Protein phase: The diet begins with eating unlimited meat and fishIt's the protein-packed weight loss plan that’s swept Britain. Here, exclusively, we bring you delicious new recipes from Michelin-starred chefs.
When the Daily Mail reported on a revolutionary French weight-loss plan in April, sales of the book The Dukan Diet went through the roof.
With its seductive promise of swift but long-lasting weight loss without the rigours of portion control or calorie-counting, Dukan rapidly became the diet sensation of the year.
Since then, women and men all around the country have been sharing the slimming secrets of top models such as Gisele Bundchen and singer Jennifer Lopez, and celebrity magazines are peppered with references to Dukan.
Spurred on by this success, the medical doctor behind the diet, Pierre Dukan, has teamed up with Michelin-starred French chefs (one of whom offered his culinary services free as a mark of gratitude to Dr Dukan for creating a gourmandising way to lose weight) to launch an exciting collection of delicious and disarmingly slimming meals.
Here, for those of you who are already hooked — and those who are yet to try the diet — we reveal them for the first time.
And, as you will see, the great thing about this eating plan, and central to its widespread appeal, is its love of food.
Celeb followers: Jennifer Lopez and model Gisele, right, have done the DukanWeight loss is usually rapid and, on arriving at your target weight, your food choices widen considerably for the third ‘consolidation’ phase, during which you re-introduce fruit, starch (bread, pasta), cheese and one unrestrained‘celebration meal’ (plus alcohol) each week.
Only when your new weight is safely established can you move to the final 'stabilisation’ stage. Here, you can eat and drink whatever you like without
guilt, but you must adhere to one remaining Dukan rule: protein (and low-fat dairy) only on Thursdays. Forever.
The ever-increasing number of Dukan blog sites on the internet are testament to the fact that the diet works, and many advocates say the strict rules and the sequential progression through the different stages makes weight loss effortless.
In France, where the Dukan Diet had been a well-kept secret for almost a decade, its long-term success rate outstrips that of other diets.
But according to Dr Dukan, if the plan fails, it will often be during the first two phases when food choices are limited. Some people, he says, restrict themselves to the same breakfasts and snacks every day, and the subsequent monotony can lure you towards binges. This is where the recipe book comes in.
How can a protein-based ‘attack’ day feel restrictive if you can nibble on low-fat oat-
bran muffins, tuck into Dukan cheesecake or Dukan cookies (see recipes below)?
Many of the main-meal recipes are delightfully extravagant and so unlike diet food that you could serve them up at any dinner party.
And many are quick and simple to prepare: you could be sitting down to a plate of tangy chicken or fish in a picante sauce in the time it would have taken to unpeel the plastic wrapper from a cold selection of cooked meats.
WE DID THE DUKAN - AND IT WORKEDElaine Vaughan, a 47-year-old sales and marketing manager, lives with her husband, Drumond Shaw, 60, in Dorset. Her husband runs an architectural reclamation business. She says:
I’ve spent all my life worrying about my weight. I’m 5ft 2in and weighed 10st (140lb) at my heaviest — a dress size 14; not obese, but too heavy for my height.
I’ve tried various diets but none seemed to work — the weight always reappeared.
A friend from Paris mentioned the Dukan diet, saying that she and several of her friends were losing weight on it.
She had dropped two dress sizes, so I bought the first Dukan book and got started.
Breakfast was smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and tea with skimmed milk — it was filling.
There’s no alcohol in the first phase, but I found I had so much more energy.
We go out a lot, but I’d sip sparkling water and pretend it was gin and tonic.
I walked the recommended amount — I have a dog, so that was no problem — and cutting out bread and pasta made me feel less sluggish.
The biggest difference I noticed was my tummy — it was much flatter and less bloated.
It took me six weeks to reach my target weight of 8½st (123lb), eating primarily protein
and vegetables, and very little starch and carbohydrates. I’m so much happier about the way I look. This really works for me.’
Nicola Holt, 42, works as a content manager for an IT company and lives in Lancashire with her partner. She says:I started the Dukan diet in May.
I’m busy, and needed one that could fit in with my lifestyle.
I tried the Atkins diet three years ago and did lose weight initially, but as soon as I started eating carbohydrates again, the weight came back on.
I’m 5ft 6in, and at my heaviest weighed 14st. My target weight was 10st.
Four years ago I was diagnosed
with chronic heart failure — a defect I was born with and has since been corrected, but it’s vital I keep the weight off.
After five weeks of following the plan strictly, my weight was down to 12st and now, four months on, I have hit my target.
I eat protein for breakfast, in the form of eggs or oat bran, cold cuts of meat with salad for lunch and I spice up my protein in the evening with chilli, lime juice or spices.
