Healthy Recipes

Green bean salad with mustardy dressing

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Green bean salad with mustardy dressing

Green beans taste delicious simply steamed, but they taste even better charred on a griddle pan and mixed with a mustardy dressing!
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Total Time 15 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g fine green beans trimmed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 echalion shallot finely chopped
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • a pinch caster sugar
  • to serve mint, parsley or dill

Instructions
 

  • Heat a frying or griddle pan over a very high heat. Toss the green beans with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and season generously. Tip into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning every now and again, until blistered and cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining tbsp of oil, shallot, mustard, vinegar, sugar and 1 tbsp of water with some seasoning.
  • Tip the charred beans onto a serving platter and drizzle over the mustardy dressing. Scatter over the herbs.

Vegan overnight oats

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Vegan overnight oats

All it takes is 10 minutes and four ingredients to make these vegan overnight oats. Finish with grated apple, coconut yogurt and maple syrup
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Total Time 10 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 125 g porridge oats
  • 300 ml apple juice plus a splash (optional)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp flame raisins or golden sultanas
  • 2 apples grated
  • 100 g dairy-free coconut yogurt

Instructions
 

  • Mix together the oats, apple juice, maple syrup and raisins. Leave to soak overnight or for at least 1-2 hours.
  • To finish, stir through the grated apple and another splash of apple juice if you want it a bit looser. Divide between bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Morning smoothie

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Morning smoothie

Enjoy this refreshing smoothie made with mango and banana. Ready in a matter of minutes, this smoothie is perfect whether you're enjoying breakfast on the go or leisurely at home on the weekend.
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Total Time 10 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 2 mangoes
  • 2 bananas
  • 600 ml chilled orange juice
  • 4 tsp honey

Instructions
 

  • Peel and cut the mangoes and bananas into chunks, then put them in a blender with the orange juice and honey. Whizz until smooth.

Asparagus and salmon parcels

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Asparagus and salmon parcels

Wrap salmon in parcels with asparagus, dill and capers to create plenty of buttery juices to go with this nutritious, protein-packed meal
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Total Time 45 mins
Servings 2
Calories 516 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 250 g asparagus trimmed
  • 2 x 120 g salmon fillets skin removed
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 1 lemon zested and juice, plus wedges to serve
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • a handful dill chopped
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 300 g new potatoes halved, large ones quartered
  • 75 g frozen peas

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut two 20cm x 20cm squares of baking paper and put each on top of a large piece of foil. Divide the asparagus between the squares of baking paper with the salmon fillets on top and season generously. Divide the garlic, lemon zest and juice, butter, dill and capers, then gather up the sides of the parcels to seal completely. Lift onto a baking tray and put into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, cook the new potatoes in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water for 10 minutes until tender to the point of a knife, adding the peas to the water for the final minute of cooking, then drain well.
  • Serve the potatoes and peas with the salmon, asparagus, all of the buttery juices and more lemon wedges, if you like.

Thai watermelon salad

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Thai watermelon salad

Watermelon is this year’s trendy ingredient and stands in for green papaya in this update of a Thai classic. It’s best to buy a whole watermelon and use the flesh closest to the skin as this tends to be a bit firmer
Print Recipe
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 4
Calories 131 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar
  • 5 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 3 bird’s eye chilli
  • 500 g watermelon seeds removed and cut into chunks
  • 1 tbsp roasted peanuts roughly chopped
  • a handful of leaves mint shredded
  • a handful of leaves Thai basil shredded

Instructions
 

  • Mix the sugar into the fish sauce. In a mortar, pound the garlic with a pestle, then add the chillies and pound again, leaving the chillies bruised but intact. Add the lime juice and fish sauce and pound again. Tip into a bowl with the watermelon and toss everything together. Sprinkle with peanuts and the herbs to serve. Avoid eating the whole chillies unless you are a heat fanatic; they’ll be incredibly hot!

Vegan fajita bowl with cauli rice

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Vegan fajita bowl with cauli rice

Try this vibrant, nutritious bowl for a well-balanced vegan meal that has less than 200 calories
Print Recipe
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 2
Calories 174 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • olive oil
  • 1 or 2 small red peppers seeded and sliced
  • 1 red onion sliced
  • 1 tbsp chipotle paste
  • 200 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 small cauliflower chopped
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt or granules
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1/2 small avocado stoned and sliced to serve
  • coriander a few leaves chopped to serve
  • lime wedges to serve

Instructions
 

  • Heat 1 tsp oil and fry the peppers and onions for 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the chipotle paste, tomatoes and a splash of water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
  • For the spiced cauliflower rice, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it looks like grains. Toast the cumin in a non-stick frying pan in 1 tsp olive oil, add the garlic salt, paprika, oregano and chilli flakes, and fry for a minute before adding the cauliflower rice. Stir-fry for 4-6 minutes until the cauliflower is tender, and smells a little toasted. Season well with black pepper (and only a little salt if using garlic salt). Divide between bowls. Add the peppers on top, the avocado, and coriander leaves. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over.

