Si King and Dave Myers – aka The Hairy Bikers – are back with a new collection of recipes, that draws in part on their own weight loss journeys – over the last 10 years they've lost six stone between them.
The Hairy Bikers Eat to Beat Type 2 Diabetes – our review
That and their desire (as chefs and passionate eaters) for food that tastes good, but doesn't come at a catastrophic health cost.
The book: The Hairy Bikers Eat to Beat Type 2 Diabetes by Si King and Dave Myers
Who will love it? Anyone with Type 2 diabetes, or at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and those looking to eat well, but stay trim.
What is it trying to get us cooking? Healthy, uncomplicated meals for those with Type 2 dietary requirements – but anyone can eat these dishes. They've covered all the basics, be it soups (like their courgette, mint and lemon offering) and salads (from tabbouleh to smoked trout with celeriac fries) and heartier dinners (think lamb dhansak and fish crumble), as well as desserts (the coconut and carrot macaroons sound intriguing).
How easy is it to use? Very. Recipe lists can be a tad long, but they are designed to be entirely balanced, so it's worth sticking to them. But once you've assembled your ingredients, the steps that'll get you from raw items, to dinner on the table, are very straightforward.
The best recipe is… the chicken tray bake with fennel, peas and new potatoes – it just sounds like the kind of thing you can bung in the oven in the evening and everyone will be happy. It's that, or the instant banana ice cream (recipe below).
The recipe we're most likely to post on Instagram is… the beef stir fry, the sauce is super glossy, and the colours of the pak choi, spring onions and carrots just pop.
The dish we're least likely to try is… the avocado on toast. There seem to be a lot more ingredients than you'd expect. Digging out vinegar, za'atar and sesame seeds seems a bit of a faff when you can just mash an avo and stick it on toast.
Overall rating: 7/10 – the recipes provide healthy versions of solid family staples that should still leave you sated, rather than unsatisfied and feeling hollow.
How to make the Hairy Bikers' instant banana ice cream…
Ingredients:
(Serves 4–6)
4 very ripe bananas
Juice of &12; lime
Grated zest of &12; lime, plus extra to garnish
&12; tsp cinnamon, plus extra to garnish (optional)
A few drops of vanilla extract
Calorie-free sweetener, to taste
100ml yoghurt or reduced-fat creme fraiche
Method:
1. Peel the bananas and cut them into fairly small chunks. Toss the chunks in the lime juice and arrange them on a baking tray. Put them in the freezer and leave them until they're completely solid all the way through – this will take at least two hours, but leave them overnight if possible.
2. Put the frozen bananas in a food processor with the lime zest, cinnamon, vanilla extract, sweetener and the yoghurt or crème fraiche. Blend until the mixture is beautifully thick, smooth and creamy, then serve sprinkled with some extra lime zest and cinnamon if you like.
The Hairy Bikers Eat to Beat Type 2 Diabetes by Si King and Dave Myers is published by Seven Dials, priced GBP 12.99. Photography Andrew Hayes-Watkins. Available now.