Last week I climbed a mountain and was hardly out of breath.
The last time I went, I could barely walk for 30 minutes without getting out of breath.’
NOW YOU CAN DO THE DUKAN WITH THESE MOUTH-WATERING RECIPES
SPEEDY 'ATTACK-PHASE' RECIPES
Here are quick-fix meals for the protein-only phases of the diet.
SAUTÉED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND CAPERS
(Serves 4)
3 drops of oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
800g (1lb 12oz) chicken breasts, cut into thin slices
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp small capers, drained and rinsed
75ml (2½ fl oz) lemon juice
5 basil leaves, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
In a non-stick frying pan (oiled and wiped with kitchen paper), pan-fry the onion until it turns golden-brown, then put to one side. Brown the chicken slices in the same pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, lemon zest, capers, lemon juice, basil, salt and black pepper. Serve piping hot.
COD WITH MUSTARD SAUCE
(Serves 1)
1 cod fillet
Salt and black pepper
150g (5½ oz) fat-free natural yoghurt
1 tbsp mustard
Lemon juice (to taste)
2 tbsp capers
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Sprinkle some salt over the cod fillet and steam for 8–10 minutes (depending on its thickness). In the meantime, put the yoghurt, mustard, some lemon juice, capers, parsley and black pepper into a saucepan. Warm over a gentle heat and pour over the cooked fish.
VIETNAMESE BEEF
(Serves 2)
400g (14oz) sirloin steak
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 large piece of ginger, grated
Black pepper
3 drops of oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
A few coriander leaves, chopped Cut the beef into 1cm ( about ½ in) cubes. Mix with the soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger and black pepper, and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Then cook with the garlic over a high heat for 10-15 seconds, stirring quickly. Garnish with coriander leaves.
MEATBALLS WITH ROSEMARY AND MINT(Serves 3)
1 medium onion, chopped
750g (1lb 10oz) minced beef
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp Chinese plum sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
1–2 tbsp mint or basil, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
Mix together all the ingredient and then shape into meatballs the size of a walnut. Cook the meatballs, a few at a time, in a saucepan over a medium heat for about five minutes until they are golden-brown on all sides. Allow any fat to drain off on to kitchen paper.
SALMON ESCALOPES IN A MUSTARD DILL SAUCE
(Serves 4)
4 thick pieces of salmon, weighing around 200g (7oz) each
2 shallots, chopped
1 tbsp mild mustard
6 tsp virtually fat-free fromage frais
Finely chopped dill
Salt and black pepper
Put salmon in the freezer for a few minutes so you can cut it into thin 50g (1¾ oz) slices then fry in a non-stick frying pan for one minute on each side. Remove and keep warm. Brown the shallots in the same frying pan, cover with the mustard and fromage frais and allow to thicken for five minutes over a gentle heat. Return salmon to the pan with dill, salt and pepper for a few seconds, then serve.
EGGS COCOTTE
(Serves 6)
12 tsp virtually fat-free fromage frais
Tarragon (or chervil), chopped
2 slices of smoked salmon (ham or bresaola)
6 eggs
Salt and black pepper
Put 2 tsp of the fromage frais and a pinch of herbs into each of six ramekin dishes. Add a third of a slice of smoked salmon, cut into fine strips, then one egg and salt and pepper. Place ramekin dishes in a high-sided saucepan filled with boiling water like a bain-marie. Cover and cook for 3–5 minutes over a medium heat.
SMOKED SALMON APPETIZERS
(Serves 2)
300g (10½ oz) virtually fat-free fromage frais
60g (2¼ oz) virtually fat-free quark
1 small jar of salmon roe
Salt and black pepper
4 slices of smoked salmon
Beat together fromage frais and quark. Fold in the salmon roe, salt and pepper. Place a little of this mixture on to each slice of salmon and roll up, securing with a knotted chive or cocktail stick. Eat with mini pancakes.
HAM APPETIZERS
(Serves 4)
175g (6oz) extra-lean ham, chopped
225g (8oz) virtually fat-free quark
Afew chives, finely chopped
4 shallots, finely chopped
Marjoram (or another herb, depending on your taste), finely chopped
A few drops of Tabasco
Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. Roll the mixture into tiny balls and serve.
DELICIOUS DRESSINGSTransform meat, salad or vegetable with these low-fat sauces
VINAIGRETTE MAYA
(Makes 2 portions)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 garlic clove
7-8 basil leaves, chopped
Salt and black pepper
Shake all the ingredients in an old jar. If you like garlic, leave a clove to marinate
in the bottom.
