Recipes

Quick Fried Rice

Quick, easy and very nutritious

Serves 2,  Prep 5 mins Cook 7 mins, Ready in 12 minutes, Low-fat

Ingredients

2 tsp oil, 1 egg , beaten, 2 rashers bacon , chopped, 175g mushrooms , sliced, 200g frozen peas , 1 garlic clove , crushed, small knob of fresh root ginger , grated, 2 tsp dark soy sauce , plus extra to serve, 1 tsp sugar, 250g cooked basmati rice

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then tip in the egg. Leave to set for 30 secs-1 min, swirling every now and again, then tip it out and finely slice. Add bacon and mushrooms to pan, then fry until golden, about 3 mins. Add peas, garlic and ginger, then cook for 1 min.
2. Mix the soy sauce and sugar together. Turn up the heat, add the cooked rice to the pan, heat through, then splash in the sweet soy sauce. Stir through the egg and serve straight away, with more soy sauce if you like.

Per serving

355 kcalories, protein 18g, carbohydrate 48g, fat 11 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 6g, sugar 6g, salt 1.81

Venison Casserole

Preheat the oven to 150C, Cook onions in olive oil and butter until softened, but not browned, add the garlic, bacon and mushrooms and cook for a further minute. In a frying pan, brown the venison a handful at a time and add to the casserole. When all the meat is browned, water, stock cubes, redcurrant jelly and salt and pepper. A Splash of red is an added treat. Bring to the boil and stir well. Put the lid on the casserole and place in the middle of the oven – cook for 90 minutes. Remove from the oven. Make a paste with cornflour and two tablespoons of water, add to the casserole. Transfer to the hob, and, on a low heat, cook until the gravy has thickened – about five minutes.

Serve with new potatoes and wilted spinach. Decorate each plate with a sprig of rosemary or thyme and a bunch of fresh redcurrants

Fish pie

You can use any kind of white fish or salmon to make this hot and filling fish pie.

Serves: 4, Time: 60 minutes, Low in fat, sugar and salt

Ingredients

700g potatoes, peeled and diced, 4 fillets of haddock (or any kind of white fish or salmon), 425ml 1% fat milk, 25g low-fat spread, 25g flour, 25g reduced-fat strong hard cheese, 320g broccoli (to serve)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. 2. Boil the potatoes for about 10 to 15 minutes until they’re soft, and mash with a little milk. 3. To make the sauce, mix the milk, spread and flour in a small pan and warm over a medium heat. Stir continuously until the sauce starts to bubble and thicken. 4. Pour the sauce over chunks of fish in an ovenproof dish, then top with mashed potato and sprinkle the cheese over the top. 5. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Serve with broccoli.

Other options

Alternatively, use any kind of white fish or salmon. Try peas or green beans instead of broccoli.

Nutritional information / 450gm portion

360 kc

30 gm Protien

41 gm Carbohydrate

6.2 gm Fat

0.6 gm Salt

These figures apply to servings with haddock and 80g broccoli per portion.

SPRING POACHED CHICKEN

servings 4- An easy healthy option to the Sunday roast.

You will need a large casserole or stock pot to fit your chicken in so that you can cover it with water by about 2.5cm. Stuff the chicken with the parsley and bay leaves, then add your chicken to the pot, cover with water and add a good teaspoon of salt. Scatter in the potatoes, bring to the boil, then turn down, place a lid on top and simmer for about 20 minutes. At this point you can add your baby carrots, turnips or radishes and fennel. Carry on simmering for 30 to 40 minutes.

When you can easily pull the leg bone away from the chicken, you know that it’s cooked to perfection. By that time the other vegetables  will certainly be cooked, but don’t break them up.

Now… while this is all cooking  you can prepare your horseradish cream – the most joyous thing to have with the chicken. In your supermarket you will be able to find creamed or hot grated horseradish in a jar, which is OK to use, but if you’re really lucky you’ll be able to get hold of some fresh horseradish which you can simply peel and grate, season with salt and mix with the crème fraîche. (I’m lucky because my local Sainsbury’s sells them whole – just ask at yours if there are none in stock.)

All you have to do now is carefully remove the chicken to a bowl and add the peas, broad beans and spinach to the broth. Allow them to cook for one minute, and then season carefully to taste. You can get all your guests to help themselves if that’s easier, but if you want to serve it up, divide a nice mixture of veg between 4 bowls, put some shredded chicken on top, then ladle over some of the wonderful, comforting broth. Sprinkle over some of the chopped reserved fennel tops or some celery leaves, with a healthy dollop of horseradish crème fraîche on top and a drizzle of nice peppery olive oil – it will look and taste brilliant.

Thanks to Jamie Oliver

Chunky Chip Treat

Who does’nt like steak and chips but is put off by the chips part? Well, take a couple of large baking spuds, peel and cut in large chunky chip shapes, par boil for 5 mins. Drain the water, generously sprinke with paprika and bake in an oven at 180 for 25 / 3 minutes. Yummy.

Mood Boosters and Brain Food

Grilled Bananas

4 Bananas, peeled
4 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamom2 tsp ground almonds

Slice bananas in half lengthways and place on a baking tray. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and cinnamom and place under a hot grill untill the bananas start to brown. Scatter the almonds over and serve.

Baked sweet Potatoes

4 sweet potatoes unpeeled
8oz cottage cheese
2 tsp chopped chives
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp paprika
Salt and peper to taste

Pierce the skin of the potatoes 4 times. Bake in a hot oven at 200C for an hour or until soft. Mix together the other incredients. Cut potatoes open and scoop out flesh. Mix with other incredients and put back into skins. Brown under grill and serve immediately.

EGGS APPEAL

SCRAMBLED EGGS ON TOASTED BAGEL

Serves 1

• 60g/2oz baby spinach
• 1 teaspoon/5ml water
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 wholemeal bagel cut in half, toasted
• 2 medium British Lion eggs
• 2 tablespoons/30ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 teaspoon/5ml butter or margarine

Method

1. Place the spinach and nutmeg in a pan over a medium heat, cover and shake well. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Drain off any excess liquid.
3. For the scrambled eggs, beat the eggs and milk together with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Cut the bagel in half horizontally. Place cut side up on a baking sheet and toast under a hot grill until golden. Set aside.
5. Melt the butter or margarine in a non-stick pan, pour in the eggs and cook over a low heat for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until most of the egg is set. Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir for a further 30seconds.
6. To serve, place the toasted bagels on a plate. Spoon over the spinach and then top with the scrambled eggs.

Nutrition (per portion): 441 Calories; 25g protein; 18g fat; 5g saturated fat; 43g carbohydrate; 6g total sugars; 5g fibre; 1.2g salt

VEGETABLE & PASTA SOUP

2tbsp olive oil, 1 onion chopped, 1 garlic clove, 1lt vegetable stock, 1 tin tomatoes, 2 large carrots, 100g  cauliflower pieces, 75g  pasta (any), 100g frozen peas

Chop onion and fry in a large saucepan, add the other ingredients except for the peas and pasta and cook for 2-3 mins. Add the vegetable stock bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 mins. Add the peas and the pasta and cook for a further 10 mins, season to taste, add seasoning  and serve with a nice crusty roll.

Suitable for freezing, before adding pasta and peas.
Defrost, add cooked pasta and frozen peas, and reheat before serving.