Welcome to The Kitchen Playground. Rediscover quick, fun and wholesome meals.

Latest Recipes

Braised wombok and pork belly

Back in 2007 when I started The Kitchen Playground, I was at home with a four year old and an eighteen month old. I was only working a few hours a week outside the home and wondering what I wanted to be when I grew up. Well I’m not sure that I’ve entirely grown up […]

5:2 Food for the Family. Vietnamese Chicken Salad

This is such an easy meal to satisfy the whole family with. I ate mine from a bowl, the rest of the family stuffed theirs into Vietnamese rolls from our local bakery. Perfect for a hot night. Total calories 1604.  267 calories if split 6 ways, 201 calories if split 8 ways. This will vary […]

5:2 Fast Day Work Lunch. Tropical Crab Salad

Svmer is icumen in Lhude sing cuccu (Summer has arrived, Sing loudly, Cuckoo!) And the fruits are starting to appear. A fast day meal this week was a delicious tribute to the season, marinated jerk chicken with a tropical fruit salsa. The leftover fruit made a fruit salad for dessert to satisfy the rest of […]

5:2 Fast Day Work Lunch. Open Faced Reuben Sandwich

At this time of year the 5:2 lifestyle is an absolute lifesaver. There are so many social events on and they all involve extra food and drink. Having two fast days a week keeps it all under control. This lunch felt luxurious while still being within the fast day limits and leaving some room for […]

5:2 Fast Day Work Lunch. Broad bean and fennel salad

This lovely little salad serves 1 for lunch. Perfect for taking to work. I had some gorgeous tender young broad beans that didn’t need double skinning just to make it even easier. 197 calories Broad bean and fennel salad 1/2 cup cooked broad beans 1 cup shaved fennel 1/4 cup finely diced red onion 1/2 […]

5:2 Fast Day Work Lunch. Super Salad

Due to having an unusual number of social commitments plus a scheduled Blood Bank appointment, I was driven to do my two fast days consecutively. This is not something I would normally do and not something I had done before. I was a little concerned about the second day and getting through work without eating […]