DUKAN MAYONNAISE
(Makes 2 portions)
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper
1 tbsp chopped parsley or chives
3 tbsp virtually fat-free fromage frais or quark
Put the egg yolk in a mixing bowl and combine with the mustard. Season with salt and pepper and add herbs. Gradually mix in the fromage frais or quark, stirring continuously. Keep chilled.
HERB SAUCE
(Makes 2 portions)
2 tsp cornflour
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tbsp virtually fat-free fromage frais
3 sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
3 sprigs of tarragon, finely chopped
4 chives, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
Blend the cornflour IN 100ml (3½ fl oz) water and, along with the garlic and shallots, add it to the fromage frais. Heat over a gentle heat for two minutes and add herbs at the very last minute. Season with salt and pepper.
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
(Makes 2 portions)
1 egg, separated
1 tsp mustard
1 tbsp skimmed milk
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and black pepper
Put the egg yolk, mustard and milk in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk vigorously until the sauce thickens without curdling. Remove from the heat while continuing all the time to beat the sauce, and add the lemon juice and black pepper.
Beat the egg white until stiff and carefully fold it into sauce.
PANCAKE POWER
Throughout every stage of the Dukan Diet you’ll find a daily portion of oat bran. Oat bran is most deliciously whipped up into a Dukan pancake.
Stir 1.5 tbsp of oat bran with 1.5 tbsp of non-fat fromage frais, an egg and sweetener or salt, then cook for two minutes each side in a non-stick pan.
For a sweet treat, spread with Dukan ‘nutella’, made by blending 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp of sweetener and a little water. Or you can try this savoury variation:
PANCAKE POWERThroughout every stage of the Dukan Diet you’ll find a daily portion of oat bran. Oat bran is most deliciously whipped up into a Dukan pancake.
Stir 1.5 tbsp of oat bran with 1.5 tbsp of non-fat fromage frais, an egg and sweetener or salt, then cook for two minutes each side in a non-stick pan.
For a sweet treat, spread with Dukan ‘nutella’, made by blending 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp of sweetener and a little water. Or you can try this savoury variation:
SAVOURY PANCAKES
(Serves 1)
2 tbsp oat bran
1 tbsp virtually fat-free fat fromage frais
50g (1¾ oz) virtually fat-free quark
3 eggs, separated
Herbs, to taste
Salt and black pepper
For the filling (choose one):
175g (6oz) flaked tuna
200g (7oz) smoked salmon
150g (5½ oz) extra-lean ham
150g (5½ oz) extra-lean chopped meat
Mix together all ingredients for the pancake except the egg whites, until the mixture is smooth. Add herbs and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the filling with the stiffly beaten egg whites, pour into a warmed frying pan and cook over a medium heat. In the second cruise phase of the diet you can use the basic savoury pancake as a pizza base, then dry-fry a chopped onion, add 500g (1lb 2oz) chopped drained tomatoes, herbs, pepper and salt, and simmer for 10 minutes. Spread tomato mix over the base, scatter over 175g (6oz) canned tuna, 2 tbsp of capers and 6tsp of low-fat cream cheese. Bake at 190c/gas 5 for 25 minutes.
TEMPTING 'CRUISE PHASE' MEALS
Delicious recipes for the second protein and vegetable phase.
PRAWN SOUP WITH CUCUMBER AND CORIANDER
(Serves 4)
2 low-salt chicken stock cubes
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 onions, thinly sliced
12 large Mediterranean prawns, shelled but tails left on
3 sprigs of parsley, very finely chopped
2 sprigs of coriander, very finely chopped
1 small chilli, very finely chopped
Bring 1.5 litres (2½ pints) water to the boil in a casserole dish and dissolve the stock cubes. Add the cucumber, onion and prawns. When the stock comes to the boil again, cook for two minutes. Sprinkle the herbs and tiny bits of chilli on top and serve hot.
CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS(Serves 4)
600g (1¼ lb) button mushrooms
1 lemon
Salt and black pepper
1 onion, chopped
800g (1lb 12oz) chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
250ml (9fl oz) low-salt chicken stock
Chop the ends off the mushroom stalks and thinly slice the mushrooms, then sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice over them to prevent them from turning black. Put the mushrooms in a non-stick casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook over a gentle heat until all their water has evaporated. Drain and put to one side. Brown the onion in a casserole dish in a little water. Add the chicken, tomato, mushrooms, garlic, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over a gentle heat for 20 minutes.
QUICK GAZPACHO
(Serves 4)
4 tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 cucumbers, peeled, deseeded and cut
Some mint
Salt and black pepper
Poach the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, then peel and deseed them.
