’ meals I seem to enjoy rather regularly – but it means I can still eat precisely what I like, guilt-free, 5 days a week!

The problem is, making calorie-poor food which is flavour-rich.  I will never be a ryvita-with-cottage-cheese kind of person.  Food gives me joy!

So, I came up with this Pho recipe.  I must do a disclaimer – I’m sure it isn’t an authentic Pho, as recipes I’ve seen don’t use so many aromatics.  But this really is a winner – it packs masses of flavour, and is under 50 calories per bowl. CONGRATULATIONS, ME!

Vietnamese Pho recipe

Ingredients (to serve 2)

1 onion, halved

thumb-sized piece of ginger, skin on

cinnamon stick

2 cloves

small tsp coriander seeds

1 star anise

vegetable stock (approx. 750ml)

2 tsp soy sauce

a stick of lemongrass (bash it in your pestle and mortar to release the fragrance)

2 kaffir lime leaves

4 carrots, cleaned and chopped into large pieces

handful mushrooms (dried or fresh),  5-10 small mushrooms or 4 dried

veg of your choice (broccoli, bok choi, spinach, pepper etc.)

chilli (1/2 tsp dried, or to taste, 1/2 a chilli fresh, or to taste)

noodles

optional garnish – coriander leaves, chopped spring onions, fresh chilli

Recipe

Char your onion and ginger in your pan (if you use gas, hold them with tongs and put them directly over the flame until they begin to blacken) over a high heat, until the outside begins to sizzle and blacken.  This should take 5-10 mins.  Then remove them from the pan, and skin the onion and ginger (it should retain this char taste but be rid of the black burn).

Again in your empty pan, dry roast your spices – cinnamon, star anise, cloves and coriander.  Keep shaking the pan so they don’t catch, and when they start to release their scents add your vegetable stock, soy sauce, charred onion and ginger.

Bring the broth to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and add your carrots (you can add them before you bring to the boil if you intend to use the carrots only for flavour, but if you want to keep them in the final broth add them now, otherwise they go too soft).  Add your kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass.  Simmer for 20 mins, covered.  Then, for the sake of ease, strain out the spices from your broth and return it to the pan (you don’t have to do this if you’re lazy like I was in the picture, but you will then have to be overly cautious so as not to chomp a clove or munch a whole piece of lemongrass)!, and return to the stove, adding your mushrooms.  If you’re using hard greens (e.g. broccoli) add it now, if spinach etc, keep back and add just before you serve.  Simmer for 10-15 more minutes, until the broccoli and mushrooms are cooked nicely.

You can eat it just like this, as a broth – I did so last night, to be even more low cal – the carrots and veg and stock combined won’t exceed 50 cals, so that’s miraculous.  It’s so flavoursome, and low cal too!

 If you want to bulk it up for something still really healthy but a little more substantial, add noodles or tofu:

With noodles, I simply add them 10 mins before the end, to your simmering broth.  You could also add tofu – slice it and cook it.  Try not to salt and pepper and additions – the balance of the broth should be just right.  If you’re desperate for more saltiness, add a tsp more soy sauce.  Serve, and allow people to garnish their own dishes as they like, with coriander, spring onion or fresh chilli.

I hope you enjoy it!  What a low-cal wonder! x