Men\'s Health Malaysia - Jun 2017

44 JUNE 2017

LAMB

Organic, high-welfare lamb, as

opposed to the questionable cuts in

a standard high-street doner,

contains up to 50% more omega 3,

which aids production of sleep

hormone melatonin according to

the American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition. No need to count sheep.

CHICKEN

This lean source of protein also

doles out niacin. Critical for liver

health, this vitamin is useful when

ditching the post-pub pit stop, but

not the booze itself. By preparing it

with fenugreek, you score extra iron,

which helps your body turn protein

into muscle mass.

SQUID

Out of the deep-fat fryer and onto

the grill: cooking squid on a skewer

means it packs roughly half the

calories of breaded rings, with a

higher proportion of protein – 70%,

to be exact. It’s also packed with

prostate cancer-fighter nutrient

selenium. An impressive haul.

PANEER

The Indian cheese is full of

conjugated linoleic acid, which has

been found to reduce body fat,

especially around your abdomen,

according to the International

Society of Sports Nutrition. If you

crave meat-free, hunger-busting

protein, stick with this.

Those greasy post-pub pittas are a poor

relation of true Middle Eastern cuisine.

“The dubious meat and limp veg at the

average late-night kebab joint lead you to

compensate for the lack of flavour with

sugary sauces,” says Ed Brunet of Le Bab

(eatlebab.com). Fire up your flatbread

with quality, healthy ingredients instead.

The beauty of giving your food

a good grilling is that excess fat

drains away during cooking. Plus,

use the best charcoal and you can

also impart extra flavour without

reaching for an industrial-sized

squeezy bottle of garlic mayo.

Brunet advises avoiding standard

supermarket briquettes: “It’s

normally the broken-up pieces left

over after the good bits have been

taken out,” he says. “Good charcoal

will burn longer with a steadier

heat, for more precise

cooking and a beautiful

smoky flavour.” Opt for

pro-grade hardwood

lumpwood charcoal. Meanwhile,

your skewers don’t have to be

pricey, but they do need to hold

their cargo in place. Choose flat,

wide ones over the spindly kind.

And to avoid wheeling out a BBQ set

every time, try a Prakti stove

(praktidesign.com). You’ll be

grilling in style within minutes.

Think outside the Styrofoam box. Done right,

kebabs have handfuls of health benefits all

wrapped up. It’s time to skewer the kofte’s bad rep

ELEPHANT’S

LEG IN THE ROOM

ALL UP ON YOUR GRILL

B

A

C

D

Food & Nutrition

WORDS

EDWIN SMITH

PHOTOGRAPHS

LOUISA PARRY

FOOD STYLIST

TAMARA VOS

SKEWERS

WEBER.COM

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44 JUNE 2017 http://www.mens-health.com.my 45

SERVES 2

Lamb mince, 360g

Ground cumin, ½tsp

Onion, 1tbsp, finely diced

Soy sauce, 1tbsp

A garlic clove, grated

Coriander, bunch

Lemon, ½, juiced

Extra-virgin olive oil

Gyros-style flatbread, 2

A cucumber, sliced

A tomato, sliced

METHOD

Combine the mince, cumin,

onion, soy sauce and half the

garlic (for an anti-cancer kick).

Divide in two, pop it on your

skewers, and grill until just pink

in the middle. Meanwhile, blitz

the coriander, garlic and lemon

with enough oil to form a paste.

Once the meat is cooked, slide

it off and stuff your bread with

your salsa, cucumber and

vitamin-rich tomato.

CLASSIC LAMB

ADANA KOFTE

SERVES 2

Skinless, boneless chicken

thigh, 400g, diced

Ground coriander, ¼tsp

Ground fenugreek, ¼tsp

Ground black pepper, ½tsp

Tenderstem broccoli, 100g

Light agave syrup, ½tsp

White wine vinegar, 100g

Belazu rose harissa, 1tbsp

Mayonnaise, 2tbsp

Wholegrain wraps, 2

METHOD

Mix the chicken with the

spices, and thread onto two

skewers. Char the broccoli –

its folate is a proven

fertility-booster – over hot

coals, then bring the syrup

and vinegar to a boil and pour

it on top. Cover and leave to

cool in a small bowl. Mix the

harissa and mayo. Grill the

skewers over medium coals,

then stuff the meat into a wrap

with the broccoli stalks and

harissa mayo.

CHICKEN SHISH &

HARISSA MAYO

SERVES 2

A red bell pepper

Parsley, bunch

Coriander, bunch

Ground cumin, ½tsp

Smoked paprika, ½tsp

A lemon, juiced

Extra-virgin olive oil

Squid, 2 tubes

Watercress, bunch

METHOD

Dice the pepper – the red variety

are ultra-rich in vitamin C. For the

chermoula, blitz the herbs,

spices, lemon juice and oil. Rub

the squid tubes with a little oil,

then grill over a high heat until

cooked; slice into 1cm rings.

Plate up on a bed of watercress

• it’s packed with bone-
  strengthening phosphorous –
  and top with chermoula and
  pepper.

SQUID KEBAB

WITH CHERMOULA

Fillings taken care of, there are

further #gains to be made by switching up

the carby base. By trading a white

pitta or wrap for a wholegrain,

multiseed version, you stand to

win an extra gram of protein, triple

the fibre, and twice the energising

manganese. Now get

stuck in to the

recipes below.

SERVES 2

Greek yoghurt, 2tbsp

Tomato paste, 1tsp

Garam masala, ½tsp

Turmeric, ¼tsp

Paneer, 300g, diced

White wine vinegar, 100g

Light agave syrup, ½tsp

Chilli flakes, ½tsp

Baby beetroot, 6, cooked

Flatbreads, 2

METHOD

Mix the yoghurt, tomato, masala

and antioxidant-rich turmeric;

then marinate the paneer for two

hours. Grill on two skewers until

slightly charred. Bring the

vinegar, agave and chilli flakes to

a boil, and pour over the

beetroot, shown to boost muscle

efficiency. Serve with the paneer

in flatbread with a dollop of curry

mayo, and enjoy!

TANDOORI-STYLE

PANEER & CURRY

MAYO

GO WITH THE GRAIN

B

A

C

D

BASKET

CASES

Grounds

for

keeping

the carbs

SWEETER

DEAL

Filling up on

fibre-stuffed

wholegrains

improves cholesterol

balance and reduces

your odds of type-2

diabetes.

HIGH

ENERGY

Low-carb

diets may be in vogue

but the macro is

crucial for fuelling your

workouts. Think before

making the cut.

FEEL THE

PUMP

Planning to

eat your kebab

unwrapped? You’ll

miss out on vits B1,

B2 and B3, which

cut your risk of heart

disease.

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