Grill the peppers for 10–15 minutes until charred all over. Place in a plastic bag and leave to cool, before peeling away the skin and seeds and cutting into chunks.
Blend the tomato, peppers and cucumber together with the mint in a blender. Season and serve chilled.
HERBY CHICKEN ROULADE
(Serves 2)
1 egg
50g (1¾ oz) pink radishes, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
50g (1¾ oz) cucumber, chopped
3–4 chives, chopped
3 sprigs of parsley, chopped
1 pinch of tarragon, chopped
250g (9oz) virtually fat-free fromage frais
Salt and black pepper
4 slices of cooked chicken
1 tomato
4 cornichons (small gherkins)
Cook the egg for 10 minutes in boiling water until hard-boiled. Mix the radish with the shallots, cucumber, herbs and fromage frais and season with salt and pepper.
Spread this over the chicken slices and roll them up. Serve with half a tomato, half
a hard-boiled egg and a couple of gherkins each.
MEXICAN STEAK
(Serves 1)
250g (9oz) minced beef
Salt and black pepper
2 pinches of Mexican spice mixture
3 drops of oil
2 medium tomatoes
Mix together the minced beef, salt, pepper and half the spice mixture and mould into small meatballs. Cook in a frying pan over a high heat. Poach the tomatoes
in boiling water for 30 seconds, then peel and finely chop. In another frying pan, cook the tomato with the remaining Mexican spice mixture over a gentle heat until the sauce is smooth, then pour it over the meatballs and serve straight away.
HUNGARIAN MINCED STEAK
(Serves 4)
6 small shallots, chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
3 drops of oil
500g (1lb 2oz) lean (5% fat) minced beef
2 tbsp paprika
100ml (3½ fl oz) tomato passata
Salt and black pepper
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
½ lemon
85g (3oz) virtually fat-free fromage frais
Fry the shallots and pepper over a low heat for five minutes. Remove from the frying pan, then cook the minced beef for five minutes over a high heat. Add paprika, tomato passata and fried shallots and pepper. Cook for another five minutes and season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Squeeze the lemon juice into the fromage frais. Stir this into the mince, away from the heat, then warm the sauce without allowing it to boil
SIN-FREE DESSERTSA rich range of sweet treats makes sticking to the Dukan Diet easy, even on a pure-protein day.
CHEESECAKE
(Serves 2)
5 tbsp virtually fat-free fromage frais
2 tbsp cornflour
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp sweetener
5 egg whites
Beat the fromage frais, cornflour, egg yolks, lemon and sweetener until frothy. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into fromage frais mixture and pour into a soufflé dish. Microwave on medium power for 12 minutes. Serve cold.
COOKIE
(Serves 1)
2 eggs, separated
½ tsp liquid sweetener
20 drops of vanilla extract
2 tbsp oat bran
Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4. Mix the egg yolks, sweetener, vanilla and oat bran. Beat egg whites until very stiff and fold into the bran mixture, then pour into a flat baking tin. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
MUFFINS
(Serves 4)
4 eggs, separated
8 tbsp oat bran
4 tbsp virtually fat-free fromage frais
½ tsp sweetener
Flavouring of your choice (lemon, cinnamon, coffee)
Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Mix the other ingredients, then gently fold in the stiffly beaten whites. Pour into individual
muffin cases and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.
FROMAGE FRAIS GATEAU
(Serves 4)
125g (4½ oz) virtually fat-free fromage frais
25g (1oz) cornflour
1 tsp yeast
Grated zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp sweetener
2 egg yolks
4 egg whites
3 drops of oil
Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas 6. Mix together ingredients, bar the egg whites and oil. Fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into this mixture. Pour into oiled cake tin, cook for 30 minutes. Serve chilled.
ORANGE YOGHURT CAKE
(Serves 2)
3 eggs
150g (5½ oz) fat-free natural yoghurt
½ tsp sweetener
1 tsp orange extract
4 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp yeast
3 drops of oil
Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4. Beat the eggs with the yoghurt, add the sweetener, orange extract, cornflour and yeast. Pour into an oiled cake tin and bake for 45 minutes.
CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE MERINGUES
(Makes approximately 12)
3 egg whites
2 tsp cocoa powder
6 tbsp Aspartame
2 tsp very strong coffee
Preheat the oven to 150c/300f/gas 2. Beat the egg whites until very stiff. Add cocoa to sweetener and sprinkle over egg whites. Add the coffee and beat for 30 seconds.
Spoon into small mounds on a baking tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Extracted from The Dukan Diet Recipe Book by Dr Pierre Dukan, published by Hodder & Stoughton on Thursday, priced £12.99. To order a copy for £9.99 (p&p free), call 0845 155 0720.
source: dailymail