Soy steamed sea bream with ginger and spring onions

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Soy steamed sea bream with ginger and spring onions

Give your sea bream a fragrant lift with fresh ginger, soy sauce, red chilli and spring onions. This recipe is best made in a steamer, but is still easy to cook without one
Print Recipe
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 2
Calories 331 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 thumb-sized pieces ginger ½ sliced, ½ shredded
  • a small bunch coriander stalks and leaves reserved
  • 2 large skinless sea bream fillets
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp shaoxing wine
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 3 spring onions cut into 5 cm pieces, then shredded
  • 1/2 red chilli deseeded and thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • cooked long-grain, basmati or jasmine rice to serve
  • steamed green vegetables to serve

Instructions
 

  • Put two lines of ginger slices with coriander stalks on top onto a small heatproof plate. Put the plate into a stove-top bamboo steamer (see cook’s notes below for an alternative cooking method). Lay the fish fillets on top and season. Mix together the soy sauce, wine and sugar, then pour over, and scatter over the shredded ginger, spring onions, red chilli and garlic. Put the steamer over a pan of simmering water, cover with the lid and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the fish is just cooked.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan until shimmering. Once the fish is cooked, remove the lid and carefully pour the hot oil over the spring onions, ginger and fish. Serve with steamed white rice and green vegetables.

Cook's notes

  • To make this without a steamer, heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut two 20cm x 30cm sheets of baking paper and put them onto a large baking tray. In the middle of each put a line of ginger slices and coriander stalks, lay the fish fillets on top and season. Sprinkle over the shredded ginger, spring onion and chilli. Gather up the paper around the fish, scrunching to seal but leaving a little opening at one end. Mix together the soy, wine and sugar, then carefully pour into the parcel before sealing tightly. Bake for 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Shaoxing wine is a Chinese spirit made from rice that adds depth when cooked – it is available from large supermarkets.

Tuna pasta bake

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Tuna pasta bake

An absolute classic, made even more wonderful with the addition of dried chili flakes and rosemary. It's a real crowd pleaser!
Print Recipe
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 3
Calories 474 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g fusilli
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • a good pinch dried chilli flakes
  • 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 200 g tin of tuna in olive oil drained
  • 1 tsp rosemary needles chopped (optional)
  • 75 g mature cheddar grated

Instructions
 

  • Cook the fusilli following pack instructions, then drain well.
  • Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion for 10 minutes until softened a little. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and half a tin of water, then simmer for 10 minutes. Season.
  • Stir the tuna into the sauce with the rosemary (if using) and drained pasta, and tip into a 26cm x 18cm baking dish. Scatter over the cheese then bake for 20-25 minutes or until piping hot and bubbling. Serve with a green salad, if you like.

White chocolate, tahini and pretzel cookies

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White chocolate, tahini and pretzel cookies

Tahini gives a lovely sweet and salty kick to these crisp, grown-up cookies, while pretzels add extra crunch
Print Recipe
Total Time 50 mins
Calories 217 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 225 g unsalted butter
  • 50 g tahini
  • 225 g good-quality white chocolate
  • 300 g plain flour
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds plus a few seeds to decorate
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 pinches ground cinnamon
  • 220 g soft light brown sugar
  • 100 g golden caster sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 85 g pretzels roughly broken into shards

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter and tahini in a pan over a low heat, stirring until melted. Cool for 5 minutes. Keep 25g of the white chocolate for finishing off the cookies, then chop the rest into small chunks.
  • Mix together the flour, sesame seeds, bicarb and cinnamon with 1 tsp of salt.
  • Put the sugars in a big mixing bowl, pour in the melted butter and beat together with an electric whisk to combine. Add in the eggs and vanilla, and continue to whisk until the mixture pales and starts to thicken. Tip in the dry ingredients and mix in with a wooden spoon until just incorporated, then scatter over 3/4 of both the white chocolate chunks and pretzels, and briefly mix in. Cover the dough and chill for 30-45 minutes until firm enough to spoon with an ice-cream scoop.
  • Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and line 2-3 baking sheets with baking paper (see cook’s notes). Use a small-medium ice cream scoop or a tablespooon to spoon out cookie dough balls and space about 10cm apart on the baking sheets. Scatter over the remaining chocolate chunks and pretzels and gently push in, then sprinkle over a few pinches more of the sesame seeds.
  • Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the edges are brown but the centres soft still. Finely grate the reserved 25g white chocolate over the cookies as they come out of the oven. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  • NOTE: For cookies that are even in size, shape and texture it’s best to bake one tray at a time on the middle shelf –stacking trays means the cookies at the top and bottom of the oven may be overdone and underdone.