By the time you read this I'll be thousands of miles away on holiday in France!

Maybe not the most sensible destination for someone with both wheat and dairy allergies ? it is the bread and cheese nation after all. Also, since the last French lesson I had was more than 15 years ago, I'm a little rusty.

In fact, the only phrases I know are "d?sol?, je ne parle pas fran?ais" and "J'ai treize ans" ? the first is misleading and the second is clearly out of date! Oh and I also know "encore du pain, s'il vous pla?t", but that's not going to help me either is it?

However, fortunately I have a bilingual French-speaking cousin who's prepared to give me a crash course in allergy-friendly French. So soon I'll be able to ask for my bread and cheese to come without?. er?bread and cheese. Hmmm, what may end up happening is that I end up on a three week diet of salad (good), frites (oops!) and wine (oh well, I am on holiday.) Sounds good doesn't it?

But before we leave there is the small obstacle of packing. Up until this moment I thought I was on target ? mostly packed, with a few things in the wash ? perfect! However Jasper has just emerged from the bedroom with a tube of sunscreen in his mouth and a thong wrapped around his ankle. (For those of you who are new to this column ? Jasper is the dog, not my husband?.)

So it would seem that Jasper has actually unpacked everything, distributed it far and wide around the bedroom and covered most of it in SPF 30. Aggggh ? must count to ten!

This means that I now have an emergency washing situation on my hands and absolutely no time to cook. Step forward then the lovely husband, who's just arrived home from work and is in the mood to barbecue.

Luckily, I also happen to have all the ingredients for a super-quick and super healthy supper. Tilapia is a great fish to barbecue as it's quite sturdy whilst also being fairly light. Fish is also a really good alternative to red meat as it's lower in bad saturated fats and higher in the good essential fats that are beneficial for your mood, memory, skin and your heart.

And not only is this quick and healthy, it's also delicious too. So although this recipe makes a great evening meal ? it's also good for if you are cooking at lunchtime.

Day or night this is a really healthy alternative to some of the less healthy barbecue options ? so give it a try this weekend.

Barbecued hickory tilapia, salad and baked potatoes (serves 2)

Ingredients:

n 2 tilapia fillets (they usually come skinless and boneless)

? bottle "Ginger People" Hickory marinade (Lindos, DV)

Salad: lettuce, cucumber, grape tomatoes (whatever you fancy)

Dressing: vinaigrette ? not the creamy kind! Or make your own like last week.

2 baking potatoes.

Method:

1. Marinade the fish in ? bottle of the marinade (minimum of 15 minutes, preferably 1 hour.)

2. Wrap the potatoes in foil and bake at 375? for 1 hour

3. Prepare the salad

4. Place the each fish on two or three squares of silver foil. Bring the sides up and secure into a "pouch" by folding over the top and side edges.

5. Barbecue the fish on a higher shelf, away from the most direct heat, for 15-20 minutes, till thoroughly cooked. The flesh should become opaque and not look translucent.

6. Serve with the salad and baked potatoes. Easy!

@EDITRULE:

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns is a fully qualified Clinical Nutritionist. She can be contacted at 291-4725 or clinicalnutritiongmail.com