Healthy Recipes

Cottage cheese alfredo

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Cottage cheese alfredo

Make a low-calorie, smooth and creamy pasta sauce in 15 minutes using just cottage cheese, milk, garlic granules and a little cornflour... magic!
Print Recipe
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 2
Calories 460 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g Cottage cheese
  • 250 ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • 150 g wholewheat spaghetti
  • 25 g parmesan (or veggie alternative) finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp ground black peppercorns
  • a small bunch flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Tip the cottage cheese, milk, cornflour, garlic granules and a little seasoning into a high-powered blender or food processor, and whizz until completely smooth. Pour into a frying pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce until the consistency of pouring cream.
  • Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water following pack instructions, drain well, reserving some of the cooking water, then tip into the sauce in the frying pan with the parmesan and black pepper. Toss well, adding some of the reserved pasta water if it’s a little claggy. Divide between two plates and finish with the parsley.

Honey sesame chicken with long-stemmed broccoli

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Honey sesame chicken with long-stemmed broccoli

Slather hunks of tender chicken breast in a sweet, sharp sauce and pair with leafy greens for a protein-rich meal
Print Recipe
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 2
Calories 379 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 chicken breasts cut into pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 4 spring onions cut into 3cm pieces
  • 300 g long-stemmed broccoli trimmed
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds toasted

SAUCE

  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • 1 tbsp tomato ketchup

Instructions
 

  • Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and fry the chicken breast pieces with lots of seasoning for 5 minutes or until starting to turn golden, then add the garlic and cook for a minute.
  • Meanwhile, whisk together the cornflour and rice vinegar, then add the remaining sauce ingredients along with 100ml of water. Tip this into the pan along with the spring onion pieces and simmer for 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
  • Cook the broccoli in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through, then drain well. Divide the broccoli between two plates then pile on the chicken and sauce, and scatter over the sesame seeds.

Turkey ragu

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Turkey ragu

Like a healthier spaghetti bolognese, this turkey ragu comes packed with celery, courgette and carrots, plus a little Marmite for added flavour
Print Recipe
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Servings 4
Calories 478 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g turkey breast mince
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 large carrot finely chopped
  • 2 sticks celery finely chopped
  • 1 courgette finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Marmite
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 320 g wholewheat spaghetti
  • a few leaves basil

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Tip the mince onto a non-stick baking tray and use a spoon to break into small pieces, spreading out so it’s in a thin layer. Put into the oven for 40 minutes, stirring halfway, until browned.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large lidded pan or casserole and add the onion, carrot, celery, courgette and garlic with a large pinch of salt. Stir well, put on the lid and cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring every now and again, until the veg is very soft. Pour 500ml of boiling water into a jug and whisk in the Marmite and tomato purée. Pour into the pan along with the crispy turkey mince, scraping the bottom of the tray to get any crispy bits. Season and simmer gently for 30 minutes or until thickened.
  • Cook the spaghetti following pack instructions in a large pan of salted boiling water until al dente. Divide the spaghetti between four shallow bowls, top with the sauce and scatter over the basil leaves.

Breakfast smoothie bowl

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Breakfast smoothie bowl

Breakfast smoothie bowls are a big trend and it's all about how you arrange your toppings. Experiment with different fruits and veg and any superfood toppings you can get your hands on
Print Recipe
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 4
Calories 157 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g frozen red berries or smoothie mix
  • 1 ripe banana peeled
  • 4 tbsp coconut yogurt or greek yogurt
  • 300-400 ml almond milk
  • 3 tbsp acai berry powder
  • 2 dates pitted and chopped (optional)

TOPPING (1 tbsp of each per bowl)

  • blueberries or raspberries
  • chia, pumpkin or hemp seeds
  • goji berries
  • oats or granola
  • dessicated coconut
  • bee pollen

Instructions
 

  • Blend the frozen berries, banana, yogurt, half the milk and the acai berry powder in a liquidiser or blender until smooth. Try it, and if it’s not sweet enough, add the dates and blend again. It should be thicker than a regular smoothie but runny enough to pour.Add more almond milk a bit at a time to get a pourable smoothie, and divide between small bowls. Top with as many toppings as you like, and serve straight away.

Quick quinoa and black bean vegan chilli

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Quick quinoa and black bean vegan chilli

Try our quick and easy vegan chilli. This quinoa and black bean chilli recipe is high in protein, low calorie and vegan – but still tastes impossibly creamy
Print Recipe
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 4
Calories 343 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 red chilli chopped
  • olive oil spray
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
  • 200 g quinoa rinsed and drained
  • 600 ml vegetable stock
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400 g tin black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 small avocado sliced
  • coriander leaves to serve

Instructions
 

  • Fry the onion, garlic and red chilli in a spray of olive oil until soft, then add the spices, including chilli powder if you like it spicy. Tip in the quinoa, stock, tomatoes and black beans, and season well. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the quinoa is tender and the sauce has thickened. Top with a few avocado slices and coriander leaves to serve.

Spicy lentil burgers

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Spicy lentil burgers

Check out this quick and easy vegan burger recipe with spicy lentils. Ready in just 30 minutes, these punchy patties make a super simple summer recipe for four
Print Recipe
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4
Calories 496 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp vegetable oil plus a little extra for frying
  • 2 red onions 1½, finely chopped; ½, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp garlic paste
  • 2 tsp ginger paste
  • 2 tbsp hot curry powder
  • 2 400 g tins brown lentils drained, rinsed, then drained again
  • 4 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 4 seeded burger buns halved and toasted
  • 4 tsp mango chutney
  • 4 lettuce leaves
  • 4 tomato slices
  • coriander leaves (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and gently cook the finely chopped red onions with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes or until really soft. Add the garlic and ginger pastes and curry powder, and continue to cook gently for 2 minutes. Tip out into a bowl.
  • Put the lentils into a food processor and pulse until roughly blended but not too smooth. Tip out into the onion bowl, add some seasoning and mix well. Add the flour and stir well to combine. Using slightly wet hands, form the mix into 4 equal-sized patties. Put into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, put the sliced red onion into a bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Leave for 5 minutes then drain well and add the vinegar and some seasoning.
  • Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook the lentil burgers for 4 minutes on each side or until caramelised. Put onto the bases of each bun, top with some mango chutney, lettuce leaves, a tomato slice, a pile of the pickled onions, a few coriander leaves and the bun top.

New potato salad with aïoli

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New potato salad with aïoli

Crisp, golden potatoes are paired with fresh radish and zingy aïoli in this summery dish (a great side for your next barbecue)
Print Recipe
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 8 as a side
Calories 490 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg baby new potatoes
  • 80 g salted butter
  • 1 onion large, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds lightly crushed
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds lightly crushed
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 200 g radishes thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch dill roughly torn

AIOLI

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 large cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 lemons juiced
  • 250 ml olive oil plus extra for frying

Instructions
 

  • Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.
  • Cook the butter and onion in a large frying pan for 5 minutes or until turning translucent. Add the garlic and fry for another 5 minutes. Add the mustard seeds and coriander seeds, and fry until starting to smell fragrant. Add the dijon mustard and juice of 1 lemon and mix. Transfer to a bowl.
  • Tip the cooled potatoes onto a clean worksurface and use the flat side of a knife to lightly squash each one. Fry the potatoes in a little more oil in a large non-stick frying pan for 10-15 minutes or until starting to crisp up. Tip onto kitchen paper to drain.
  • In the meantime, make the aïoli. Put the egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice and plenty of seasoning in a small blender, and whizz until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while still blending on a low speed, until it emulsifies, thickens and is smooth.
  • Put the crispy smashed potatoes into a bowl and mix in most of the onion butter and sliced radishes.
  • Spread the aïoli across a platter and pile the potatoes on top. Finish with a drizzle of the remaining butter and lots of fresh dill.

Greek chicken skewers with hummus and pittas

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Greek chicken skewers with hummus and pittas

Create your own mini Mediterranean spread with zesty oregano chicken skewers, creamy hummus and warm pittas
Print Recipe
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 2
Calories 520 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 wholemeal pittas
  • 100 g hummus

SKEWERS

  • 2 chicken breasts cut into 4cm cubes
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • dried chilli flakes a pinch
  • 1 lemon juiced

SALAD

  • 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 110 g baby leaf salad bag
  • cherry tomatoes a handful, sliced
  • 2 spring onions sliced
  • cucumber ¼, sliced
  • red pepper ½, sliced

Instructions
 

  • Put the chicken into a bowl, season really well, add the olive oil, oregano and chilli flakes, and toss well. Spear the chicken pieces equally between 4 metal skewers.
  • Heat the grill to high and cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side or until charred and cooked through. Squeeze over the lemon juice.
  • For the salad, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar with a little seasoning in a large bowl, then tip in the remaining ingredients and toss well.
  • Serve the chicken stuffed into pittas with hummus and the salad.

No-bake vegan flapjacks

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No-bake vegan flapjacks

These dairy-free breakfast bars use dates and nut butter to hold together. Experiment with different seeds and nuts in your next batch of flapjacks, and use agave for a vegan version.
Print Recipe
Calories 145 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 160 g soft dates chopped
  • 60 g smooth peanut or almond butter
  • 40 g agave syrup (use honey for a non-vegan version)
  • 4 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 4 tbsp chia seeds
  • 100 g porridge oats
  • 50 g roasted peanuts or almonds roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Blitz the dates in a food processor until finely chopped and they’ve come together into a ball/paste. Add 1 tbsp boiling water if they aren’t sticking. Heat the nut butter and honey very gently in a pan until it becomes a smooth, pourable mix.
  • Stir all the remaining ingredients and the dates in a large bowl, then pour over the nut butter and honey mix. Mix really well (kneading with your hands to break up the dates) until everything is evenly distributed.
  • Line a 20cm square tin or container with baking parchment, and tip the mix in. Press the mixture into the sides and pack down with the back of a spoon. Cover and chill for 20 minutes, before cutting into bars. Keep the bars in the fridge or in an airtight container for 3 days, or freeze and thaw overnight at room temperature if you want to keep them longer.

Notes

Adapted from olivemagazine.com